Baking on Screens- New deck guy please help

[ravikoth]

Hi,
I just got a pair of new Deck Ovens, switched from conveyers. the oven floor gets pretty hot, and have set it to be hotter than the top, i get a great top bake with a nice golden crust, however the bottom remains uncooked,
I use screens , since we get fairly busy and we have to prep the Pizza Dough in advance.
No matter how high i set the Bottom, the top always cooks first while the bottom is undone. What should i do, is anybody out there cooking on screens? do i bake on the screens for a while and then transfer the pizza on to the oven floor. I did that and got a great bake on the bottom, However would prefer to just bake on the screen till Done.
Would appreciate some info on this one.
Thanks & regards
Ravikoth

 

[RoadPizza]

It seems that you already know the answer to your question - you need to finish the cooking of the pizzas by transferring them from the screen to the brick. It may seem like a chore, but it’s what you have to do.

 

[Fire_Side_Pizza]

We always use screens. We cook the pizza on the screens, and then about a minute before it’s done, we take it off the screen and put it on the bricks. It’s worked out great for us.

Good luck!!

 

[Kris]

Us too. That is one of the reasons deck ovens are a little harder to do. Also make sure you are rotating in the oven cuz anywhere that has had food on it is cooler than an area that doesn’t.

BTW since you are a newbie…make sure you season your new screens. Put pan release on them, bake. Don’t wash the screens. Scrape them and if they really need a cleaning throw it in the oven for a couple of minutes.

:mrgreen:

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Ravi;
What is your top and bottom baking temperature?
Also, brand of ovens, and how many BTU’s?
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[George_Mills]

HI ravikoth :

You do not mention what make and model oven you are using. That information would help.

George Mills

 

[BBH]

Personally I don’t care for the screens because I don’t get the browning or crispiness I like. I’ve used screens on decks and rotators and the end result is a crust that has some crispiness at the very bottom of the crust, but the upper far softer. I prefer the crust to have snap all the way through. If you want to try it w/o the screens, you can keep the prepped crust on just about any surface, a metal serving tray, plastic trays etc…(light coating of corn meal or semolina) you can slip the crust on a peal, make it and into the oven. Temps are everything where the right temp will finish the crust and provide the cheese browning (or not) that you desire. I cook a little on the low side at 475 and a lot of that depends on the cheese quality (aging for example), high temps (and poor cheese quality) can force oil off and brown before the crust is finished. 475 seems to work well across all cheese brands I’ve used. You can always do as suggested and place on the deck 2 minutes before removing. Temp wise on the decks it’s been 475-500 that has worked for me.

 

[anselmospizza]

We use Blodgett decks and cook at 600 degrees. Never an issue on or off the screens. We typically don’t use screens unless absolutely necessary, super busy and prepped ahead or for time orders prepped in advance. The hardest part is finding that balance. It sucks dropping your temp because you won’t be as efficient, but ultimately you are trying to balance quality with efficiency. Would strongly advise it. Good luck!

 

[RobT]

we have marsal 660’s @ 550 degrees, and we use screens. We take the pizza off the screen and crisp the bottom about a minute before its done.
When i had bakers pride, we left 1 spot in the oven open to be the crisper spot because the bakers pride ovens didn’t recover fast enough. Marsals are much better.

 

[ravikoth]

Thanks to all who replied,
this has been a lot of help,
I am using the Pizza Master Brand from sweden, and the bake is at 310C, the bake is wonderful, but for convinience and speed we have no option but to bake on screens, we do about 150 pies in about 60-90Min in the evening, and therefore just do not have the luxury of an individual order wise prep.
i have it dialled in now, 30 sec on the oven stone and the pizza is nice & toasty. and just glad that it is just not me who is getting the screen Issue.
Thanks again
Ravikoth

 

[uglytomato]

I know this is an old post Good news I am not selling anything!!! But I have quite a simple soulution if anyone is having this problem they sell round parchment papers to go on top of the screens you simply place your shell on there and paint your pizza as always then simply slide the pizza/parchment off the screen and onto your deck the parchemnts will last 2 or 3 go rounds at least dont effect the bake at all and as a added bonus your oven dosent get nearly as much cornmeal/semolina in it so less sweeping of the oven and the floor for that matter.this allows you to make all sorts of premade shells and put them on racks for a up coming busy period (friday night supper) just rember if your going to hold them for a long time throw a trash bag over the premades so they dont dry out.