Burning the crust

[wotavidone]

Got me a problem.
My oven has performed well for years. I've only used it a few time this year, been very busy with ....life, mostly.
Anyway, the last couple of time i've used it, the floor has just about incinerated the crust.
Last night, I did a slow heatup. Well slow for me.....2 hours or so.
Both the roof and and floor maxed out my temperature gun. It goes to 550 C!
So I left the door off, let it cool until the roof read about 450 and slung in a pizza. Still burnt the crust underneath.
What could be making the floor so damned hot (besides the fire of course )?
I don't think there is any change in my low tech insulation.

I have swapped to pizza flour from ordinary supermarket plain white flour.
Could this be the problem?

All suggestions welcome.
Regards,
Mick

[david s]

The floor is always too hot for the first pizza i’ve found. It’s a bit like the first pancake which is never the best.I simply cook the first one in the entry and then push subsequent pizzas in a little further. You can also do the semolina test to impress your guests. Cast about a1/4 tsp semolina into the middle of the floor. 2 secs until it turns black = too hot. 3 secs= perfect. 4 secs = not hot enough.

[JAG]

Is it possible your old pizza flour was not malted and your new flour is?

JG

[wotavidone]

It's a mystery to me. The more I think on it, the more I think it's been happening since I bout "real pizza flour".
I just made a batch of dough with ordinary Coles supermarket home brand white flour. That is what i used to use.
I shall see how that works out tonight.

[wotavidone]

I think I may be back on track. I went back to the quick heat up I used to use (1 hour or so) instead of the long soak (+2 hours with a slower fire) I've been using lately.
With the fire over to one side the floor was heated just by radiant heat and by the time the dome was white the floor wasn't nearly as hot. Combined with ordinary flour, pizzas back to standard.