Pizza

How to Cook Pizza on Big Green Egg (Detailed Guide)

Tim Parry

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Pizza is one of the foods that come to mind when it comes to quick-fix meals. With various new cooking inventions coming up in the market, you can now prepare your pizza on the go. This article provides a detailed guide that explains how to cook pizza on a big green egg.

Let's get started!

What Is a Big Green Egg?

The big green egg is America's first ceramic barbecue for fans of outdoor cooking, having been introduced in 1974. Its design is based on Japanese clay cookers called kamados, and it features a thick layer of glazed ceramic to protect it from the weather and provide ideal cooking conditions for a range of dishes.

Because of this, the big green egg is the market leader in outdoor cookers and is preferred by thousands of acclaimed chefs worldwide. Seven sizes are available for the big green egg: mini, minimax, small, medium, big, extra-large, and extra-extra huge. Each airtight ceramic egg has a stainless steel cooking grid and is porcelain-glazed for great durability. It also has a built-in thermometer that offers accurate readings up to 750 degrees.

How Does the Big Green Egg Work?

To keep the temperature under control, the big green has two vents, a flow draft door at the base, and a multi-functional metal top. In addition, the unique oval form and accessories like a firebox divider allow you to create direct and indirect cooking zones.

With the giant green egg, you may move the food closer to or farther from the heat, allowing you to adjust the cooking time as needed. A heat deflector or other accessories might be added to the egg to transform it into an outdoor convection oven.

Image credits: bassemiers.com

Since most people don't think of cooking surfaces in square inches, it is worth noting that the big egg we utilized in the tests has a cooking surface that is 262 square inches wide and 18.25 inches in diameter. This large space ensures that you can grill, roast, bake, and smoke like an expert all year long and in any weather, whether you're cooking pizza, paella, steak, or seafood.

However, don't consider relocating it as it's hardly an on-the-go barbecue and weighs 162 pounds. It lacks a stand, which is necessary to use this fine kamado-style grill for cooking. While the egg does have metal feet, they do not allow for a reasonable cooking height.

Additionally, it lacks a ceramic heat deflector, which is essential for indirect cooking. You also need to buy extras like a pizza stone, a weatherproof cover, and other nice-to-have equipment like an ash tool. Depending on the dealer, these products and others could be included in a bundle.

Cooking Pizza on the Big Green Egg

With the big green egg, you are assured of preparing almost all meals requiring you to bake them under high temperatures as the oven maintains temperatures of up to 600F. Rest assured that you can bake the best homemade pizza, as the big green egg is the best option for making pizza on the go.

Image credit: manwhoeats.com

It is particularly famous for preparing Pizza Margherita, but your other preferred option will still work with this pizza oven.

Preparing the Green Egg When Baking Pizza

For you to cook pizza effectively on a big green, you should take the following factors into account

1. Cleaning the Big Green Egg

Spend some time in the beginning thoroughly cleaning the ash out of your big green egg. To effectively clear out the ashes and other charcoal waste, remove the fire ring, the firebox, and any other items you may have. An ash tool and dustpan work just as well; however, we recommend using a vacuum cleaner.

To cook at higher temperatures for the length of time required to grill a gorgeous pizza, a clean, ash-free big green egg is essential from the outset. Next, reassemble your big green egg without ash. Finally, ensure that the big green eggs draft door is in line with the air-intake aperture on the firebox.

Your preferred hardwood lump charcoal should cover the top of the firebox of the big green egg. We usually empty the bag of hardwood charcoal into the big green egg. 

Image credits: lulusfarm.com

One piece of advice: If you are grilling pizza, raising the grill's temperature is usually simpler than adding more charcoal because you didn't have enough. You do not want to move a partially baked pizza off your grill to make room for additional charcoal.

However, laying bigger hardwood lump pieces on the bottom will give your heat a strong basis and ensure that your food has the most airflow possible.

Fire up the charcoal and then allow the temperature to stabilize. Add some thermal mass to your big green egg after it has settled.

