How to use an outdoor pizza oven? Quick tutorial

Outdoor pizza ovens have become a favourite among food enthusiasts, offering a unique and fun way to cook pizzas with flavours that go beyond what you can achieve in a conventional oven. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or enjoying a quiet weekend, using a wood fired pizza oven adds a rustic, authentic touch to your outdoor cooking experience. With the right approach, you can make pizzas that rival your favourite pizzeria, all from the comfort of your backyard.
In this quick tutorial, we’ll walk you through how to use a pizza oven, covering everything from preparation to cooking techniques. Whether you’re a novice looking to try out your new pizza oven or a seasoned cook wanting to perfect your skills, this guide will help you create the perfect pie. So, let’s dive in and discover the art of outdoor pizza making!

Types of Outdoor Pizza Ovens

Before jumping into how to use an outdoor pizza oven, it’s essential to understand the different types available and which one might work best for your needs. Outdoor pizza ovens come in various designs, each offering unique features that affect the cooking process.

1. Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

A classic choice, wood-fired pizza ovens are known for their ability to reach extremely high temperatures, ideal for achieving a perfectly cooked pizza with a crispy crust and soft centre. The flavour imparted by a wood burning oven is unmatched, as the burning wood infuses the pizza with a subtle smoky aroma that enhances its taste. These ovens are built to last and often feature an oven dome that traps heat effectively, cooking the pizza quickly and evenly.

2. Stainless-Steel Oven

For those who prefer portability and modern design, stainless-steel ovens are a great option. These ovens are lighter, easier to clean, and often feature convenient accessories like wheels for easy transport. They offer versatility in terms of fuel types, as some models can switch between wood, gas, and even wood pellets as a heat source. While they may not offer the same flavour depth as a traditional wood burning oven, they can still reach the high heat necessary for pizza making and are perfect for quick setup in any outdoor space.

3. Brick Oven

The most permanent and traditional option, brick ovens are often custom-built as a centrepiece in outdoor kitchens. Made from high-quality firebricks, they retain heat exceptionally well and are perfect for large gatherings where you need to cook multiple pizzas over an extended period. Brick ovens take longer to heat, but once fully heated, they provide consistent temperatures for hours, ideal for cooking not only pizzas but other dishes like roasted vegetables and breads.

4. Home Pizza Ovens

For those with limited outdoor space or a smaller budget, home pizza ovens are an excellent alternative. These smaller, often electric or gas-powered models are designed to mimic the cooking conditions of larger wood-fired ovens, though they may not reach the same high temperatures. Nonetheless, they’re convenient for casual use and still offer the chance to make great outdoor pizzas without the commitment of a large oven.

Essential Tools for Outdoor Pizza Making

To get the most out of your outdoor pizza oven, you’ll need a few key tools. These essential items will help you handle the pizza, control the temperature, and ensure the cooking process goes smoothly.

1. Pizza Peel: The pizza peel is one of the most important tools you’ll need. This flat, paddle-like tool allows you to slide your pizza in and out of the oven with ease. Wooden pizza peels are great for assembling and launching the pizza, while metal pizza peels are perfect for removing the cooked pizza and rotating it in the oven.
2. Infrared Thermometer: An infrared thermometer is crucial for accurately measuring the oven’s temperature, especially the oven floor temperature, which can vary in different parts of the oven. By checking the surface temperature before placing your pizza inside, you ensure it cooks evenly without burning the crust.
3. Turning Peel: A turning peel is used to rotate the pizza while it cooks, ensuring even browning and cooking on all sides. This peel is smaller than the main pizza peel and has a round surface, making it easier to manoeuvre the pizza inside the oven without removing it completely.
4. 4. Baking Stone: Many pizza ovens have a built-in baking stone or brick surface that acts as the cooking surface. If your oven doesn’t have one, you can add a baking stone to improve the heat distribution and achieve a crispy crust. A hot baking stone helps cook the bottom of the pizza faster, preventing sogginess.
5. Mise en Place: Proper mise en place, a French term meaning “everything in its place,” is key to smooth pizza making. Prepare all your ingredients—pizza dough, sauce, toppings, and flour—before you start cooking, so you’re not scrambling for items while the oven is at high heat.

You can find various garden pizza ovens and tools at Vitcas.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using an Outdoor Pizza Oven

Now that you know the types of pizza ovens and have gathered your essential tools, it’s time to dive into the process of using your outdoor pizza oven. This step-by-step guide will help you navigate through the entire pizza-making process, from preparing the oven to achieving the perfect bake. Whether you’re using a wood-fired oven or a stainless-steel oven, these steps will ensure you get the best results.

a) Preparing the Oven

Before you begin making pizzas, it’s crucial to fully heat your outdoor pizza oven. The oven temperature directly impacts how well your pizza cooks, so achieving the desired temperature is essential.

