Pizza, pizza, and more pizza

[3sSecurity]

Just getting setup for some pizza using the kettle pizza attachment on my 26 and some insight from the pizza bible book.

On the menu tonight is a cheese pie, a pepperoni pie and an arugula and prosciutto pie.

I'm about to light the coals so I'll post up some pictures soon.

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[MikeRocksTheRed]

Looking forward to seeing the pics @3sSecurity!  I did two pies last night using Bobby Flays dough recipe. It's a 1 hour rise dough.  Came out pretty good for my first attempt at making dough.  Had a good crunch with a little chew.  I need to learn how to throw pizzas better to get them thinner.  Will eventually move to a 24-72 hour refrigerated rise dough, but last night the Regan mentioned pizza at e last minute so this did the trick.

White pizza:  EVOO, minced garlic, shredded mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni on half, then topped with baby spinach and arugula after cooking. 



Red pizza:  Ragu pizza sauce (another thing for me to perfect making from scratch), shredded mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, and pepperoni.  I went with a little too much fresh mozzarella on this one!



It's still a learning process and I've been pleased with ever attempt so far, but even more excited to learn more and be able to put out a pizza that is perfect in my mind!


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[3sSecurity]

Those look great. Coals are started.

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[3sSecurity]

Alright, so I meat to post sine pictures along the way but in the heat of battle  (or lack of heat during the battle) I got a little off track. But I did learn a few things. Most importantly, I really only held 700+ degrees for about 2 pizzas. And I also just threw a few chunks of wood right on top of the grate after that to bring the yelps back up.  I think that's only okay if you have one or two more pizzas, other wise you should take the pizza kettle adapter off and add more coal/wood below.


The cheese pizza was a little undercooked, but other than that these were the best pizzas I've ever cooked at home. Though my wife really knows how to mess with me... she took one bite and said "mmmm, just like papa johns".




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[jfbincypress]

Homemade is better than those chains, no doubt. Love mine!


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[mattmountz94]

love the quote from your wife!

[MikeRocksTheRed]

@3sSecurity -  Looks really good!  I have found getting the fire dialed in to be one of the trickier parts of using the kettle pizza.  The first cook I had plenty of heat but too many coals under my stone and the crust was a little too burned, the second time was almost perferct, and my last cook was fine, but not quite as hot as I would have liked it.  It is a pain to add coals once everything is setup.  I might mod one of my grates and cut out some of the rack so I can just dump coals in the back of the grill with my aluminum peel.

[3sSecurity]

@MikeRocksTheRed - sorry for the delay, busy day at work today. Anyway,  I'm having the same issue with heat control. It's not an issue when your just cooking one pizza, but I'd like to be able to cook 4-5 or more on a pizza night with some friends. I was thinking the same as you, a modified grate so you don't have to pull the whole unit apart to add fuel.

The other option I'm considering is getting the vast iron grates from cast-iron-grates.com, and just leaving one of the quarters in the back when I do pizza.

BTW, I've been using my slow n sear to keep the coals/wood at the back of the unit. I don't have a stone yet, but this might work well for you if you have the slow n sear and want to keep the coals from falling under the stone.

(And apparently I don't know how to tag people using tapatalk, maybe someone can clue me in)

[stellato1976]

I struggle with pizza too.  I have never tried on a kettle yet.  I have a wood pizza oven and just cant get it right. 50/50 if I make 10 only half are good, the heat has a lot to do with it and also the beers..lol.  I have been looking at the pizza kettle but never bought because of my oven.  they make it look so easy at the restaurants. ARUGULA &PROSCIUTTO is my fav.  Never had to I wen to Canada now I am hooked.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

@MikeRocksTheRed - sorry for the delay, busy day at work today. Anyway,  I'm having the same issue with heat control. It's not an issue when your just cooking one pizza, but I'd like to be able to cook 4-5 or more on a pizza night with some friends. I was thinking the same as you, a modified grate so you don't have to pull the whole unit apart to add fuel.

The other option I'm considering is getting the vast iron grates from cast-iron-grates.com, and just leaving one of the quarters in the back when I do pizza.

BTW, I've been using my slow n sear to keep the coals/wood at the back of the unit. I don't have a stone yet, but this might work well for you if you have the slow n sear and want to keep the coals from falling under the stone.

(And apparently I don't know how to tag people using tapatalk, maybe someone can clue me in)

Not sure about tagging on tapatalk either.  I have found that when I get the grill up to 650-700 pizzas take about 4 minutes....so if you are quick at getting them off and the next one on, two pizzas should be doable without losing heat.  I'll try to take a picture of the setup I used on the last cook.  Used my extra grate that has bolts for legs and is adjustable in height.  Used it to raise my stone on the last cook about 2 inches which put the top of the stone level with the opening of the KettlePizza.  It made it really easy to get the pizzas on and off with my peels.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

I struggle with pizza too.  I have never tried on a kettle yet.  I have a wood pizza oven and just cant get it right. 50/50 if I make 10 only half are good, the heat has a lot to do with it and also the beers..lol.  I have been looking at the pizza kettle but never bought because of my oven.  they make it look so easy at the restaurants. ARUGULA &PROSCIUTTO is my fav.  Never had to I wen to Canada now I am hooked.

LOL.  Maybe that is why I naturally wait to crack my first beer until I have a pizza on the grill!  Never thought about it before but I guess my mind knows full concentration is needed as I am figuring this whole pizza thing out!

[3sSecurity]

Well that was part of my problem. I only had one pizza tray,  and no peels. I think if I had the stone and two peels, I could get one on while I stage the second on the other peel so I can put it on right after I take the first off.

I was also getting about 4 minute cook time at 650-700. The problem was I had to take the pizza inside after cooking the get the next one stretched and put on the pan,  then back outside and on the grill. Still working on getting some table space out by the grills to reduce the back and forth.

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[MikeRocksTheRed]

@3sSecurity  -  I'd suggest getting a wood and an aluminum peel.  The wood is good for putting your pizza in the grill, the aluminum is good for taking the pizza out, rotating the pizza and doming (lifting the pizza higher in the dome so the top cooks faster if the top is cooking slower than the buttom of the crust) the pizza if needed.  Also allows you to dump a pizza in then get the next pizza ready to go on the wood peel while that one is cooking.  I think my girlfriend got fairly big peels.  She said she just made sure the peels weren't too big to fit in the KP opening by going to the KP site and either using dimensions of the peels they offer or checking the specs on the KP opening size.  I'll see if she knows what brands and sizes of the peels.  Not sure if she ordered online or at a store.

Is it just an illusion or has your pan that came with your KP warped already?

[3sSecurity]

Good call.  I'm looking at aluminum peels right now.  For the wood peel, I think I'm going to make one (wood working is my other hobby). In fact I'll probably make a few of them if anyone is interested.

The pan only warps like that at high temps, it came flat once it cooled. Once I get a stone I can use it as a Frisbee.

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[Hell Fire Grill]

I have a wood pizza oven and just cant get it right.

@stellato1976 Can you post pics or start a new thread with your WFO.

We love anything that cooks with fire.