How (and why) to Ramble on your goat sideways
Boost Pope
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I roll my dough out directly on the countertop, using a rolling pin and liberal amounts of cornmeal. I find the dough easiest to work with if it's cold, straight out of the fridge. (This is why I let it rise before sticking it into the fridge.) Once I've got it more or less the correct size and shape, I pick it up and transfer it onto a cookie sheet which I have pre-coated with yet more cornmeal, and use that as a peel to slide it onto the stone.
There have been a few close calls (eg: I occasionally tear the dough and have to repair it by using a little water to encourage the edges to stick back together), but the only time I've ever completely lost a dough was when I dropped it on the floor.
Or is that a regular toaster oven and your camera is just being wacky?
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Natural gas burns at 1950C, that's plenty hot enough. All you need to do is convince the oven not to turn the burner off when it measures 500 or 550 or whatever the highest temp setting is.
That's pretty simple, you bake on the "self clean" setting. You just need to do some surgery to the oven door to disable the safety latch...
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http://staff.washington.edu/freitz/p...ycle_pizza.htm
--Ian
(and no, I've never tried this. I live in a civilized part of the world where I have a backyard, so if I need temperatures that hot I use charcoal)
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Natural gas burns at 1950C, that's plenty hot enough. All you need to do is convince the oven not to turn the burner off when it measures 500 or 550 or whatever the highest temp setting is.
That's pretty simple, you bake on the "self clean" setting. You just need to do some surgery to the oven door to disable the safety latch...![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
Using the oven's cleaning cycle to cook pizza
--Ian
(and no, I've never tried this. I live in a civilized part of the world where I have a backyard, so if I need temperatures that hot I use charcoal)
That's pretty simple, you bake on the "self clean" setting. You just need to do some surgery to the oven door to disable the safety latch...
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
Using the oven's cleaning cycle to cook pizza
--Ian
(and no, I've never tried this. I live in a civilized part of the world where I have a backyard, so if I need temperatures that hot I use charcoal)
I thought part of the problem with NG is the moisture level from burning it, or is that just propane?
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That said, I hadn't heard anyone say it was specifically a problem when making pizzas. The biggest problem is that the oven's control unit won't go higher than 500-550F, and for pizzas you really want 800+. A self-cleaning oven will do that (it takes like 900F to burn off the polymerized grease from the oven floor), the manufacturer is just worried that you'll hurt yourself when it's that hot and sue them.
--Ian
Boost Pope
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Natural gas burns at 1950C, that's plenty hot enough. All you need to do is convince the oven not to turn the burner off when it measures 500 or 550 or whatever the highest temp setting is.
That's pretty simple, you bake on the "self clean" setting. You just need to do some surgery to the oven door to disable the safety latch...![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
That's pretty simple, you bake on the "self clean" setting. You just need to do some surgery to the oven door to disable the safety latch...
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
Now that I'm home, I've verified that the bottom pan of the oven is flat and solid, with only two slots at the outer edges to allow the heat to rise:
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/insert-bs-here-4/155091-how-why-ramble-your-goat-sideways-80-ovenfloor_25f8e80371cad12f38cdc03fb21d5cf11b2eeb83.jpg?dateline=1447720142)
Internally, the flame bar fires directly at the underside of this sheet of metal:
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/insert-bs-here-4/155092-how-why-ramble-your-goat-sideways-80-ovenburner_3bc8602c0fbaacec142fa2f93f11c1f6557110ca.jpg?dateline=1447720142)
This may be a recipe for disaster, but I think I'm going to attempt the following:
1: Remove the stone.
2: Bake the pizza for about 5 minutes directly in the prep-pan on the lower rack, with either cornmeal or just a little bit of olive-oil (I normally avoid oiling the bottom of the dough to prevent the stone from becoming contaminated.)
3: Once the crust is cooked enough to be cohesive, remove the pan, remove the lower rack, and slide the pizza out directly onto the bottom of the oven, then sear it at maximum for a few minutes with the door open.
Boost Pope
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Well, I don't already own a skillet, and I hate buying single-purpose kitchen gadgets.
(Yes, I know a skillet can be used for purposes other than pizza-finishing, but I don't ever do those things.)
(Yes, I know a skillet can be used for purposes other than pizza-finishing, but I don't ever do those things.)
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Under $8.
Try it out, and if you don't like it, turn it into the final piece of an elaborate rat trap.
Personally, I think the cast iron skillet is essential in a kitchen, but I will probably die young of a heart attack.
Try it out, and if you don't like it, turn it into the final piece of an elaborate rat trap.
Personally, I think the cast iron skillet is essential in a kitchen, but I will probably die young of a heart attack.
Boost Pope
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TBH, I don't really fry stuff. I do a lot of stir-fry, but my existing pan, shown earlier full of pizza sauce, is perfectly adequate for that. But I don't keep bacon or eggs in stock, just a carton of that "this is nothing but egg-whites and some yellow food coloring" stuff (because long shelf life) for the occasional fried-rice or breading chicken / tofu. Pancakes happen only on the extremely rare occasion (once or twice a year) that I happen to find myself at Perkins. I'll never be able to match their pancakes, so I don't even try. I suspect that they infuse them with nitrogen or something...
It occurred to me recently that I've become sort of mostly-vegetarian. It wasn't something I deliberately set out to do.
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I've bought all 3 of my cast iron skillets second hand. 2 at garage sale and one at a flea market.
Probably have $30 invested.
Edit*
Our lives are very different, I don't think we can relate. 90% of my meals are home cooked. It makes sense for me to have an extensive kitchen outfit. I can understand why you wouldn't want a 8lb pan to keep around for every once in a while.
Probably have $30 invested.
Edit*
Our lives are very different, I don't think we can relate. 90% of my meals are home cooked. It makes sense for me to have an extensive kitchen outfit. I can understand why you wouldn't want a 8lb pan to keep around for every once in a while.
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I just clicked on the first link, which happens to actually be a fajita skillet.
Fajita Skillet Pan | Oval Cast Iron Skillet with Handle
I don't know it that is trustworthy source...
Regardless, they are quite cheap, and very versatile.
Plus, consider all of your soap savings...
In all seriousness, I am willing to send you one free of charge to try out.
Fajita Skillet Pan | Oval Cast Iron Skillet with Handle
I don't know it that is trustworthy source...
Regardless, they are quite cheap, and very versatile.
Plus, consider all of your soap savings...
In all seriousness, I am willing to send you one free of charge to try out.
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I've bought all 3 of my cast iron skillets second hand. 2 at garage sale and one at a flea market.
Probably have $30 invested.
Edit*
Our lives are very different, I don't think we can relate. 90% of my meals are home cooked. It makes sense for me to have an extensive kitchen outfit. I can understand why you wouldn't want a 8lb pan to keep around for every once in a while.
Probably have $30 invested.
Edit*
Our lives are very different, I don't think we can relate. 90% of my meals are home cooked. It makes sense for me to have an extensive kitchen outfit. I can understand why you wouldn't want a 8lb pan to keep around for every once in a while.
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Sometimes, I buy a cheap skirt steak and sear it on the skillet.
Then, I toss it to the dogs, and deglaze the pan with a Cabernet.
I let that simmer with garlic, butter and a shallot before I put the sirloin on.
When the steak is done, smother it in sauce and orgasm yourself right to sleep.
Boost Pope
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I just clicked on the first link, which happens to actually be a fajita skillet.
Fajita Skillet Pan | Oval Cast Iron Skillet with Handle
Fajita Skillet Pan | Oval Cast Iron Skillet with Handle