2. Position the Feet of the Plate Setter

Should the feet of the plate setter face up or down? The convEGGtor legs should face down so you have a smooth surface to work on from the top because we will be grilling the pizza utilizing an indirect arrangement. On top of the plate setting, position your grate.

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Arrange the grill elevator or the water pipe fittings on top of the plate setter in a triangular arrangement for three pieces or a square layout for four pieces.

The pizza stone should have a few inches of space between it and the plate setter. This will improve airflow and reduce the chance of one of the components shattering from high heat. It will help your pizza cook more evenly through the middle if you are using raw dough.

Place three fire bricks or three flower pots, the big green egg expander, or another plate setting with a different set of grill grates and a baking stone arranged closely on top of the grate. I set the big green egg feet that came with my egg on top of the fire bricks.

Image credit: eggheadforum.com

You can raise off the fire bricks with any spacer if you can't find such items. For example, any empty tuna can, some stacks of coins, or even a few foil balls of various sizes will do.

3. Positioning the Pizza Stone

I have a big green egg pizza stone that is two-thirds of an inch thick, and I prefer that size. The pizza stone should be well fitted on top of the plate setters to cook with the indirect heat.

4. Setup

With everything in place, It's time to let your pizza stone, plate setter, grate, fire bricks, spacers, and other equipment reach the ideal temperature. Allow the temperature to stabilize for at least 30 to 45 minutes. It will be a waste of charcoal if it runs for more than that.

Image credit: biggreenegg.co

5. Temperature

Everybody has a different concept of what temperature they believe the big green egg should cook pizza at. The amount of sugar and how moist your pizza dough is important factors in determining temperature.

While pizza dough with less sugar will be more likely to burn before your pizza is finished, dough with more moisture may withstand hotter temperatures.

Regarding pizza Margherita, I prefer a temperature between 500 and 530F. Although some people would rather go much higher, as you exceed 600F, other issues come into play.

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Personal safety should be sufficient motivation to maintain temperatures under 600F.

Grilling Margherita Pizza on the Big Green Egg

The big green egg is ideal for making different pizzas as it produces a rich smokey taste. If you want to prepare a delicious Margherita pizza, follow the steps.

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  • 7 g dried yeast.
  • 290 g water.
  • 500 g flour.
  • 10 g salt.

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 shallot.
  • 1 clove garlic.
  • 4 black olives, pitted.
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  • 200 g cherry tomatoes.
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup.

Image credit: mybakingaddiction.com

Toppings

  • ½ onion.
  • Mozzarella.
  • Basil leaves.
  • Black olives (pitted).
  • 12 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.

One of the traditional pizzas that every Italian restaurant in the globe offers is the Neapolitan Pizza Margherita, sometimes called pizza margarita. However, using your big green egg, you can cook this delectable, classic pizza just as well. Your kamado's charcoal and pizza stone guarantee a deliciously genuine flavour.

Preparation

Combine the flour and yeast in a bowl to make the dough. Start kneading after adding the water and olive oil. After the ingredients have been thoroughly combined, add the salt and knead the dough until it is soft and elastic. Roll the dough into four equal parts, folding the edges as you go.

Image credit: bowlofdelicious.com

Let the pizza dough rise for about an hour after you place the dough balls on a cutting board and cover them with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.

Meanwhile, ignite the charcoal in the big green egg with the stainless steel grid at a temperature of 180°C. Ensure enough charcoal in the EGG since you will soon be baking at a high temperature.

For the pizza sauce, peel and coarsely chop the shallot and garlic. Chop the olives coarsely and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Thinly slice the basil leaves into thin strips.

Process

Warm the olive oil for the sauce on the grid in the Green Dutch Oven. Add garlic and shallot, and shallow fry them until the shallot is transparent. Allow the shallot mixture to simmer for 4-5 minutes while you add in the ketchup, cherry tomatoes, olives, and basil, closing the EGG cover after each step.

