Pizza as the pizza Gods meant it to be

[AbdRahim]

Looks tasty, but not perfectly round. Chopped!

I will gladly dispose of the evidence.

 

[JRS]

My brother in law has a smaller but similar unit on his deck. Makes good pizzas and fun while with the family

 

[bpaikman]

Now this is real pizza, cooked in a real pizza oven (sans pineapple) ?

Amen

 

[Jim]

There's a lot of moving parts to this pizza-making thing. Making the dough can be problematic in itself. Proper yeast, proper flower, etc. etc. (Thank you Judy of @J&JD for your excellent dough guidance) Then making sure the pizza stone is the correct temp, getting the dang pizza off the pizza peel and onto the stone, and then getting it back on again, all delicate pieces of the equation.

I had great expectations for this pizza, the first one to be cooked outside in the wood fired oven. But it didn't come off as anticipated. Pizza was almost impossible to get off the peel, and equally difficult to get it off the stone. I know where I made my mistakes though, and I'll make sure I don't repeat them.

My MIL was here, anxiously waiting the promised homemade pizza, but it just didn't make the cut. Top was burned, bottom crust was not crispy, and the middle was not done.

And now she's downstairs, eating a grilled cheese sandwich. Rats. . .

 

[Neal]

Did you put semolina or corn meal on the pizza pan? Looks amazing. Glad some around here know good pizza when you see it!

 

[Jim]

Did you put semolina or corn meal on the pizza pan? Looks amazing. Glad some around here know good pizza when you see it!

I put a thin layer of flour on the pizza stone. The real problem here was that I put the pizza on the stone before I put the stone in the oven, so the wet crust on the pizza turned the flower on the stone into goo. So it wasn't long before the pizza kind of welded itself to the stone. Had the stone been in the over, and hot before I put the pizza on it, life would have been considerably better.

 

[J&JD]

I put a thin layer of flour on the pizza stone. The real problem here was that I put the pizza on the stone before I put the stone in the oven, so the wet crust on the pizza turned the flower on the stone into goo. So it wasn't long before the pizza kind of welded itself to the stone. Had the stone been in the over, and hot before I put the pizza on it, life would have been considerably better.

Yep, the cooking surface has to be really hot. We have found that , as Neal said, semolina on the peel does the trick. Also we use a thin wooden peel, which also helps. Then the metal peel to turn the pizza, and remove from the oven. Don’t give up! !!! We made some awful mistakes at first. J and J

 

[J&JD]

Your main problem is pineapple

 

[J&JD]

Ok, Jim. Judy has given you clues on making the dough. Here’s thoughts on cooking:
1. Before stretching out the dough and putting the pizza together you must heat the stone to 800 degrees +. If you are using a wood fired oven, the floor of the oven must be at least 700-800 degrees.
2. Put the pizza together on a thin wooden peel covered with semolina.
3. Slide the pizza off the wooden peel onto the hot stone/floor using the aluminum peel to help push it off the wooden peel.
4. Use the aluminum peel to spin the pizza every now and then to get an even crust cook, especially if you are using a wood fired oven with the fire banked on the side.
5. Lift the pizza every now and then to check the bottom. When you see small black spots on the bottom crust it is done!

Best of luck Jimbo!

 

[Old Bubblehead]

I launch with a wood peel, dusted. I turn with a small peel, and then use the big stainless peel to pull it out of the oven. we have the gas fire Uuni and have to keep rotating to keep from burning. Just takes practice. the heavier the pie, the harder to launch. for the really loaded pie's i have used pizza screens to prevent launch failure. I will make up some dough for when we come in July, I like a 72 hour cold ferment. As Neal said, no bad pizza. No matter how ugly they taste great.