Want to try a pizza?

[stevetheteacher]

Seen a few posts about pizza being made in the smoker. I would love to try it myself. I researched other posts on the site, but still have a few questions.

1. What type(s) of pizza stone works in the smoker?

2. What IT should I try for? Or will melted cheese be my indicator?

3. About how long does it take?

 

[low down]

Look up 'pizza making forum'.  You'll know it when you see it.  It is the holy grail on the subject. 

 

[chef jimmyj]

Lots depends on your smoker. If you can't get 350°F+, higher the better, you will not get it baked. Smoke the toppings and make the Pizza elsewhere. 

1. What type(s) of pizza stone works in the smoker?  That I don't know for sure but can't see why it would make a difference, we are not talking 900°F

2. What IT should I try for? Or will melted cheese be my indicator?  In general, Cheese melts at 100°F and Bread Doughs are fully baked at an IT of 200°F.. 

3. About how long does it take?  At 350°F 20-30 minutes depending on thickness and amount of toppings. 

Good luck and post what you find out...JJ

 

[dirtsailor2003]

The pizza stone has been debated here and on other sites. I can tell you that in the mini-za at grate level I am above 700 (as high as my therm reads). I cracked my wife's normal pizza stone so o bought the ceramic.

There is no IT temp it's about the crust and how done it is. At the high temps it takes less than 3 minutes. You need to be moving the pizza too as the bulk of the heat is at the backside of the oven. So rotating every 20-30 seconds.

Keeping the toppings light works the best.. If you pile a mountain on you end up with my Nader done toppings when the crust is done or overdone crust when the toppings are done.

 

[bluewhisper]

Another question is, why only one pizza? Once you have the rig dialed in, you could cook a sequence of pies. Or, maybe crank out a bunch of breadsticks.

 

[oscuba]

Don't buy a stone, buy a steel. They are usually round, weigh 8-10lbs. Treat them like cast iron but the hard oil coating (flax seed oil) wears off of a steel faster than cast iron, that's OK. I got one for about $15 at HomeGoods (Marshals sister store). 

The steel won't absorb smells, won;t break (even the ceramic stones that won't absorb smells have reported breaking). Also, the weight, while taking much longer to get to heat, will help you make pizza after pizza because it retains the heat.

Tip: buy a infrared thermometer. Measure the steels surface right before placing on the pizza and note the temp along with a description of the coals and time to heat up. It will only take you about 3 pizzas until you mentally dial in the time to finish! I use my gun thermometer for everything from eggs, pancakes (never a first burnt pancake) etc.

Make neapolitan style for the easiest; very thin crust smaller pizzas that will finish in 5 minutes +/-. I never oil the crust; many people do but that's not necessary. The nice things about numerous small pizzas is you can make them all different.

My "oven" pizza stone is an 18 lb cast iron Grill and Griddle made for camping. That is far too heavy to get to temp on the grill.

Relax and practice; the mistakes taste good.

 

[bluewhisper]

And, buy a pizza peel. It can hustle a hot pie, and it can serve as a cutting board.

 

[stevetheteacher]

Bought a stone today at HD. Planning on using a store bought pre-made crust for the first go around. Tips, suggestions, concerns?

 

[stevetheteacher]

 
Bought a stone today at HD. Planning on using a store bought pre-made crust for the first go around. Tips, suggestions, concerns?

Now I hope my stone isn't too big for my smoker.

 

[eman]

In our wood fired pizza oven i can turn out a 3 meat n cheese 6" pie in about 90 seconds once its up to temp.  can do 3 pies at a time once you learn the series on rotation and turning.  9" pie takes about 2 min each. 2 at a time.