1. Choose the Right Heat Source: If you’re using a wood burning oven, start by selecting the right type of wood. Seasoned wood works best, as it burns hotter and cleaner than fresh or damp wood. Alternatively, if you’re using a more modern oven, you might use wood pellets or gas as your heat source.
2. Build a Fire: For a wood fire pizza oven, create a small pile of wood in the centre of the oven and light it. As the fire grows, gradually add more wood to increase the heat. You’ll need to maintain the fire to ensure the oven reaches the right temperature.
3. Monitor the Temperature: Using an infrared thermometer, check both the oven’s temperature and the oven floor temperature. For cooking pizza, the ideal oven temperature is between 700 °F (ca. 371 °C) and 900 °F (ca. 482 °C). The oven floor should be around 650 °F (ca. 343 °C) to cook the pizza base evenly. It may take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for a wood-fired pizza oven to heat up properly.
4. Distribute the Coals: Once the oven has reached the desired temperature, push the burning wood or coals to one side or the back of the oven. This will create space for the cooking surface and allow for even heat distribution. Make sure to leave a hot, clean section on the oven floor for cooking the pizza.

b) Preparing the Pizza Dough and Toppings

While your oven heats up, it’s time to prepare your pizza. A well-prepared pizza is the key to achieving a perfect pie, so ensure your pizza dough, sauce, and toppings are ready to go.

1. Prepare the Pizza Dough: Stretch and shape your pizza dough by hand on a floured surface. The key is to keep the dough thin in the centre and thicker at the edges to create that desirable crispy crust. Be careful not to overwork the dough, so it won’t get tough.
2. Add Sauce and Toppings: Once your dough is shaped, spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the base. Be mindful not to use too much sauce or too many toppings, as this can result in a soggy pizza. Next, sprinkle cheese and add your favourite toppings. Remember, less is more when cooking at high temperatures in a wood fire pizza oven—light toppings cook more evenly.
3. Assemble the Pizza on the Peel: Lightly dust the pizza peel with flour or cornmeal to prevent sticking. Carefully transfer the assembled pizza onto the peel, ensuring it can slide easily off when placed in the oven.

c) Cooking the Pizza

With the oven hot and the pizza assembled, it’s time for the most exciting part: cooking pizza in your outdoor pizza oven.

1. Positioning the Pizza: Using the pizza peel, slide the pizza onto the hottest part of the oven floor. The oven’s temperature should be high enough to cook the pizza within 90 seconds to 3 minutes, depending on the oven type. The pizza’s thin crust should begin to bubble and blister almost immediately, thanks to the high heat of the oven.
2. Rotate the Pizza: To ensure even cooking, use the turning peel to rotate the pizza halfway through the cooking process. Most ovens cook hotter on one side, so rotating the pizza helps achieve a balanced bake. The edges should puff up and char slightly, while the cheese melts evenly.
3. Monitor the Cooking Time: In a wood fire pizza oven, pizzas cook rapidly due to the intense heat. Watch the pizza closely—depending on the oven floor temperature, it could be done in as little as 90 seconds. Keep an eye on the crispy crust and bubbling toppings. You want the bottom to be well-cooked but not burnt.
4. Adjust the Heat if Needed: If the pizza is browning too quickly on the top, but the bottom isn’t done, try moving it closer to the heat source for a short burst of intense heat. Alternatively, for slower cooking, you can reduce the temperature by adding less wood or adjusting the airflow by opening or closing the oven door.

By following these steps, you’ll get closer to mastering the art of pizza making in your outdoor pizza oven. Cooking pizza this way is a quick process, but it requires attention to detail. With a bit of practice, you’ll know exactly how to use the oven’s temperature and cooking surface to your advantage, creating the perfect wood fire pizza.

d) Removing and Serving the Pizza

Once your pizza has reached the desired level of doneness, it’s time to remove it from the oven and serve it fresh.

1. Use the Pizza Peel: Slide the pizza peel under the pizza, carefully lifting it off the oven floor. Take a moment to inspect the pizza. You’re looking for a well-cooked base, bubbling cheese, and a lightly charred crispy crust.
2. Allow the Pizza to Cool Slightly: After removing the pizza from the oven, let it sit for a minute or two. This allows the cheese to settle and prevents burns from hot toppings. Slice and serve while the pizza is still hot and fresh, ready for everyone to enjoy.

