Cooking pizza in a pizza oven | Neapolitan Pizza from scratch | Part 7

Cooking the pizza is the final step in the pizza making process, and one of the most important. In case you missed it, the shaping of the pizza was covered in part 6 which you can check out here.

Cooking pizza in a pizza oven

Although using a pizza oven can be tricky, it’s definitely the best option for Neapolitan style pizza. In my view, the combination of a crispy crust with a soft base cannot be beaten. Additionally, the charring produced by the flames adds depth of flavour.

In this article I’ll cover the basics of using a pizza oven. There are a few simple keys which I believe can drastically improve your pizza oven game.

One thing I will say – don’t beat yourself up. Cooking in a pizza oven is not an easy thing to do. Since the temperature is so high and the pizza cooks so quickly, the margain for error is small.

With practice, it will become easy(ish), but only with practice.

The previous parts in this pizza school series can be found using the links below:

• Part 1 on mixing the dough by hand
• Part 2 on kneading the dough by hand
• Part 3 on using the windowpane method to test the dough
• Part 4 on shaping the dough balls
• Part 5 on preparing the toppings
• Part 6 on shaping the pizza

If you’re ready to learn about cooking in the pizza oven then keep reading! You can use the table of contents below to skip through the sections if you like. Also, at any time you can press the green button at the top right of the screen to return to the contents.

How do you use a pizza oven for the first time?

Using a pizza oven for the first time can seem like a daunting prospect. However, the chances are it’s not nearly as difficult as you think.

In my view, the biggest key is to maintain the temperature within the ideal range. Of course, if you have a gas pizza oven, this is taken care of for you.

With a wood fired oven, there is a bit more work involved. However, once you get the hang of it, maintaining the fire becomes second nature. It helps to have a second set of hands too, I find people are usually willing to help when they’re bribed with pizza!

There’s a numbered method (like a recipe) included at the bottom of this page – click here to skip ahead to it. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about using a pizza oven.

What is the best temperature to cook pizza in a pizza oven?

For Neapolitan pizza, I find an ideal stone temperature to be around 420C/800F to 450C/850F. If the stone is much cooler than this, the pizza tends to become too crispy.

I know what you’re thinking – surely a hotter stone would lead to a crispier pizza?! In fact, it’s typically the opposite. With a cooler stone, the pizza takes longer to cook. The longer the pizza cooks, the crispier the base becomes. I find a central stone temperature of at least 420C/800F avoids this issue.

In contrast, if the temperature is much higher than 450C/850F, the pizza cooks very quickly indeed. This makes burning the pizza easy and in my experience tends to lead to inconsistency.

Of course, the ideal temperature will depend on your pizza oven and how you make pizzas. For me, 420C/800F to 450C/850F is the ideal temperature range for my Ooni pizza oven. If anything, I’d prefer the temperature around the 440C/825F range but at that temperature I have to be careful that the oven doesn’t get too hot.

How do I know if my pizza oven is hot enough?

The easiest way to know if your pizza oven is hot enough is to use a digital thermometer. In fact, some pizza ovens come with a thermometer built in.

However, I recommend getting a digital laser thermometer. They are inexpensive and highly accurate, allowing you to obtain the temperature of every part of the stone. Simply point the laser where you want and you’ll get a practically exact temperature reading.

Typically, I’ll just point the thermometer at the centre of the stone. However, it’s also a good idea to check all the stone at the start to make sure it’s fully preheated. It can also be useful to check different areas of the stone if the pizzas aren’t cooking properly. Perhaps one area of the stone is too hot or too cold.

What happens if you don’t preheat a pizza stone?

If you don’t preheat a pizza stone, the pizza won’t cook properly. It will take too long to cook, leading to a dry and overly crispy crust.

Also, with a wood fired pizza oven, it takes time for the fire to get going. Pizza cooks quickly and evenly in a pizza oven as a result of the direct flames from above, in addition to the heat retained by the stone from below.

Of course, with a gas pizza oven the flames are instant but it’s still vital for the stone to get up to temperature. Otherwise, the top of the pizza will be burnt whilst the base will be undercooked.

How long does it take for a pizza oven to heat up?

How long it takes to heat up depends on your specific pizza oven and the type of fuel you’re using. Gas ovens tend to heat up quicker while wood fired ovens tend to take a bit longer. Typically, most pizza ovens can heat up in as little as 20 to 30 minutes.

