Author Topic: What pizza did you bake tonight (Read 7513 times)

UnConundrum · « **on:** November 13, 2009, 08:50:29 PM »

On a lot of other cooking forums I frequent, there is usually one thread where everyone posts descriptions and/or pictures of their efforts for the day. Some members post almost every day, some once in a while, and some never, but they watch looking for new ideas. So... I thought maybe that would work here. To start it off, here's my pizza for tonight.

SmokinGuitarPlayer · « **Reply #1 on:** November 13, 2009, 09:21:30 PM »

Lookin good Warren. I fried/torched/burnt 6 pies today testing a "new" setup idea on a BGE XL cooker. The first few the top burned immediately ....later after the stone got real hot the bottoms burnt up before the top cooked. I am starting to suspect that with the XL the charcoal / fire is just too close to the stone regardless of all the "risers" (insulators) I put in there! Back to the "drawing board"! In a couple of weeks I'll have our store demo FornoBravo Primavera oven so I better perfect this BGE setup before then because we'll probably get hooked on the actual WFO.

shango · « **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2009, 09:43:13 PM »

Well, it wasn't tonight, but on Wednesday I got to make a few pizze with fresh white truffle shaved on them..What a treat.

Rochetta cheese, fontina val d'aosta, garlic, olive oil, and about $60-$100 dollars worth of white truffle on each..

Parttimepizzaiolo · « **Reply #3 on:** November 15, 2009, 05:04:28 PM »

Quote from: SmokinGuitarPlayer on November 13, 2009, 09:21:30 PM

Lookin good Warren. I fried/torched/burnt 6 pies today testing a "new" setup idea on a BGE XL cooker. The first few the top burned immediately ....later after the stone got real hot the bottoms burnt up before the top cooked. I am starting to suspect that with the XL the charcoal / fire is just too close to the stone regardless of all the "risers" (insulators) I put in there! Back to the "drawing board"! In a couple of weeks I'll have our store demo FornoBravo Primavera oven so I better perfect this BGE setup before then because we'll probably get hooked on the actual WFO.

Do you have an IR thermometer? As long as you keep your stone at 650F or below you should have no burning issues.

Right now I'm using platesetter feet down, 2 inch high metal casserole pan with wide handle side up, and then the stone. I usually start cooking the pies when the stone hits 550F. I think we just have to face the fact that we are never going to be able to cook those 90 second Varasano pies we've all read about in the Internet on a BGE. So it takes 4 minutes to cook the pizza instead of 90 seconds. I'm OK with that as long as it tastes good.

UnConundrum · « **Reply #4 on:** November 15, 2009, 05:49:52 PM »

I'm pretty convinced it's an air flow issue, and leaving enough time for the dome to heat up... Need that hot mass above the pizza as well as below.

Jackitup · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2009, 07:01:16 PM »

Quote from: UnConundrum on November 13, 2009, 08:50:29 PM

On a lot of other cooking forums I frequent, there is usually one thread where everyone posts descriptions and/or pictures of their efforts for the day. Some members post almost every day, some once in a while, and some never, but they watch looking for new ideas. So... I thought maybe that would work here. To start it off, here's my pizza for tonight.

Awesome looking pies there brother. I'll try to take some oics of mine tonite for your Sunday Eats post ;-)
Jon

SmokinGuitarPlayer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2009, 08:41:41 PM »

Hi...If you check my latest video you can see the setup I'm using ... platesetter legs down, then a 2" high aluminum pizza pan inverted then the stone....

We are letting the BGE go "nuclear" prior to putting the "setup" in to really "charge" heat into the dome ... of course, that fries any gasket including nomex. (we've been using an XL BGE with a lower dome height ...thinking that this might bake the top of the pizza faster etc but I think I've condluded that it contributing to the problem because the platesetter is closer to the fire)... then we insert the setup .. problem is once the stone rig is in there a while it just get's hotter and hotter topping out at around 900 degrees.

I am starting to think that backing the temp down will be the ultimate solution but I wasn't ready to "throw in the towel" but I may be at that point. This weeks "Wednesday" testing I will try that.

FB/SGP

pizza dr · « **Reply #7 on:** November 16, 2009, 02:19:56 PM »

Fried my gasket just last weekend with the very setup you use. I agreee with the slightly lower temps in the BGE ( I have a large ). My MO currently is to cook the dough to where I want it, then take the pie out and put it right under my broiler in the oven to finish off the top. Kind of a pain but it works for me. Just can't get the dome temps high enough with the platesetter on. I'm hunting for my WFO ( shhhhh... my wife doesn't know what I'm up to yet). Scot

SmokinGuitarPlayer · « **Reply #8 on:** November 16, 2009, 10:26:21 PM »

PARTTIMEPIZZAIOLO - I do have a IR thermo ... do you have a technique or a way to keep the stone under the 650 degree mark ? We tested today ... Large BGE ...kept dome steady at 600 ... stone kept climbing into the 800 range and maybe beyond ... with the dome at 600. Looking for ideas or suggestions.

