Author Topic: Ryan's Mighty Pizza Oven Thread (Read 19022 times)

Bert · « **Reply #40 on:** April 10, 2014, 02:28:36 PM »

Try it half way when heating the oven and fully open when baking.

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #41 on:** April 11, 2014, 02:14:05 PM »

I hope this pizza looks as good as it tastes. The MPO is helping me make some of the best pizzas I've ever made (or had anywhere).

Bert · « **Reply #42 on:** April 11, 2014, 02:29:35 PM »

That looks awesome, great job Ryan.

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #43 on:** April 11, 2014, 02:33:25 PM »

One of the most awesome parts is that this dough is a 48-hour dough that I made about 96 hours ago. (It's the same dough as the previous two pizzas.) I'll have more to say after I finish eating.

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #44 on:** April 11, 2014, 02:58:32 PM »

OK, let's see if I can remember all the important details.

I preheated for about 40 minutes with the chimney wide open, then left the chimney wide open.
I didn't allow the top stone to heat up before inserting the bottom stone. Rather, I just put it all on the grill and turned on the grill, using all three of the burners that fit under the MPO (all on high). Which means I left one burner off. (The stones would be ready much quicker if I didn't have the bottom of the bottom stone covered with aluminum foil, but I prefer how pizzas bake with foil on the bottom of the stone.)
Bottom stone was over 600 just before baking. I can't remember the top stone temp, but it was well over 500 when I checked earlier.
I rotated the pizza less than a quarter of a turn every minute or so.
Bake time was more than 4 minutes but less than 5.
I used a different dough-stretching technique than usual, and this made the pizza better.
Even though a couple spots are pretty dark, nothing burned this time. That really big dark spot is only there because it was a bubble. (Whenever you use 2-day dough after 4 days, you'll almost certainly end up with a large bubble or two.)

I can't think of any more details at the moment.

Bert · « **Reply #45 on:** April 11, 2014, 03:21:36 PM »

Ryan, great job.

I recommend warming top stone first, I believe it gets top and bottom stone hotter and in less time which translate into shorter bake time.

cylint · « **Reply #46 on:** April 11, 2014, 03:36:29 PM »

that pizza looks fantastic! Great Job!

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #47 on:** April 11, 2014, 03:43:26 PM »

Thanks you guys.

Bert, I heated everything from the start mostly just to get an idea if it makes a difference, and I was surprised to find that it didn't seem to make much of a difference (or any difference). I'm sure I could have baked after 30 minutes and been fine, but I hadn't assembled the pizza at that point. It probably does make a small difference, but I think I'll probably keep doing it this way because it makes it a lot easier for me to set up everything. That is, I can put everything exactly where it needs to be without having to worry about burning myself or accidentally moving the foil that covers the unused part of the grill.

Keep in mind the fact that I'm using a stone that barely fits inside the MPO, in addition to the fact that I can't control my hands as well as most people can. If I was using the 13" stone that came with the MPO instead of my 15.75" stone, I probably wouldn't have to worry about any of that stuff. But I can't make a 14" pizza on a 13" stone.

I'm sure I will try the 13" stone again someday relatively soon, largely because I want to show some straight-out-of-the-box results. But right now I don't feel like the couple easy mods I've made (bigger stone + foil on bottom) have sacrificed any other positive MPO characteristics. Every pizza I make in the MPO is at least a little better than the previous pizza. And I'm still learning how to use the MPO. I still haven't done the convection trick to route hot air both below and above the top stone.

cylint · « **Reply #48 on:** April 11, 2014, 04:07:08 PM »

what kind, brand, and amount of cheese are you using? Man, i want a slice of that

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #49 on:** April 11, 2014, 04:19:55 PM »

It's just GFS whole milk mozzarella. 250 grams.

Bert · « **Reply #50 on:** April 11, 2014, 04:35:22 PM »

I understand Ryan you are doing amazing job with MPO, more to come I am sure. Looking forward to see your deep dish (when you are ready).

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #51 on:** April 11, 2014, 04:57:55 PM »

Yeah, that will be interesting. I'm comfortable doing NY style this way because all I have to do is set the burners on high and wait. Deep dish will scare me because it will require figuring out how to simulate a 450-degree oven, then maintain that temperature. I'm pretty amazed by the deep dish pizzas you've baked in the MPO. Why don't you post a few of your best MPO deep dish pics?

scott123 · « **Reply #52 on:** April 11, 2014, 08:15:25 PM »

Quote from: Aimless Ryan on April 11, 2014, 02:14:05 PM

The MPO is helping me make some of the best pizzas I've ever made (or had anywhere).

Quote

Bake time was more than 4 minutes but less than 5.

