Bullseye Help with Chef Greg's Homemade pizza on rt380X

[Whalercat]

Ok, watching an old chef Greg video for making pizza dough and the Italian tomatoes with fresh basil recipe. It's fantastic, but I can't get it cooked right.

I have new bullseye and it's nothing like my bull rt700. I crank temp to 750 and cook pizza 4 to 5 minutes. The top is cooking slower than the bottom. I leave pizza on sheet metal round tray, but after a few temp changes higher and lower pizza is always black on bottom too much before cheese gets melted perfectly.

Is the problem my cast iron 16lb cooking grates? It's perfect for reverse searing steaks. Is 750 to 800 too hot? Heat deflector kinda glows a bit at that temp.

I'm still just learning this new beast. Open to any suggestions. Thanks

 

[Whalercat]

 

[Pacman]

There was someone here that did a really nice experiment of different cooking methods using a stone, pans, and pizza screens. I'm sure it can be found in a search. The takeaway I had and the method I now use is 450 - 500 and use the cheapo pizza screens. The cook time is a little longer (8 - 10 minutes), but the cooking from top to bottom seems more even to me.

The screens are also handy to build your pizzas, cook them, then pull them so you don't have to mess with pizza peels, etc. I slide off the cooked pies to pizza pans for cutting with a rotary cutter.

 

[Pacman]

Found the post:

recteqforum.com/threads/pizza-on-the-1250.5399/

 

[Whalercat]

There was someone here that did a really nice experiment of different cooking methods using a stone, pans, and pizza screens. I'm sure it can be found in a search. The takeaway I had and the method I now use is 450 - 500 and use the cheapo pizza screens. The cook time is a little longer (8 - 10 minutes), but the cooking from top to bottom seems more even to me.

The screens are also handy to build your pizzas, cook them, then pull them so you don't have to mess with pizza peels, etc. I slide off the cooked pies to pizza pans for cutting with a rotary cutter.

Thanks, I look forward to giving that a try!

 

[Gonefishin]

Different grill, but I had the bottom turn black way before the top cooks when using a screen at 500. My best results come from he same pizza on heated stones. I don’t put in the pizza till the stones come up to temp, which is 475 - 500. I use an IR thermometer. It takes quite a while for the stone to heat up. If I didn’t already own the stone I’d get a steel instead, easier to keep clean.

 

[Whalercat]

Different grill, but I had the bottom turn black way before the top cooks when using a screen at 500. My best results come from he same pizza on heated stones. I don’t put in the pizza till the stones come up to temp, which is 475 - 500. I use an IR thermometer. It takes quite a while for the stone to heat up. If I didn’t already own the stone I’d get a steel instead, easier to keep clean.

Thanks, I have a stone, but didn't try it yet. Thinking now it may keep the real direct heat off the bottom.

 

[Whalercat]

Different grill, but I had the bottom turn black way before the top cooks when using a screen at 500. My best results come from he same pizza on heated stones. I don’t put in the pizza till the stones come up to temp, which is 475 - 500. I use an IR thermometer. It takes quite a while for the stone to heat up. If I didn’t already own the stone I’d get a steel instead, easier to keep clean.

With my 700 I use the stone and let it get to 450 and wait 30 minutes to get the stone hot. 450 and hot stone really good pizza after cooking 16 to 18 minutes.

Part of the reason I got the bullseye X was to cook hotter for things like this. I'm thinking maybe you're right, but get temp to 750 and put pizza on right away. That way stone is a little cooler than the grill and top cooks more even with bottom.


Will test for sure. Thanks again..

 

[Mozekian]

Yup, pizza isn’t supposed to be cooked from the bottom up with that high heat. Get the stone, it will protect the bottom while the high heat of the grill will use convection to cook the top like a real pizza oven.

 

[SmokeOCD]

With my 700 I use the stone and let it get to 450 and wait 30 minutes to get the stone hot. 450 and hot stone really good pizza after cooking 16 to 18 minutes.

Part of the reason I got the bullseye X was to cook hotter for things like this. I'm thinking maybe you're right, but get temp to 750 and put pizza on right away. That way stone is a little cooler than the grill and top cooks more even with bottom.


Will test for sure. Thanks again.

I'm really interested to find out if your stone survives that temp. I cracked a stone on the grill at 500* (it was old) and didn't want to sacrifice another, so now I just use the large steel griddle.

 

[Whalercat]

I'm really interested to find out if your stone survives that temp. I cracked a stone on the grill at 500* (it was old) and didn't want to sacrifice another, so now I just use the large steel griddle.

Successful test. I put stone in and strlarted grill. When it got to 750 I put pizza on right away. It took 8 minutes instead of 4, but cook was more even. Now I ordered a steel because I don't think the stone will last long at 750. That and letting steel get to temp should be perfect solution.

Also learned last night that 0 to 600F wings are better than 0 to 400!

 

[GAsmoke24]

Did this last night on my 380x. Set it at 650, took it off at 7 minutes. Results were pretty damn good

 

[Whalercat]

Looks great, but you got a lot of air in the dough. 750F was too much and now 600F seams to be my best temp so far.

 

[GAsmoke24]

Looks great, but you got a lot of air in the dough. 750F was too much and now 600F seams to be my best temp so far.

Agree. Might give 600 a try next week.

 

[Gonefishin]

You can pop the bubbles 2 or 3 min into the cook, but it means opening the lid, which I try hard to avoid. Can also try changing the dough recipe.

 

[SmokeOCD]

Pretty sure it’s called docking, maybe spelled differently but perforating the dough prior to cooking. There’s a roller with pins for this purpose. I don’t mind the puffy crusts though.

 

[Graying Mantis]

I use a stone on my Bullseye. The first couple times I let it heat to 500, let it stay ~ 10 minute, then hit riot until 750. Had black crusts. I modified that so when it hits 600 I turn the controller back to 500. It holds there while cooking the pizzas and they turn out great.