This culinary adventure chronicles the making of a pizza under less-than-ideal circumstances, starting with an unexpectedly sticky dough resulting from an overproofed sourdough starter and warmer-than-expected temperatures. The challenges continued with a less-than-intuitive pizza oven assembly and the improvised use of a cutting board in place of a pizza peel. Despite the obstacles, the process highlights resourcefulness and experimentation in the kitchen.The journey to pizza perfection often involves unexpected hurdles, and this experience was no exception. From dealing with a sticky dough to navigating a tricky pizza oven assembly, this pizza-making endeavor demonstrates that even with setbacks, delicious results are still possible. For those seeking a more consistent and controlled baking experience, exploring high-quality pizza stones is recommended; you can find some great options in our guide to the best pizza baking surfaces, , which covers various choices to help elevate your pizza game.
Pros And Cons
- Relatively inexpensive ($89)
- Takes a long time to assemble.
- Cooking time is much longer than advertised (12-14 minutes instead of 3-6 minutes).
- Does not get hot enough for optimal cooking; top of pizza remains pale and not bubbly.
- Small cooking cavity makes it difficult to maneuver pizza.
- Requires frequent rotation for even cooking.
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Overproofed Dough & Starter
The pizza dough, made the previous day and left to proof overnight, was slightly overproofed due to warmer-than-expected temperatures. This resulted in a stickier dough than usual. Interestingly, I also used a sourdough starter that had been neglected for five days, adding extra starter to compensate, even though it still held some strength.
Despite the overproofing, the dough remained workable. The added temperature seemed to have made the dough more pliable than expected.
Preparing the Dough
Working with the sticky dough required extra flour, applied only to the edges to avoid making the dough too dense. The dough was folded and tucked to form a workable ball. The high hydration dough helps to create a nice, airy pizza crust.
The dough was then cut into eight pieces using a dough cutter, a method chosen over weighing the individual pieces due to the stickiness. The pieces were placed into trays and refrigerated for later use.
Bunnings Bakerstone BBQ Top Pizza Oven Assembly
The Bunnings Bakerstone BBQ top pizza oven, purchased for $89, was a promising solution for pizza-making while the main oven was out of service. The product description promised a cooking time of 3-6 minutes per pizza, an appealing prospect.
However, assembly proved more challenging than anticipated, involving several parts that had to be put together. The instructions were not very clear and assembly took significantly longer than expected.
Pizza Toppings & Sauce
Instead of cheese, a mayonnaise drizzle was used as a topping. Homemade mayonnaise was prepared using chicken egg yolks (duck eggs were unavailable), cowboy candy brine, homemade mustard, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. An immersion blender was used to emulsify the ingredients.
Roasted tomatoes were pureed using an immersion blender to serve as pizza sauce, a temporary substitute until a fresh batch of pizza sauce is made. Various toppings such as salami, pineapple, marinated chicken thighs, meatballs, and corn were used.
Cooking the Pizza
Due to the lack of a proper pizza peel, a cutting board was used instead to transfer the pizza to the oven. The pizza was cooked using the Bunnings Bakerstone, with initial cooking on a gas barbecue, then transferred to a Camp Chef for higher heat.
The cooking process was longer than expected (12-14 minutes), possibly due to inadequate heat or the use of flour instead of semolina on the pizza base. Despite the longer cook time, the results were mixed. The base was well-cooked and crispy, but the top remained pale and lacked the characteristic charring and bubbling usually seen in wood-fired pizzas.
Bunnings Bakerstone Review & Conclusion
The Bunnings Bakerstone BBQ top pizza oven showed promise, offering a convenient solution for pizza-making without a traditional oven. However, it fell short of its advertised cook time and didn't produce the ideal crust texture.
Several factors could have contributed to this including insufficient heat, use of flour instead of semolina, and potential issues with the gas barbecue. More testing is needed to see if this pizza oven performs well.