How to Cook Pizza on Big Green Egg? (Complete Steps & Tricks)

Are you interested in learning how to cook pizza on the Big Green Egg?

If so, like you, when I learned how easy it was to bake my pizza without straddling my new oven, I jumped at the chance to try something different and something that worked.

For many individuals, the ability to make an excellent pizza is a good enough reason to purchase the Big Green Egg. It is a unique piece of equipment used to bake pizza instead of the traditional oven.

You can use this gear to stew, grill, simmer at a low temperature and smoke your food. It is a transformative ceramic oven used to make pizza while getting the same results as a stone oven.

In addition, it does not take long to make your pizza in this oven, and it comes out nice and crunchy.

The Pizza Base

Pizza made on Big Green Egg comes out amazingly with crispy crusts, loads of cheesiness, rich sauce, balsamic glaze sprinkles, and freshly bought tomato basil.

Some may want to know how to prevent the pizza crust from burning. If you follow specific instructions, this should not take place.

First, it is a myth that you bake your pizza at high temperatures. Generally, the rule for making pizza on the Big Green Egg is that the dough used to make the base should be finer.

Some Italians from Naples make their bases thin and bake them at 300°C, contrary to the common belief that pizzas should be baked at 400°C. For your pizza to come out nicely done, do not make your pizza base more than one mil thick and bake it at a temperature of no more than 300°C.

If you want the base to be two millimeters thick, lower the temperature, or it will get burnt. Bake it at a temperature of 250 to 275°C. It will cook evenly and slowly without any burning.

In addition, be sure to preheat your Big Green Egg.

The Preparation

Now, it is time to start preparing the pizza.

The first thing is to fill your Big Green Egg with charcoal until it is about two-thirds full.

Do not allow the charcoal pieces to be too big. Use organic charcoal, which is ideally suited for the Big Green Egg.

Use three ignition pads to light the charcoal, then turn on the Big Green Egg.

The next step is to leave the draft door of the dome and base open for roughly 20 minutes so the charcoal can get hot.

Once it heats up, close its lid and set the temperature at 300°C after fitting the cast iron top valve so the base can properly heat up.

Wait for 5 minutes more before placing the convEGGtor and the flat baking stone on the Big Green Egg.

Now, close the lid and allow the pizza stone to heat up for up to 20 minutes.

If you want to promote more airflow and increase the temperature, open the double-function iron valve and front draft.

The Two Options Of Setting Up

There are two ways of placing the smooth pizza stone and convEGGtor. And it has to do primarily with the temperature, number of pizzas, and the thickness of your pizza base.

Placing it with legs up is the safest way; after which, you would position the rack on top and then the smooth pizza stone.

When you use the legs, you don’t have to worry about getting your pizza burned because the plate won’t be overly hot.

One of the reasons for this is that the pizza plate only heats up with indirect airflow.

The other way is to place the legs of the convEGGtor down and put the pizza plate on top of it so it has more contact with the higher temperature.

This method is excellent for baking pizzas with a thin crust.

Now let us go through the instructions for making a delectable Pizza Margherita using your Big Green Egg.

You will get the ingredients first to make a smoky, cheesy, and toasty pizza on the Big Green Egg.

The Fundamentals

There are some basic guidelines on making a pizza using the Big Green Egg cooker, which is typically the same as doing so on a grill. The primary factor and best indicator for the desired outcome are to heat the pizza stone first.

The most important reason is that it will cook thoroughly through the crust without burning the toppings. In addition, if the pizza stone is not fully heated, you will end up with a soggy mess of raw crust—which is not good.

The Big Green Egg uses indirect heat to make the pizza stone hot. You can use either baking stones or the convEGGtor. Both of these create a ceramic layer to put the pizza stone.

These are used as a conduit for heat to be directed straight into the pizza stone, making it hot and ready.

Additionally, both the convEGGtor and baking stones protect the pizza from getting burnt by the piping hot coals underneath.

The next step is to place the convEGGtor legs down and put the pizza stone on it.

Pizza Margherita

You can make your pizza dough and sauce and still have an amazingly yummy pizza. You can use red wine to richen the flavor of your sauce.

You can even purchase the dough and sauce already made. No one will know. The Big Green Egg gives off a smoky grilled flavor. That way, you can taste the enhanced flavor of your pizza sauce.

Ingredients

For your pizza Margherita, you need cornmeal, which helps prevent the dough from sticking to the paddle as you place your pizza on the pizza stone.