Quote

100% Superlative flour
62% Water
0.3% ADY
1.75% Salt

13% protein bromated flour and between a 4-5 minute bake, huh? And it was some of the best pizza you've ever made? I really don't understand how that could have happened. It's a complete enigma

Seriously, Ryan, do you understand what balanced 4-5 minute bakes can do for a pizza now? Welcome to the promised land

I know you attribute a lot of your success to the oven, and, while the MPO is a great device, any oven setup that will give you balanced 4-5 minute bakes can produce this. This is why I've spent most of the last 2 years extolling the virtues of steel.

The MPO is a great option for outdoor baking, but with this massive breakthrough as a result of a faster bake, can you begin to see what steel is capable of achieving? If you could have made that pizza with a $50 piece of steel, wouldn't it have been worth it?

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #53 on:** April 11, 2014, 08:37:34 PM »

I really don't know anything about steel, Scott, other than it's heavy and a lot of members have started using it over the last year or so. My oven is really bad for NY style. I don't think the stone can get any hotter than 520 in the oven; maybe 540. Would steel get hotter in the same oven? Or is there some property of steel that makes 520 or 540 behave more like a 600-degree stone? Because after some time to think about today's pizza, I'm thinking my ideal stone temp for NY style is probably a hair under 600. Of course, the concept of stone temp is new to me because I was never able to measure it until a few weeks ago.

scott123 · « **Reply #54 on:** April 11, 2014, 09:09:59 PM »

Quote from: Aimless Ryan on April 11, 2014, 08:37:34 PM

Or is there some property of steel that makes 520 or 540 behave more like a 600-degree stone?

Ryan, it's called conductivity

Stone transfers heat at a slower rate than steel. 525 on 1/2" steel produces identical results to 600 on stone.

That's the beauty of steel. It can make a 525 deg. oven act like a 600 deg. one. Since most people don't have ovens that can reach 600, this is what makes it so revolutionary. The only catch is that, in order to have a balanced bake, you have to use the broiler to bolster top heat during the bake, which means you have to have a broiler in the main oven compartment.

If you can comfortably hit 525, though, and have a broiler in the main compartment, you can make these pies in your home oven with 1/2" steel plate.

Regarding steel's heaviness... that information is a bit dated. As a single chunk of 40 lb. metal, steel is pretty brutal to have to deal with. But members have been cutting the steel down the middle and baking on the two pieces. 20 lb. pieces are much easier to work with.

Bert · « **Reply #55 on:** April 11, 2014, 10:01:22 PM »

Quote from: Aimless Ryan on April 11, 2014, 04:57:55 PM

Yeah, that will be interesting. I'm comfortable doing NY style this way because all I have to do is set the burners on high and wait. Deep dish will scare me because it will require figuring out how to simulate a 450-degree oven, then maintain that temperature. I'm pretty amazed by the deep dish pizzas you've baked in the MPO. Why don't you post a few of your best MPO deep dish pics?

Ryan, here is a link to my deep dish experience http://www.mightypizzaoven.com/homemade-chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/

What size of pan do you have? mine is 12" x 1.5"

It's been a while since I have made one, hopefully next week.

Bert · « **Reply #56 on:** April 11, 2014, 10:17:35 PM »

Scott see reply 22 just in case you missed two minute pie I posted earlier using 15" stone....

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #57 on:** April 12, 2014, 10:57:26 AM »

Bert, I bought a disposable aluminum pan last night, which should be more than big enough to fit inside the MPO and reroute the hot air above the top stone. If it is, what size should I cut it? The same size as the top stone?

Bert · « **Reply #58 on:** April 12, 2014, 11:52:29 AM »

Hey Ryan, cut it the same size as the top stone. You can create Tabs at the end instead of using togle bolts.

Aimless Ryan · « **Reply #59 on:** April 13, 2014, 11:58:39 AM »

This pizza is from last night. I made one change with this batch of dough: I decreased the ADY from 0.3% to 0.25%. Although my dough is meant for 48 hours, this dough was only 24+ hours old. I took it out of the fridge about 6 hours prior to baking. I made it for a couchsurfing guest whose bus was scheduled to arrive in Columbus at 10:00 but didn't arrive until after midnight. Once I knew he was going to be so late, I decided to make the pizza before picking him up (at about 11:00).

I cut my disposable aluminum pan to fit in the MPO and placed it in the top slot, all the way forward (with the stone all the way back), to divert hot air above the top stone. Not sure if that made a difference. 5-minute bake. I think the preheat only took 25 minutes to reach 600 on the bottom stone, which I now know is a definitely a little hotter than I want for NY style. (Once again, I forgot to check the top stone temp, but I'm pretty sure it was at least 500.) I have two more dough balls left from this batch, and I expect to use at least one of them tonight.