With the pizza removed, you can quickly prepare and cook the next one, taking full advantage of the hot oven. Repeat the process, keeping your mise en place ready to go for the next batch of pizzas.

Maintaining and Controlling the Oven Temperature

Maintaining the right temperature throughout the cooking process is critical for consistently good results, especially in a wood burning oven. Learning how to control the temperature takes time, but it’s key to mastering wood-fired cooking.

Using the Oven Door: Many outdoor pizza ovens come with an oven door that helps regulate the temperature. Closing the door helps trap heat inside, creating an even, intense heat perfect for pizza. However, if the oven gets too hot, opening the door can release excess heat and prevent burning.

Adjusting the Heat Source: In a wood burning pizza oven, adjusting the amount of wood or wood pellets you use directly influences the temperature. If the heat starts to drop, add a small amount of wood to reignite the flames and increase the temperature. Similarly, to achieve lower temperatures for slow-cooking dishes like roasted vegetables, allow the fire to burn down slightly and maintain the oven at a steady, moderate heat.

Managing Hot and Cool Spots: A common challenge with wood-fired ovens is that they can develop hot and cool spots. The area closest to the fire will always be hotter, while areas farther away may be cooler. Using an infrared thermometer, you can check the oven floor temperature to find the best spot for cooking. Rotating the pizza frequently ensures even cooking despite these variations.

By mastering these temperature control techniques, you’ll ensure that your pizzas are cooked perfectly, with no risk of burning or undercooking.

Beyond Pizza: Other Uses of Outdoor Pizza Ovens

While pizza is the star of the show, your outdoor pizza oven can cook much more than just pizza. The high temperatures and wood-fired flavour make it an excellent tool for various dishes.

1. Roasted Vegetables: Place a tray of seasonal vegetables like peppers, zucchini, or potatoes directly on the oven floor or use a cast-iron pan. The high, dry heat of the oven gives vegetables a crispy exterior and enhances their natural sweetness.

2. Slow-Cooked Meats: For slow cooking, reduce the oven temperature slightly. You can use your pizza oven to roast meats such as pork shoulders or lamb, infusing them with a smoky flavour while achieving a tender texture. A wood burning oven can act as both a fast-cooking tool for pizzas and a slow-cooking tool for more hearty dishes.

3. Breads and Pies: A wood-fired oven can also serve as a perfect environment for baking bread, with the residual heat being ideal for slow baking. Additionally, you can bake fruit pies and other desserts, using the oven’s retained heat after the fire has cooled down.

By utilizing your oven for different types of dishes, you’ll get more value out of it and enjoy the versatility it brings to your outdoor cooking.

Tips for Making the Perfect Pizza

Achieving the perfect pizza requires practice, but these tips can help elevate your pizza-making game:

1. Choose the Right Flour: High-protein bread flour or 00 flour works best for creating the dough’s structure, allowing you to achieve a chewy yet crisp crust.
2. Keep Toppings Light: In a wood fire pizza oven, pizzas cook quickly, so heavy toppings may not heat evenly. Stick to lighter toppings for the best results.
3. Use Fresh, High-Quality Ingredients: The flavour of your pizza will improve significantly if you use fresh ingredients. Homemade pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and high-quality olive oil are key components of an outstanding pizza.
4. Ensure Even Cooking: Using a turning peel to rotate the pizza during cooking is essential for avoiding burnt edges or undercooked sections. By moving the pizza around, you’ll ensure an evenly cooked pie.
5. Monitor Oven Temperature: Using your infrared thermometer, check the oven floor temperature regularly to maintain the optimal cooking heat. Aim for a temperature that’s hot enough to cook the pizza quickly without burning it.
6. Practice and Experiment: Every oven is different, and there is always a learning curve. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different wood types, oven temperatures, or toppings until you find the perfect balance for your outdoor pizza.

Conclusion

Using an outdoor pizza oven is both an art and a science, offering endless possibilities for delicious, restaurant-quality pizzas in your own backyard. By following this step-by-step guide on how to use an outdoor pizza oven, you’ll be able to create pizzas with the perfect crispy crust, bubbling cheese, and the unmistakable smoky flavour that only a wood-fired pizza oven can offer. With practice and the right tools, you’ll master the art of wood-fired cooking and impress your family and friends with each new pizza creation.

Whether you’re making classic margheritas or experimenting with new toppings, the joy of cooking pizza in an outdoor oven is a fun, rewarding experience that will keep you coming back for more.