Making pizza on the WSM.
- Thread starter Arun L.
- Start date
Arun L.
TVWBB All-Star
I tried making pizza on the Kettle Pizza again yesterday.
This time, I tried to light the chimney from vents on the bottom. This still wasn't easy, as even though there was charcoal at the bottom, it still wasn't close enough to put a match, or matchstick lighter, close enough to the charcoal.
So, I filled the chimney a little bit, and lit it from the top. As that portion got the charcoal white, I then added more and more charcoal to the chimney, until each portion was lighted and the entire chimney was full.
I then dumped the lighted chimney onto the charcoal rack.
This time, the fire was good. I also added some lump charcoal.
http://imgur.com/a/v3fbr
Because the fire was looking good, I thought I would try the Kettle Pizza again, instead of the steel in the oven. As this fire would improve upon the biggest problem I had last time.
I dusted the counter with flour this time. I probably should have also done cornmeal, but because I had seen some videos of people only dusting with flour, I thought I would try that.
I also stretched instead of rolled the dough this time.
However, when it came time to put the pizza on the peel, the pizza ended up getting squished into a skinny hourglass shape.
I think I need to try the method of putting parchment paper underneath the pizza on the counter, as well as use cornmeal on the counter too. The peel had been dusted with cornmeal.
As for the steel, I preheated it for 40 minutes. During that time, the temperature of the steel itself still only read between 330-400.
I had the lid on the Kettle Pizza.
But the temperature of the Kettle Pizza using the Kettle Pizza thermometer climbed to 550 or so.
Why such difference in the readings?
I also put my Flame Boss in. But then I saw it had an upper limit of 450 degrees, it looked like the temperature couldn't be set beyond that. So that made it less useful in this case.
Even though the pizza was squished, I still wanted to cook it. So I put it onto the steel.
~ 4 minutes later, I checked on it, and the bottom was burned. For whatever reason I cooked the pizza much longer last time, and the bottom didn't get burned, it was just too crispy (and even then it was fine the next day after the leftovers were refrigerated).
The top was still too raw.
I then tried to remove it. It stuck a little, then slid toward me all the way on the back of the peel, hanging off of it.
4-5 seconds later, 1/2 of the squished pizza fell to the floor.
I'm not as upset as I was last week, because being able to start a good fire, and keep it, and get the temperature (at least from the Kettle Pizza's thermometer) to a high temperature was an accomplishment.
I do think I want to practice transferring the pizza onto the steel on the electric oven, preheated to 500 degrees, though.
Would the crust have gotten burned so quickly if it wasn't in the squished hourglass shape?
Why was the top still raw?
Could my dough be too wet? How do I know if the dough is too wet?
If when trying on the electric oven, the bottom still cooks too quickly, I might not preheat the steel as long (whether in the oven or the Kettle Pizza).
This time, I tried to light the chimney from vents on the bottom. This still wasn't easy, as even though there was charcoal at the bottom, it still wasn't close enough to put a match, or matchstick lighter, close enough to the charcoal.
So, I filled the chimney a little bit, and lit it from the top. As that portion got the charcoal white, I then added more and more charcoal to the chimney, until each portion was lighted and the entire chimney was full.
I then dumped the lighted chimney onto the charcoal rack.
This time, the fire was good. I also added some lump charcoal.
http://imgur.com/a/v3fbr
Because the fire was looking good, I thought I would try the Kettle Pizza again, instead of the steel in the oven. As this fire would improve upon the biggest problem I had last time.
I dusted the counter with flour this time. I probably should have also done cornmeal, but because I had seen some videos of people only dusting with flour, I thought I would try that.
I also stretched instead of rolled the dough this time.
However, when it came time to put the pizza on the peel, the pizza ended up getting squished into a skinny hourglass shape.
I think I need to try the method of putting parchment paper underneath the pizza on the counter, as well as use cornmeal on the counter too. The peel had been dusted with cornmeal.
As for the steel, I preheated it for 40 minutes. During that time, the temperature of the steel itself still only read between 330-400.
I had the lid on the Kettle Pizza.
But the temperature of the Kettle Pizza using the Kettle Pizza thermometer climbed to 550 or so.
Why such difference in the readings?
I also put my Flame Boss in. But then I saw it had an upper limit of 450 degrees, it looked like the temperature couldn't be set beyond that. So that made it less useful in this case.
Even though the pizza was squished, I still wanted to cook it. So I put it onto the steel.
~ 4 minutes later, I checked on it, and the bottom was burned. For whatever reason I cooked the pizza much longer last time, and the bottom didn't get burned, it was just too crispy (and even then it was fine the next day after the leftovers were refrigerated).
The top was still too raw.
I then tried to remove it. It stuck a little, then slid toward me all the way on the back of the peel, hanging off of it.
4-5 seconds later, 1/2 of the squished pizza fell to the floor.
I'm not as upset as I was last week, because being able to start a good fire, and keep it, and get the temperature (at least from the Kettle Pizza's thermometer) to a high temperature was an accomplishment.
I do think I want to practice transferring the pizza onto the steel on the electric oven, preheated to 500 degrees, though.
Would the crust have gotten burned so quickly if it wasn't in the squished hourglass shape?
Why was the top still raw?
Could my dough be too wet? How do I know if the dough is too wet?
