Several weeks ago I tried baking pizza using my kettle, the SnS, and a CyberQ. I was not pleased with the results. I thought the forced air would get me hotter temps, but it did not. It took a little over 9 min for the bake and the results were OK, but not great.
Tonight I took another whack at it with much better results I preheated a Baking Steel at 550* for 30 min and checked the temp. It was about 560*. In the meantime, I had started a chimney of KBB and chopped up some hickory chunks into different sizes. I had made my sauce earlier, and the dough was ready to stretch. The mozzarella was sliced and the pepperoni was waiting.
I had overfilled the chimney with charcoal, so I poured some briquettes onto the grate and put the rest in the SnS. Then I added the wood - smaller pieces first, then the larger and largest. Using a pair of mits and two silicon trivets, I quickly, (!), moved the hot steel to the kettle and placed the lid back in place. I used a disposable pan to raise the steel a bit higher, but I accidentally placed the edge of steel on the lip of the kettle, and that collapsed the opposite edge of the pan underneath. I put the lid on the kettle, but offset a bit as @ Koy Schoppe did.
Then I stretched the dough, placed it on parchment on the back of a cookie sheet, sauced it, put the cheese and pepperoni on it. When I put the pie on the steel, it slid into the edge of the fire and stuck to the grate!! It took me a minute to get it unstuck, and it was burned in that area. However, it cooked in about 4.5 min and it had great oven spring. The bottom was a bit over cooked in some areas for my taste, but feel that it was a better pie than the last one I baked, and I hope the next one will be spot on.
WHAT I LEARNED: I will not put hot coals under the steel next time. I will jerk the faux peel towards me instead of trying to slide the pizza away from me. I think I may need some 00 flour - the thermometer on the lid went around more than 360* and the max temp on that thermometer is 600*.
I think I have explained all the photos, so no text with them...
Tonight I took another whack at it with much better results I preheated a Baking Steel at 550* for 30 min and checked the temp. It was about 560*. In the meantime, I had started a chimney of KBB and chopped up some hickory chunks into different sizes. I had made my sauce earlier, and the dough was ready to stretch. The mozzarella was sliced and the pepperoni was waiting.
I had overfilled the chimney with charcoal, so I poured some briquettes onto the grate and put the rest in the SnS. Then I added the wood - smaller pieces first, then the larger and largest. Using a pair of mits and two silicon trivets, I quickly, (!), moved the hot steel to the kettle and placed the lid back in place. I used a disposable pan to raise the steel a bit higher, but I accidentally placed the edge of steel on the lip of the kettle, and that collapsed the opposite edge of the pan underneath. I put the lid on the kettle, but offset a bit as @ Koy Schoppe did.
Then I stretched the dough, placed it on parchment on the back of a cookie sheet, sauced it, put the cheese and pepperoni on it. When I put the pie on the steel, it slid into the edge of the fire and stuck to the grate!! It took me a minute to get it unstuck, and it was burned in that area. However, it cooked in about 4.5 min and it had great oven spring. The bottom was a bit over cooked in some areas for my taste, but feel that it was a better pie than the last one I baked, and I hope the next one will be spot on.
WHAT I LEARNED: I will not put hot coals under the steel next time. I will jerk the faux peel towards me instead of trying to slide the pizza away from me. I think I may need some 00 flour - the thermometer on the lid went around more than 360* and the max temp on that thermometer is 600*.
I think I have explained all the photos, so no text with them...
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