To save time and avoid making your own, pick up some fresh dough and sauce from the grocery stores. Ensure to have different variations of cheese, such as thickly shredded and sliced mozzarella.

You can purchase a block of mozzarella cheese and shred it. Or you can buy the shredded ones. You will also need ripe tomatoes, fresh basil or oregano leaves, and balsamic glaze.

The Dough

Now it is time to prepare your pizza dough. If you are making two large pizzas, you need the following:

• Teaspoon of sugar
• 250 grams of flour
• 150 ml of water
• Dry yeast or fresh yeast
• Tablespoon of olive oil
• Sea salt (should be course)
• Black pepper

Preparation Of The Dough

Put the flour and salt in your bowl and use a large spoon to mix it.

Measure the water and use it to dissolve your dry or fresh yeast, then add the sugar. Combine now with the flour mixture.

Knead the flour mixture for about a minute, then put in olive oil.

Continue to knead for five more minutes. Now, cover up the bowl and allow the batter to rise, leaving it to sit for about an hour.

Separate the dough into two equal parts if you want a large pizza base. Or separate into four equal parts if you are making four small pizzas.

Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface, roll the dough, and knead the base. Use a rolling pin.

Preparation Of The Sauce

If you are making two pizzas, the next thing you need is to prepare the sauce.

You would need the following:

• Eight ripe tomatoes
• Red onion
• Ten basil or oregano leaves
• Three garlic cloves
• Three tablespoons of olive oil

Put the red onion in the charcoal, then after lighting, leave it there for up to 12 minutes.

Close the Big Green Egg’s lid and allow the onion to roast for roughly 20 minutes. Turn it over a few times using a grill tong.

After removing the onion, place the rack and heat your Big Green Egg to roughly 160 degrees Celsius.

Cut each tomato in half and brush the cut surface with olive oil.

Turn the cut side on the rack, after which you would close the lid and let the tomatoes roast for up to 25 minutes until golden in color.

Put the garlic cloves to roast on the grill until they are soft.

Remove the skin from the roasted onion and cut each in half. Blend the grilled tomatoes and roasted onions.

Add the remainder of the olive oil and the basil leaves. Season the pureed vegetables with salt and pepper.

Now that your sauce and dough are ready, heat the Big Green Egg to 450°F (232°C) so you can begin baking your Margherita pizza.

After the pizza stone is heated up, transfer the pizza onto it and let it bake for up to 15 minutes. If you want to learn more about how to use a pizza stone, you can check out this article.

Drizzle the finished pizza with balsamic glaze, then slice and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use parchment paper in a Big Green egg?

Yes, but there are some precautions. Parchment paper can handle heat up to 420 degrees Fahrenheit. If you follow the temperature given in the instruction, there’s no way it will burn. But if you do the opposite, be warned because you might only end up with burnt paper and pizza.

You can leave the parchment paper during the baking process. Or remove it halfway through once the crust is firm. Lastly, never place it directly on the grill. You can only use this technique if you have a pizza stone on hand.

2. What is the best way to cook pizza in a Big Green egg?

Between indirect and direct cooking methods, the former is the clear winner. Indirect cooking means there is a barrier between the heat source and the food. It is like a convection oven, but you’re using natural lump charcoal instead. Additionally, it will prevent the crust from burning rapidly.

3. How long does it take to bake deep-dish pizza on Big Green egg?

That depends on what baking ware you’re using for your deep-dish pizza. It can take 25 minutes for deep-dish pizza in a pan to cook. Another parameter to consider is the temperature set to 425°F through indirect cooking.

In cast iron deep-dish pizza, it only takes 13 to 15 minutes. That is because the heat reaches up to 500°F, and the method is direct cooking.

4. Why does my pizza crust burn on Big Green Egg?

There are two probable reasons for this. The first situation is not pre-heating the pizza stone properly. If it didn’t achieve the desired temperature on the get-go, it will take longer for the toppings to cook while the crust burns. Ideally, you want to pre-heat it for 30 minutes under 500°F.

The second situation is not assessing the thickness of the crust. A thinner crust needs a higher temperature in a short amount of time. Conversely, thicker crusts prefer lower temperatures for a lengthier time.

Conclusion

The key to getting a perfect pizza made in the Big Green Egg depends on three things:

1. Through temperature moderation;
2. according to the thickness of the dough;
3. and the number of pizzas you are making.

You can reduce the time by using pre-made dough and sauce. If you have any questions or want to drop your recipes, please feel free to comment below.