Remove the Dutch Oven from the EGG and season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper as desired. Laissez la sauce refroidir. Remove the grid and replace it after inserting the convEGGtor. Heat the EGG to a temperature between 275 and 300 °C and place the baking stone on the grid. The baking stone should be heated to a high temperature for at least 20 minutes. Read more on how to preheat your pizza stone.

Meanwhile, peel the onion for the toppings and cut them into thin half rings as you wait. Cut the mozzarella cheese into halves. In the meantime, roll out one ball of dough to a thickness of about 3 millimetres on a work surface that has been liberally coated with corn meal to ensure that it will not stick.

Image credit: seriouseats.com

To create a lovely, round shape when you roll out the dough, keep flipping it one quarter at a time. Use your hands to make the pizza crust's edge slightly thicker than the base. Use the rounded side of the spoon to smear about 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce on the pizza dough. Keep pizza sauce away from the thicker edge.

Sprinkle one-fourth of the divided onion rings, the grated mozzarella, black olives, and 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle flour on the aluminium pizza peel.

Slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone using the aluminium pizza peel, then cover the EGG with the lid and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until you achieve a golden crust.

Roll out the second orb of dough and incorporate the ingredients in the same way while waiting. Pick the basil sprigs' leaves off. Please take the pizza out of the EGG and top it up with a quarter of the fresh basil leaves. Use the compact pizza cutter to slice the pizza, then serve it immediately.

Bake the subsequent pizza in the same manner while preparing the one after that.

Factors to Ensure the Pizza Is Well-Cooked on the Big Green Egg

a) Corn-Meal and Pizza Peel

Corn-Meal and a pizza peel are essential ingredients for baking pizza. The best way to ensure that your pizza will slip off the peel and onto the pizza stone is to use the best metal pizza peel covered with cornmeal. When transferring your pizza to the pizza stone, generously sprinkle the pizza peel or other surface with cornmeal.

Image credits: mybackyardlife.com

b) Pizza Dough

Various pizza doughs work well for the big green egg. Robyn has a ton of fantastic pizza dough recipes, including one that uses Einkorn flour, which is more nutrient-dense than modern wheat. Pizza dough kits for the grill offered by Urban slicer are another option.

c)Pre-made Dough

I've also barbecued frozen pizza, and it worked out okay. However, I advise preparing your own dough scratch. Confirm that the pizza stone's centre temperature is at the specified cooking level. It will give you a wonderful golden brown exterior and completely cook the dough in the centre.

c)Time

Depending on the temperature of your grill, cooking times might vary.

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For instance, it takes around 14 minutes to cook a normal pizza when the grill is heated to 500 degrees and the pizza stone is heated to 425 degrees. The pizza is finished when the best cheese for pizza turns golden brown. It's time to eat a slice now!

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Cook Pizza on Big Green Egg

a) What should the temperature be on my pizza stone?

The temperature in the core of the pizza stone should be 425 degrees Fahrenheit or the same as the suggested cooking temperature.

b) At 500 degrees, how long does it take to cook a pizza on the big green?

The middle of the crust needs around 10 minutes to cook.

c) Should I use parchment paper when grilling a pizza on the big green?

You may more easily transfer the sticky, moist dough on the grill using parchment paper. The pizza dough should be cooked through by about halfway to two-thirds of the way; at this point, you may carefully peel the parchment paper out from between the crust and the pizza stone.

Image credits: bakingkneads.com

d) Does a pizza need to be cooked all the way through?

The cheese on a grilled pizza should be golden brown, and the dough should be cooked through. The temperature of your pizza stone should be the same as the pizza's suggested cooking temperature.

Grill the pizza on the stone for the specified cooking time, then continue to cook until golden.

e) How much charcoal should I use for cooking a pizza on the big green?

Activate the charcoal in the firebox. Make sure the grill has more than enough charcoal before cooking a pizza.

Featured image credits: eggheadforum.com

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Tim Parry

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