Pizza idea hatched from pizza oven use


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
So in using the new pizza oven about 3X now and will again tonight, I had a a sort of lightbulb go off in my head. I have that big Wolf which puts out a fierce amount of heat from below and above if you place the IR burner in use.
So my brainstorm: (maybe chime in and share thoughts here?). I see on Amazon they sell some very nice pizza stones made of the same stone material as the Solo Stove (Corderite?). That IR burner is pretty wide (nearly enough for 2 large chickens on the rotisserie) and the grates are IIRC 24" deep and 36" across. Do ya all think if I got a couple nice 13"-14" stones, and poured the coals to the Wolf (all the burners pedal to the metal), a stone could see 800-900 deg? And so doing 1 with more space easier to work with and 2, if doing for a get together I could turn out far more pizzas in less time with still great results?
I'm dreaming up ideas for the coming spring-summer season.
 
I agree. First thing I would do is fire it up full blast and see what kind of temps you get at grate level.

Is the IR burner is a little above but behind the grates? Optimal would be directly above them grates, but if the IR is in the back of the cook box like on a Summit, you would probably want to rotate the pizzas 180 degrees halfway through the cook.
 
I think it is definitely doable. Getting the balance of top and bottom heat shouldn't be too difficult, but pizza ovens usually don't have a lid to open (although mine does :)). It makes launching much easier, but you also lose a lot of heat every time you open and close the lid, That being said, with an IR burner it probably won't matter much, unless you are wanting to do Neopolitan-style pizzas.

EDIT: Alternatively, you could use your gasser as a keep-warm oven, if you're only doing 2 or 3 pies on the Solo. I inherited some aluminum pizza pans and I've done pizzas that way. It was good, but not ideal. Are you thinking of doing 2 or more pies at a time on the Wolf? Again, doable, I think, if the Wolf gets hot enough and the heat is balanced, but with the lid down you're flying blind so there will be a learning curve, no doubt.
 
Last edited:
Pizza steel hold and retain better heat than stones. Note, you can incinerate a pizza in 30 seconds on a 700° steel. Ask me how I know.

Super high heat pizza cooking requires high hydration dough. And the cook goes very fast. Neapolitan style is what you’re making.

Somewhat crispy base for crunch and doughy, pillowy bite and lots of flop. Very little under carriage.
 
I'd thought about shooting grate temps but I'm kinda wondering if stones (whether CI or actual stone) will have the phenomena of getting artificially hotter surface due to somewhat blocking the outward flow of heat from what is already a VERY hot grill. And by blocking trapping more of that heat in the baking surface i.e. the stone
The IR burner on the Wolf is rather high but to the rear of the main grate surface. Actually high enough you can place a quite large roast on the rotisserie, and leave the grates in place then put a large pan under it or continue cooking on the grate(s) below it.
Also FWIW we did have some nice pizzas last night. The one pictured was mine. First I browned off some very nice pancetta on the stove until crispy. We made the pizza on the peel, a little sauce, then the pancetta, then the "mootzadell", into the oven about 90 seconds rotating every 10-15. (I am getting REALLY good at this :D ) topped with freshly torn basilico upon removal. It was deelish. I guess 90 seconds is not a very long time but if we were doing them for a crowd I'd like to do 2 at once :D Anyway here is last night's handywork
20251128_175428.jpg
 
Wilmer Cogburn said:
Larry the pies look great!

Let me know how your Wolf pizza experiment works as I have the near same Wolf.
Click to expand...
Yep, it ain't happening for quite a while though we have severe winter conditions right now, and somehow I don't think we're gonna see improvement any time soon (maybe like March or April :D ) But who knows. Last year we had a pretty nasty early season and then things were mild again through Jan/Feb and then we had a nasty March/April.
 
Great choice of ingredients, superb looking pizza. 90 seconds though! Wow that's Impressive. I do mine on a stone on the kettle and can't get anywhere close to that time. Ive just picked up a weber pizza top attachment though for the kettle but it's yet to be used
 
I had the same idea and like it so much I sold my kettle pizza. I use upside down charcoal baskets on my summit to raise the pizza stone. Then I start ALL burners including the rotisserie burner and put them on medium for about 20 min to let everything come up slowly. Then I turn everything on high and eait another 20 min. The temp on the lid is usually about 650. I turn my pizzas every 1:10 so total cook time is about 4 and a half minutes roughly. I've done this at least 20 times and it makes perfect pizza every time. I do put my pizzas as far away from the rotisserie burner as possible because it puts out a ton of heat. I also use aluminum screens and will deck the pizza about halfway for what thats worth.
 
LMichaels said:
Yep, it ain't happening for quite a while though we have severe winter conditions right now, and somehow I don't think we're gonna see improvement any time soon (maybe like March or April :D ) But who knows. Last year we had a pretty nasty early season and then things were mild again through Jan/Feb and then we had a nasty March/April.
Click to expand...
I am afraid that after an unusually mild fall, that your fear of a long, hard winter is all too possible. Maybe we will get lucky again, though!
 
Jon Tofte said:
I am afraid that after an unusually mild fall, that your fear of a long, hard winter is all too possible. Maybe we will get lucky again, though!
Click to expand...
IDK Jon. I recall last year they were predicting cold and snowmageddon and it was neither after mid December or so. Seems weather patterns are a little different than they used to be. With getting January level weather in late November/through mid December then moderating rapidly. Then another bad shot late March and April
 
I’d say your idea is sound and well worth the experiment but, agree with Brett as well about the steel. (That won’t crack!)
As for weather prediction…? I predict we will have snow when there is white stuff coming down, wind when that white stuff blows sideways and the snow will stop when the clouds go away. That could happen four or five times every day (or not) for the next four months. Sometimes it will be worse than others.
I’m as good as the weather guessers for long term stuff!
Have a lovely winter🤣🤣🤣!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I’d say your idea is sound and well worth the experiment but, agree with Brett as well about the steel. (That won’t crack!)
As for weather prediction…? I predict we will have snow when there is white stuff coming down, wind when that white stuff blows sideways and the snow will stop when the clouds go away. That could happen four or five times every day (or not) for the next four months. Sometimes it will be worse than others.
I’m as good as the weather guessers for long term stuff!
Have a lovely winter🤣🤣🤣!
Click to expand...
You’re hired! Just as good as the weather people on TV!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top