If when trying on the electric oven, the bottom still cooks too quickly, I might not preheat the steel as long (whether in the oven or the Kettle Pizza).
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The bottom was burnt and the too was raw because there was to large of a difference in temp between the cooking surface and the air above the pizza. You don't have a low celing to trap heat on the top side.
Also the steel transfers heat faster so when you have a hot flame under the cooking surface that heat is rapidly to the crust.
Also the steel transfers heat faster so when you have a hot flame under the cooking surface that heat is rapidly to the crust.
If you want to try it in the oven set your cooking rack about 8 inches from the top broiler element. Put the steel on the rack and pre heat the oven to 500-550 for an hr. This gives a thick steel or stone time to fully warm up. Put the pizza on for a few minutes. Then kick the broiler on to brown the top side.
Arun L.
TVWBB All-Star
That seems like a good idea.
- - - Updated - - -
What can I do about this?
Place another grate on top. Then add another pizza stone and cover with heavy duty foil as Serious Eats did with their KettlePizza:
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archiv...epizza-insert-working-and-meet-its-maker.html
Fill up the chimney with charcoal, crumple up 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper, place under the chimney, then light the newspaper
Arun L.
TVWBB All-Star
Thanks. I'll consider the second stone approach if after the next few times I try in the Kettle Pizza, I'm still not satisfied with the results, and it's because the top is still not cooking that well.
Do you know of a cheap second stone I can use?
Arun L.
TVWBB All-Star
This was the setup I had on Sunday. As you said, I don't think there's much room to play with.
http://imgur.com/a/v3fbr
Can you link to the block of concrete?
Arun L.
TVWBB All-Star
Do I use the screen to stretch the dough and put the toppings on, before transferring it onto the peel?
Or can I actually use the screen on the stone, near a flame?
Since you're not cooking on the second stone, any cheapo stone from Target, Walmart, Home Depot will do. You can also use firebricks, usually available from landscape supply stores for cheap. In fact, there's one in Hayward that sells bricks for about $1.70 each http://www.clarkshomeandgarden.net/index.html
You only need about 4-5 of them.
It is just one of these but I used chistle to cut or break it in to 3 sections. I use 2, two hump sections to hold the coal back against the grill. The edge of the concrete block is about even with the back of my cooking stone. That way there is no coal directly under my cooking surface. I don't know if you will have enough room between the cooking rack and the charcoal rack on a WSM. The block might be to tall.
You stretch the dough and place it on the screen. Top the pizza and place the whole screen / pizza assembly on the cooking surface. You can press the dough out on the screen other wise youll press it in to the screen and it wont come off when its cooked.
Arun L.
TVWBB All-Star
Just to clarify, you meant "you CAN'T press the dough out on the screen", right?
Good to know this can be used on the steel.
Arun L.
TVWBB All-Star
On Monday Jan. 16th (the day after the previous Kettle Pizza attempt where the pizza was squished when loading on the peel, then fell off the peel when I was taking out of the Kettle Pizza), I tried pizza in the oven.
I preheated the oven with the steel to 500 degrees.
I didn't check the temperature of the steel during this process. Maybe I should have, just so that I'd know.
I had used the method of parchment paper under the dough, to transfer it onto the peel, then slide it onto the steel. It was easier, but after it cooked, still required some work to remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the pizza.
I'd rather use a pizza screen after it's been stretched, then parchment paper. I still have to think about the transfer onto the pizza screen, though.
I cooked it for 4 minutes, then checked it. Then I put it in for 3 more mins.
I think it was still underdone, but I just didn't want to overcook pizza this time, compared to the two previous times on the grill, so I took it out.
Also, the way I'm making this thin crust dough recipe, it still seems to wet and sticky to me. What do you think from how it looks?
Maybe that's the cause of some of the transfer issues (especially from the Kettle Pizza attempts)?
This is a picture after it was mixed and it rose, but before stretching it.
Whereas in videos I watch, their dough looks drier and smoother, and less sticky.
http://imgur.com/a/YFN8z
Once I can get both the dough, transfer, and cooking portion to a satisfactory level in the oven, then I'll go back out to the grill.
I preheated the oven with the steel to 500 degrees.
I didn't check the temperature of the steel during this process. Maybe I should have, just so that I'd know.
I had used the method of parchment paper under the dough, to transfer it onto the peel, then slide it onto the steel. It was easier, but after it cooked, still required some work to remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the pizza.
I'd rather use a pizza screen after it's been stretched, then parchment paper. I still have to think about the transfer onto the pizza screen, though.
I cooked it for 4 minutes, then checked it. Then I put it in for 3 more mins.
I think it was still underdone, but I just didn't want to overcook pizza this time, compared to the two previous times on the grill, so I took it out.
Also, the way I'm making this thin crust dough recipe, it still seems to wet and sticky to me. What do you think from how it looks?
Maybe that's the cause of some of the transfer issues (especially from the Kettle Pizza attempts)?
This is a picture after it was mixed and it rose, but before stretching it.
Whereas in videos I watch, their dough looks drier and smoother, and less sticky.
http://imgur.com/a/YFN8z
Once I can get both the dough, transfer, and cooking portion to a satisfactory level in the oven, then I'll go back out to the grill.
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