Pizza or Frisbee?

[Phil]

Food & cooking

We have one of these large Weber 3-burner gas braais which has just been standing in the garage since we moved last year. It has a lid on hinges.
This is what ours looks like, except we have a black lid. The gas bottle hangs on the RH side on a bracket with a very basic indicator of how full the bottle is.

A recent management decision (both of us) was to have a cover made and move the Weber to the patio. (Yes! Yes! Some space in the garage!!)
I have always wanted to try a Pizza in the Weber, so we bought one of the Cadac 33cm pizza stones which has a metal cradle.

Now to try it out.
I bought 2 frozen bases, some garlic and ginger, bacon and tomato & herb mix in a tin.
The first base got a covering of garlic, ginger, lots of herbs and butter (like a focaccia ) and the second one the tomato, bacon and herbs. No cheese at this stage yet, first get the hang of it.

The important thing is to read the instructions (yes chaps I know it’s not one of our strong points).
Pop the stone in, switch on and heat to 180c. Then shift the pizza base from a cutting board to the stone and close the lid. (works like an oven)

Wait 10 minutes, open lid and slide pizza off stone onto a plate. If you don’t have a pizza cutting wheel, just use a knife.

Sh11111tttttt, it is so hard we can play Frisbee!
After breaking it to pieces, the taste was what I looking for, but harder than rusks.

Emergency analysis session – what went wrong, before we do the second one.
Reduce the time, eating raw bacon not a problem.
Heat – cut out 2 of the burners.

This one was certainly more edible and did not qualify for a Frisbee test flight.

Ok, so today is big day. We are buying proper dough and will try again.
I will cut out the middle burner and run the 2 side ones at 50% (must keep the 180c heat) and see what the results are.

Anyone on the forum done pizzas and if so how?

Cheers
Phil

 

[Malc2098]

Hi Phil,

I dabble in bread making. In fact I'm just letting a batch prove while we're waiting for family to arrive.

I've always wanted a stone, but never got round to it.

I think if you've never made a pizza with fresh dough and only ever bought frozen or ready made, you will be blown away by the taste of one with freshly made dough and ingredients.

I'd keep the heat up, quick and short is what you want.

I was fortunate to be given a retirement present day out at that place in Dorset of HFW for bread making and clay oven building.

We used their big clay oven for our pizzas and it was only in for 2 minutes and tasted OOTW!

Good luck!

Making bread dough is sooooooo therapeutic!

 

[Rod]

Sorry - I have a 2 burner Weber similar to yours but no wooden tables- mine are metal. Have never tried a Stone.
I make bread in a Panasonic.[emoji3]

Rod

 

[Tusses]

Food & cooking

If you don’t have a pizza cutting wheel, just use a knife.

Cheers
Phil

Scissors !

I'd never heard of it before I met Wifey .. but scissors are a great way to cut a pizza !

Also sandwiches ..
Crusts off for fussy kids ..
Bacon ..
al sorts of cooking type stuff !

 

[TrimTheKing]

I use a pizza stone in the oven at home and 180C is far too low IMO.

I whack mine up to 260C with the stone in from the off. With shop bought Pizza's I whack them on the stone after the oven reaches temp, and if it says 14 mins from chilled then I got for 6-7 and that's generally more than enough.

The key is think bases. If the base is too thick then you will get what you experienced, rock hard base or undercooked top. For a thin base home made pizza with lashings of toppings I rarely have them in for much more than 6 mins (often closer to 4 mins) and they are perfection.

Given a clay pizza over will reach around 350-500C before you start cooking pizzas II definitely think temp is your enemy here.

Cheers
Mark

 

[greeno]

We have the Q2200. I then spent the same again plus some on weber accessories.

I bought their BBQ cook book and they have some pizza recipes. They all involve making dough them putting it straight onto the grill. No stone.

I want to give it a try but haven't yet.

I think it is this one:

http://www.riversidegardencentre.co.uk/ ... -book.html

As a side note, the prices on the above website are pretty keen ams a good range.

 

[Phil]

I use a pizza stone in the oven at home and 180C is far too low IMO.

I whack mine up to 260C with the stone in from the off. With shop bought Pizza's I whack them on the stone after the oven reaches temp, and if it says 14 mins from chilled then I got for 6-7 and that's generally more than enough.

The key is think bases. If the base is too thick then you will get what you experienced, rock hard base or undercooked top. For a thin base home made pizza with lashings of toppings I rarely have them in for much more than 6 mins (often closer to 4 mins) and they are perfection.

Given a clay pizza over will reach around 350-500C before you start cooking pizzas II definitely think temp is your enemy here.

Cheers
Mark

Thanks Mark.

Yesterday's effort was a lot better.

We bought bread dough at Pick'n'Pay. Wife took chunks and rolled them out on the granite work top with flour.
We each took one, chucked on what we like.
I again went for the 180c (my neighbor across the road recommendation - they have the smaller Weber) and about 6 to 8 minutes cooking time.
Certainly a lot better results. They actually tasted like Pizza.

I will look at going the higher temp route when we do them again. I also find I loose a lot of heat lifting the lid and getting the pizza on the stone. Needs more practice.

(my topping was lots of crushed garlic plus lots of ginger plus lots of fine green stuff out of bottles, some chopped bacon (par fried) pepper from the grinder all mixed with some olive oil and then mozarella cheese on top all on a base of tomato.)

 

[Phil]

We have the Q2200. I then spent the same again plus some on weber accessories.

I bought their BBQ cook book and they have some pizza recipes. They all involve making dough them putting it straight onto the grill. No stone.

I want to give it a try but haven't yet.

I think it is this one:

http://www.riversidegardencentre.co.uk/ ... -book.html

As a side note, the prices on the above website are pretty keen ams a good range.

Do a surf on Weber recipes and tips. Weber have a very good website.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Yep I can see the heat loss issue Phil, but with the higher temp the stone is baking hot and cooks the pizza from below so shouldn't be so much of an issue with losing heat. I find it takes a bit of practice, like most things, to find the best combination of things for your oven etc.

Happy eating!

Cheers
Mark

 

[RogerS]

I use a pizza stone in the oven at home and 180C is far too low IMO.

....
Cheers
Mark

Are these uncooked pizzas, Mark ?

 

[TrimTheKing]

I use a pizza stone in the oven at home and 180C is far too low IMO.

....
Cheers
Mark

Are these uncooked pizzas, Mark ?

That I cook on the stone? Shop bought ones are whatever they are, the bases are part cooked I'm guessing, but thicker than I would make myself.

What's the question?

Thanks
Mark