SmokinGuitarPlayer · « **Reply #9 on:** November 16, 2009, 10:31:40 PM »

pizza dr... We are the supplier for nomex gaskets and I can tell you that they have a 700 degree burn temp. And I have fried numerous ones. Temps up that high need either a better gasket or we are now using NO gasket on our XL test Egg. Tests to keep dome at 600 ...the stone temp will keep going up ... need a way to keep the dome hot and the stone cooler ...I'm not sure it can happen.... there is a point where the stone is coming up to temp ..that you have "unity " ... stone and dome ... then , if the timing is just right, the fire starts going down and the stone will not get hotter but then you are almost done because your fuel is being exhausted .. but you can bang out a bunch of pizzas if you keep them moving ... . any and all other ideas appreciated.

shango · « **Reply #10 on:** November 18, 2009, 02:09:04 PM »

truffle pizza again..Here is the truffle

Matthew · « **Reply #11 on:** November 18, 2009, 04:12:53 PM »

Quote from: shango on November 18, 2009, 02:09:04 PM

truffle pizza again..Here is the truffle

WOW, A white truffle! @ $4,000.00/lb that's one hell of an expensive pizza. I have had white truffle before, definitely worth the price!

Matt

shango · « **Reply #12 on:** November 18, 2009, 04:39:42 PM »

Yeah, that one there is just under a half pound. It was almost as big as a tennis ball!!

I am being paid to make pizze once a week for a gentleman that can afford such luxuries, and sadly, the pizza was not for me. Doesn't mean I did not get to have a tiny taste though

Honestly, just smelling the thing is a pleasure.

UnConundrum · « **Reply #13 on:** December 18, 2009, 08:02:53 PM »

Haven't had time for pizza in a bit, but I want to bake bread tomorrow, so I fired up the WFO tonight. Planned it out in advance so I made the dough Wednesday evening. Let the dough sit at room temp till today. It did spread out more than I had hoped as you can see below but it turned out really well. I had reduced the salt a bit as the dough was pretty elastic. This one was just about perfect for shaping the skin. Unfortunately, my wood wasn't as dry as it should have been and I had problems getting the oven temp much over 700, which affected the color. It tasted great

Trogdor33 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 18, 2009, 09:15:29 PM »

I just checked out recipesonrails. Am I to understand that you are a lawyer, pizza maker and rails dev? If so, bravo for well-roundedness.

UnConundrum · « **Reply #15 on:** December 18, 2009, 09:16:15 PM »

I don't like to be bored

Trogdor33 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 18, 2009, 09:20:02 PM »

Did you have any other web dev experience before picking up rails? I toiled with asp and php for years before I saw the light and switched to rails.

Parttimepizzaiolo · « **Reply #17 on:** December 19, 2009, 10:42:16 AM »

Quote from: SmokinGuitarPlayer on November 16, 2009, 10:26:21 PM

PARTTIMEPIZZAIOLO - I do have a IR thermo ... do you have a technique or a way to keep the stone under the 650 degree mark ? We tested today ... Large BGE ...kept dome steady at 600 ... stone kept climbing into the 800 range and maybe beyond ... with the dome at 600. Looking for ideas or suggestions.

The best technique to keep the temp of the stone down is by cooking pizzas on it. I did have an occasion where the stone got up to 800F+ and it did fry the bottom of the pie. I have the BGE stone which is pretty thick. I assume you are using that brand too?

Regardless of dome temp, when that stone hits 650F I start cooking. A constant stream of pies keeps the temp down for me.

UnConundrum · « **Reply #18 on:** December 19, 2009, 11:03:14 AM »

Well, to be honest, my Rails skills are quite limited. I started out with dBase II, went to dBase III, FoxPro, Visual Fox Pro, VB & MS Sql Server, .asp, mySql, and finally php. Somewhere along the line, I hired some guys to help me. When we switched to Rails, I just couldn't keep up. I had no problems at all with the object orientation, but the division of logic between models and controllers was messing with my dyslexic mind. My guys streamed right past me, and the quality of what I was writing was abysmal. Guess as I aged, the ability to pick up the new language was quick to leave me. I can read the Rails code, and know what's going on, but can't write it. I really miss it though. I really enjoyed writing code and making the computer do what I wanted. It was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together.... I was addicted. Nothing for me to spend 10 - 12 hours in front of the computer working something out. RecipesOnRails.com was a practice run for my guys when they started learning Rails. One of these days, I'll let them update it and deploy some new ideas. I still add recipes from time to time. Gonna add a bread recipe later today

jeff v · « **Reply #19 on:** December 19, 2009, 05:32:00 PM »

I made pizza tonight using Giusto's flour that was in the fridge for 48 hrs-these came out better than my poolish attempt. Pics were from my phone.