With a traditional brick pizza oven, it takes as long as 1 to 2 hours to heat up. This is becuase the bricks themselves have to heat up as well. The benefit, however, is that once they’re up to temperature, the bricks help to retain heat, creating a more efficient and consistent heat.

The vast majority of modern pizza ovens are made from steel (often with insulation added). This allows the ovens to be cheaper to buy, lighter to move, and quicker to heat up. The main downside is that since they don’t retain heat as well, they require more precise temperature management.

Launching a pizza into a pizza oven

Launching a pizza into a pizza oven is just the same as a regular oven. The key is to ensure that the pizza doesn’t stick to the peel.

To avoid this, make sure the pizza isn’t left on the peel for too long before launching. Also, make sure you use plenty of flour on the peel.

As your skills improve, you can use less flour on the peel as too much can lead to a burnt base. However, to start out, I recommend using plenty of flour just to ensure a successful launch.

When launching, place the back of the peel towards the back of the oven and then “shake” the pizza off the peel, pulling the peel towards you to release the pizza. With practice, you can launch the pizza in one swift movement. Confidence is key!

To start with, though, I’d recommend “shaking” the pizza off the peel slowly. This is a safer method and avoids ruining the launch, getting cheese everywhere, and cracking your stone. Ask me how I know!

How long does it take to cook a pizza in a pizza oven?

A Neapolitan pizza takes just 60 to 90 seconds to cook in a pizza oven at a temperature of around 420C/800F to 450C/850F. This is the time stated in the Official Neapolitan Pizza Guide (AVPN).

In fact, it’s a good idea to time your pizzas to start out with. If your pizzas are taking longer than 90 seconds then your oven probably isn’t hot enough. Conversely, if your pizza is cooking in less than 60 seconds it’s probably too hot.

How to cook a pizza evenly in a pizza oven

The key to cooking a pizza evenly in a pizza oven lies in the “turning “of the pizza. This is where the pizza is rotated using a peel. In fact, you can even get a special peel known as a “turning peel” just for this job. You can do it without though.

Since a pizza oven is so hot, and since the flames come from one side, the pizza burns rapidly on the side nearest the flames if it isn’t turned in time.

However, once launched, the pizza must be left long enough for the base to “set”. If the base is turned too soon, the dough will still be raw and will probably stick to the stone, leading to ripping once moved.

Typically, I will leave the pizza to set for 20 to 30 seconds. Then, I’ll continue to turn it (by about 1/3) every 20 to 30 seconds until it’s evenly cooked. Of course, the exact timings will depend on your oven, it’s temperature, and how you like your pizza. With experience, this will become second nature and you’ll be able to see when the pizza is ready to be turned.

Personally, I look out for the rising of the crust. Once the crust has stopped rising on the side nearest the flame, I look to rotate the pizza. Then I’ll turn the pizza about 1/3 and repeat the process, waiting for the next side of the pizza to finish rising.

When all the crust has finished rising, I’ll check to see how the pizza is cooked. If one side looks undercooked I’ll turn that side closest to the flame. You can also gently lift the pizza with the peel to check the underside. If the base isn’t cooked to your liking, you can block the flames with the peel. This allows the base to cook more, without burning the top of the pizza.

Alternatively, if the base is cooked to you liking but the top isn’t, you can hold the pizza up (above the stone) on the peel. This allows the top to finish cooking without cooking the base any further.

How to turn the pizza

The traditional way of turning the pizza is by using a special peel known as a “turning peel”. This is a small, round peel, which allows the pizza to be turned while it is left in the oven.

However, the technique is a bit more advanced and you may not even have a turning peel, which is totally fine. The easiest hack is to simply remove the pizza with your regular peel, turn it with your hand (without burning it – your hand that is!) and then relaunch it into the oven. Just be sure to do this quickly so the pizza doesn’t cool down.

How to tell if the pizza is ready

For Neapolitan pizza in a wood fired oven I’m looking for an even rise around the entire crust. Also, a light, fairly even, charring to the crust is preferable – some dark spots are fine. Additionally, I want the toppings to be cooked but not burnt. Ideally, the mozzarella should be just set and the tomato sauce should not be runny. Some charring on the underside is also OK but I don’t want it burnt.

In practice, every pizza maker has their own signature style. Also, some difference between each pizza is fine, it’s part of the fun, every pizza has it’s own character!

With practice you’ll get a sixth sense for when the pizza is ready and what you’re looking for. You will become more consistent. Just keep in mind that every pizza doesn’t have to be exactly the same, it’s an artisan food after all.