Still working the Kamado Joe pizza

[GregS]

This was my second pizza cook on the Kamado Joe. I was really happy about the first one, but think that I was a bit low as far as temperature. I also wanted to try my hand at making a white pizza.

Started out with the same dough as last time, dough balls from Weis. I bought 2 of them and cut 7 ounces off each of the dough balls, so ended up with just shy of 1 pound dough balls for each pizza.

First was supposed to be pepperoni, but the wife didn't tell me we were pretty much out of it. But I put what we had on this one. Cooked at about 675 for 8 minutes.



Next up was a white pizza with basil. I mixed 15 oz. Ricotta with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. I spread about half on the crust, topped with basil and the mozzarella and Parmesan on top of that. This was about 650 for 8 minutes.



Last was another cheese. Temperature dropped a little, about 625 for 8 minutes.

[Attjack]

Looks like they all came out well. Nice work.

[GregS]

I'm really happy with them. I'm not 100% happy with the white pizza, but it's the first I've done. I'll get it.

[RonB]

It looks like you are killin' these to me.

[GregS]

Thanks. I'm really happy with every pizza that I've done on my KJ. I'll have to figure out the white pizza. I'm not completely happy with the taste of that one. It was good, but missing something.

[RonB]

pizza = Italian = more garlic

[scottranda]

They look great! Are you preheating your stone?

[GregS]

Yep, reply down below.

[CowboyScott]

These look great. I am also curious on if you used a preheated stone or steel.

[GregS]

Steel? Do you mean cast iron?

[CowboyScott]

Baking Steel, cast iron, or stone.

[allsid]

good job!

[GregS]

Thanks

[GregS]

I light the KJ and work the temperature up a bit. At about 300, I put on my divide and conquer rack. I put the grill grate on the top level and the heat diffuser on top of the grate. I put 4 copper plumbing elbows on the diffuser and the pizza stone on top of that.

I've been using a Pampered Chef pizza stone in the oven for about 20 years. I spread the dough out on that stone then move it over onto the pizza peel that I put on a bunch of cornmeal. Transfer that over to the stone.

I've been "shopping" for a metal pizza peel to take the pizza off the grill. But for now I've been using a large Pampered Chef spatula.

[Willy]

@GregS--Gotcha!

[hoovarmin]

I can vouch for the "use a wooden peel...dough is more likely to stick to metal than wood comment by Willy. I bought a metal peel and since it doesn't absorb any moisture at all it's nearly useless. May use it to swat my kids on the behind, though.

[GregS]

Uncooked dough will stick to a metal peel. But I have a wooden peel for the uncooked pizza and will be getting the metal one to take the pizza off the grill.

[scottranda]

Just as a warning, the pampered chef stone will crack under high heat (eventually). I used mine under high heat, worked great, then cracked on me one day. No big deal though, I bought another one that is fine under super high heat.

[Skip]

I broke my Wife's PS Stone as well. I now have a thicker one from the Ceramic Grill Store.

[scottranda]

Skip I have the same one now! Ceramic chef stone is pretty awesome!

[GregS]

I'm not using the Pampered Chef stone in the grill. I have a Kamado Joe stone for in the KJ. I just use the Pampered chef to get the dough stretched out to the proper size before putting it onto the peel to finish it up.

[Skip]

Nice looking pizzas GregS . Very good job!! Fun doing pizza on the grill. Try parchment paper under your dough. It will kind of burn up about the time your pizza is done but you can slide it off and on the stone with ease.

[hoovarmin]

Skip, you cook the pizza on top of the parchment, on top of the stone?

[cosmo]

Nice looking "Za". Since getting my WSCGS I've only done pizza once but loved it. Also pre-heated a traditional pizza stone, quietly hoping that the high heat will crack it and then I'll have an excuse to get a Baking Steel.

My preference is to literally load the thing up with hot coals, throw the diffuser on, grate and stone, and let pre-hear for 45 minutes. Try to get temp to bury the needle past 650F. I think I may need to get an infra red to really determine how hot it gets.

[GregS]

Did pizza again tonight. I've getting parts of it right, but this time around I over cooked slightly. The crust around the rim of the pizza was a little dry.

First one was green pepper, onion and broccoli.


Other is white pizza with broccoli.



I'll get it figured out. This time around, I was right at 600 when I put each pie on the stone. I took a pie off and waited until it was back up to 600 before putting the next one on.

[Spinaker]

That is looking tasty! Skip is also a hell of a pizza man!

[JCBBQ]

Try using less dough. I follow stellaculinary recipes and they use about 280-290 grams of dough per pie. From your pictures the pizza looks a little doughy/ too much like bread. Other than that, they look fantastic.

[JCBBQ]

https://stellaculinary.com/cooking-videos/stella-bread/sb-016-how-to-make-neapolitan-pizza-dough

[GregS]

I used to make my own dough. The recipe I was using was too wet. I'm going to start making it again at some point in the near future. Right now we are liking the dough that I've been getting.

[GregS]

Yes, I have a bit too much dough. I've been getting 1 dough balls that are 22 ounces. That would be WAY too much dough. I've been making 3 pizzas out of those 2 balls. I might try splitting them in half next time.

[Willy]

My STRONG recommendation is to buy a copy of "The Elements of Pizza" by Ken Forkish. He explains why different doughs are needed for different temperature ovens and much more. You cannot successfully make a Neapolitan pizza, using 56%--60% hydration, if you are baking at 500°F--600°F. Similarly, a dough "designed" to be baked at 500°F cannot be done well at 800°F or 900°F like a true Neapolitan pizza. Also, the amount of dough used per pie as per JCBBQ 's comment is relevant. Turns out there's a lot more to a really good pie than just using any old dough with any old toppings and baking it at whatever temperature.

Having said that, I think your pies look quite nice! Enjoy your pizza future! I'm enjoying mine.

[EdF]

I think you're the guy who first recommended this book. We got it a few days ago, and from what I've seen so far, it's awesome. And that's after a couple/three years of trolling pizzamaking.com!

[Willy]

EdF I didn't make the OP recommending the book, but I did jump in with hearty agreement. The strength of the book, imo, is the middle section on the "science", which is where Reinhart's book is lacking, again imo. Forkish was an engineer in an earlier life, so he has a sense of what is useful and important. The stuff on hydration vs cooking temps and on small amounts of yeast (0.1 grams in one case!) is a real eye opener. The book has really elevated my pizza game. I'm even tossing pizza dough in the air on occasion (a good use for extra dough!), to just a modicum of success so far, but I can see that I will master tossing soon.

[EdF]

My wife has baked a lot of bread and pizza, etc. She spent some time with it, bought some exotic flours, and complimented it. Good enough for me!