How To Set Up for Pizza
THE PERFECT PIZZA OVEN
Capable of searingly high temperatures and dry, even heat, your EGG can create the perfect conditions for pizza and other bakes. Once you’ve mastered making pizza on the EGG, you’ll be well placed to tackle a whole host of other baking recipes, from sourdough loaves to soda farls to indulgent desserts.
The setup for baking is similar to that of other indirect cooking modes, but with one crucial difference: the ConvEGGtor should be installed in with its legs down, not up. The space this creates above the coals allows the EGG to reach blisteringly high temperatures.
Invest in a Baking Stone
A Baking Stone, which helps to draw moisture from your dough, is the key to a crisp but chewy pizza crust with beautifully caramelised toppings. The more you use it, the more seasoned and non-stick it will become. A good sprinkling of flour is all you should need to stop your dough sticking.
Fill it up
It can take a little bit of time for your EGG to reach the high temperatures needed for cooking pizza. Maintaining a steady heat is essential, so make sure you always top your charcoal up to 5cm below the rim of the Fire Ring, no matter how many pizzas you intend to bake.
Aim high
The frequent opening and closing of the Dome will cause the heat to fluctuate, so aim for 300°C even if the recipe calls for slightly less. Once the EGG is up to temperature, install the ConvEGGtor with the legs down, followed by the Stainless Steel Grid, then the Baking Stone. Close the Dome and wait for the temperature to go back up. Once this is achieved, close your rEGGulator and Draft Door by half, then in small increments until you achieve a steady temperature.
Big Green Egg Pizza Wedges
If you’re using Big Green Egg Pizza Wedges, follow the steps outlined above until you’re ready cook. Burp your EGG and fully open the Dome. Insert a Pizza Wedge on each side, with the steeper end facing the front and the tabs slotting down into the channel between the base and the grid. Slide the wedges back until the shallow ends meet in the middle. Shut the Dome so that it’s resting neatly on top of the wedges. While cooking with the wedges in place, keep the rEGGulator closed. Adjust the Draft Door only to maintain the cooking temperature.
Important: You will need to remove the wedges in order to close down your EGG. To remove the hot wedges, wear heat-resistant EGGmitts or Silicone BBQ Mitts. Carefully open the Dome, remove the wedges and set them on a heat-resistant surface to cool, out of reach of children and pets. You can now shut down your EGG in the normal fashion by closing the Dome and fully shutting both vents.
Other helpful tips
To ensure a crisp pizza base, reduce your pizza sauce to about a third of its original volume, and leave your mozzarella out in the air for an hour before adding it to the top of your pizza. Also keep your toppings simple – too many ingredients and your pizza risks becoming overloaded and not cooking evenly.
