Cooking underneath of pizza

[Stryda]

Hello, I've been playing with an emergency dough from Pete-zza which is a good recipe, however I've been having problems with getting the underneath of the pizza to cook!
I currently pre-heat the stone for half an hour in oven, temp 240°C. I then shape dough and move directly onto the pizza stone, and load with toppings and it goes into the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes. The top crust is a lovely golden colour and the cheese is perfectly melted, but the underneath looks like it's barely being cooked. The middle of the dough is nice with good air bubbles, it's just the bottom which could do with browning a bit, any suggestions? I've tried taking the pizza off the stone towards the end of the bake and let it cook on the oven shelf but the cheese starts to burn. I haven't got the recipe to hand right now, but if this is needed I can get it.

[Pete-zza]

Stryda,

It might help to see the dough recipe you are using, along with details on the type of oven and also the type of flour you are using.

Peter

[jeffereynelson]

Don't take the pizza off of the stone. Without seeing any of your recipe (which would be helpful like pete said) I would simply just say preheat  your stone for 1 hour and then try again.

[Stryda]

Hmm, I've had a look but can't seem to find the link with the recipe on here, but I have it written down on some paper (unfortunately not bakers percentages though):

347g Allinson Premium bread flour (13.9g protein/100g)
196ml Water
0.35 TBSP IDY yeast
0.35 TBSP salt
1.69 TBSP Olive oil
1.27 TBSP Sugar

This makes a roughly 14 inch thin (ish) crust pizza. I use just a home electric oven.

[The Dough Doctor]

Is there a possibility that the stone might be too thin and not storing sufficient latent heat to bake the bottom of the pizza? Remember we're only looking at a baking temperature of roughly 465F. Once you suck the heat out of the stone it won't recover much during the baking time of a pizza.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[Pizzaboyo]

I had a similar problem and changed from my "skinny" stone like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faringdon-3-piece-Pizza-Set/dp/B0000BVF9M/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1360356800&sr=1-7 to this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pizza-Baking-Stone-inches-delivery/dp/B0039S44TI/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1360356800&sr=1-6 and can get up to 620f using a high grill for approx 45min then oven 20min and grill 5 min before loading my pizza and with some eggspert help from Chicago Bob and Scott123 the results can be seen here http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,22352.60.html Good luck with the journey it will wreck your head 

[Chicago Bob]

I then shape dough and move directly onto the pizza stone, and load with toppings and it goes into the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes.

Stryda,
Are you saying that you take the stone out of the oven, dress the pie, and then onto center rack?

[dwighttsharpe]

240º C is not that hot, and 30 min is not that long of a preheat.

If you are preheating only 30 minutes, one would think it would be at the maximum oven temp.

[dylandylan]

Hey Stryda

Sounds like you're cooking in roughly the same conditions that I am.  My oven barely gets up to 240.  I'd agree with the suggestion to preheat for an hour.

Another thought is - is the pizza cooked and edible even though there is no color on the bottom?  I find with my pizza that the underside will still be very pale, but the pizza is very well cooked, usually after 6 or 7 minutes, and definitely cooked within 10.   I've learned to accept a pale underside isn't so bad so long the pizza is cooked.   If it's not actually cooked that'd be a different story.

[Stryda]

dylan the dough is somewhat cooked, but definitely not fully cooked! haha. Sorry I've taken so long to reply busy few weeks, but I appreciate all the replies. I had another attempt last night, preheated for 1 hour and got much better colour on the bottom of the pizza. Btw, my pizza stone is about 1/4" thick.