The Homemade Pizza Thread

[DavidDetroit]

Or should I cook at a lower temp for longer ?

I couldn't be sure what the Morrison oven looked like or how thick the base is. I tried to get an image off the internet but no luck.
Flying blind, you have to make sure the bottom stone is up to temperature, really hot. For a Neapolitan, that pizza should be done in a few minutes. That means the base has to heat up well first. Thickness of the bottom stone is an important factor.
For example, the directions I have for a pizza stone in a conventional oven is one hour for preheating. Translated to an outdoor machine, should be less but still a key component.
Worked in a pizzeria for quite a while and the bottom would cool when we got busy in relation to the ambient temperature of the oven because the pizzas sucked the heat from the thick stone. This wasn't a fired oven but a NY style cooking stove.
The thickness of the base is quite important as it relates to being able to retain the heat--thicker the better.
For me, more info is needed about the machine.

 

[Dutto]

Or should I cook at a lower temp for longer ? I was trying ro recreate a classic pizza oven temp bit obviously the stone was too hot and the rest wasn't. New to this and feel a bit lost tbh.

New kit, new experience so you can’t expect perfection - yet!

Try a few “blind” bakes, then start with a thin olive oil/garlic and cheese topping.

You’ll soon get the hang of it!

Enjoy! (Even the “fails”!)

 

[Crabby_patty]

I couldn't be sure what the Morrison oven looked like or how thick the base is. I tried to get an image off the internet but no luck.
Flying blind, you have to make sure the bottom stone is up to temperature, really hot. For a Neapolitan, that pizza should be done in a few minutes. That means the base has to heat up well first. Thickness of the bottom stone is an important factor.
For example, the directions I have for a pizza stone in a conventional oven is one hour for preheating. Translated to an outdoor machine, should be less but still a key component.
Worked in a pizzeria for quite a while and the bottom would cool when we got busy in relation to the ambient temperature of the oven because the pizzas sucked the heat from the thick stone. This wasn't a fired oven but a NY style cooking stove.
The thickness of the base is quite important as it relates to being able to retain the heat--thicker the better.
For me, more info is needed about the machine.

 

[Crabby_patty]

I've also upgraded the stone to this it's about 15 in x 10 in x 3/4 in thick.

 

[Crabby_patty]

Files are too big so can't upload pics for some reason . I'll try again later .

 

[Oneflewover]

That oven has the heat source directly below the cooking area / stone yes? If so I'm afraid that I'm not surprised that you aren't getting great results and I can see why the base would burn before toppings are cooked. Probably a knack to it - can you push the fire once nice and hot to the back/ sides of the oven?

 

[Crabby_patty]

That oven has the heat source directly below the cooking area / stone yes? If so I'm afraid that I'm not surprised that you aren't getting great results and I can see why the base would burn before toppings are cooked. Probably a knack to it - can you push the fire once nice and hot to the back/ sides of the oven?

Should be able to . I'm going to have another go this evening .

 

[Session]

Charcoal base and a perfect top or cooked base and undercooked top . Help please . Using a morrisons wood fired oven I've replaced the supplied stone with a bigger one and added a cou0le of furnace bricks to retain the heat . Had the stone up to 500 today but it drops quickly .

The oven is too hot. Specifically the stone is hotter than it needs to be. I find anything over 500’C difficult to manage on my Ooni and get exactly the results you describe until I bring my temperature down.

I’m not familiar with how your oven works. Do you build a fire and then drag out the embers once up to the correct temperature or do you push the embers to the side? If the latter, I would try building a smaller fire and adding the pizza once your oven gets up to 450’C instead.

 

[Crabby_patty]

Thanks for the answers / questions.
I've just successfully made a plain dough creation that I added garlic butter too along with a pizza of sorts that was well done under and just about done done on top .
My thinking now is to concentrate on smaller pizza with a smaller stone in the fire department rather than than the actual cooking area . The cooking area would be great for roasting a chicken or other culinary experiments but not pizza .
My conclusion is that this type of Pizza oven isn't up to consistent pizza making . Hoping I'll be proved wrong . Ooni or similar powered by gas seem to be the way forward.
.

 

[Crabby_patty]

The oven is too hot. Specifically the stone is hotter than it needs to be. I find anything over 500’C difficult to manage on my Ooni and get exactly the results you describe until I bring my temperature down.

I’m not familiar with how your oven works. Do you build a fire and then drag out the embers once up to the correct temperature or do you push the embers to the side? If the latter, I would try building a smaller fire and adding the pizza once your oven gets up to 450’C instead.

I think the main problem is as its a bottom fed steel pizza oven the stone get up to temperature but the rest isn't. Iv added furnace bricks with the hope of regulating the temperature.

In all honesty iv bought a cheap product and the results amplify that but something makes me want make it work despite knowing it more than likely won't.

I need to save up and spend a bit more.

 

[Dutto]

I think the main problem is as its a bottom fed steel pizza oven the stone get up to temperature but the rest isn't. Iv added furnace bricks with the hope of regulating the temperature.

In all honesty iv bought a cheap product and the results amplify that but something makes me want make it work despite knowing it more than likely won't.

I need to save up and spend a bit more.

Okay, so you’ve discovered a problem, but even by adding furnace bricks you didn’t find a solution!

Now, here’s the difficult bit “A workman NEVER blames his tools!”

I suggest that you stop feeling sorry for yourself and negative about the bit of kit. Please spend more time fiddling about with the fire, the embers, the time, the pizza base, the topping etc and try to resolve the problem!

You state “… something makes me want make it work …” and that is hardly reflected in what you have so far done to achieve this aim!

Please keep a log of what you do, come back after your 15th failure and then tell us why you think you need a more expensive system.

I for one may be more sympathetic!

Sorry to be so blunt but it’s been a long day!

 

[chthon]

Baked some pizza previous weekend, used 1g of dried bread yeast, and let my dough overnight in the fridge. On 300° C in my electric oven, but not with fan. And veggie chorizo/pepperoni.

 

[Clint]

Think I've got my dough sorted. It's still a bit sticky but with a bit of semolina it's working,plus pushing it out and letting it prove again is giving super fluffy bases. Mine is pepperoni and mushrooms.

 

[Alastair70]

It’s been too long since we had a pizza night. Yeasted dough, 60% hydration, 24hr prove.

 

[RichardM]

It’s been too long since we had a pizza night. Yeasted dough, 60% hydration, 24hr prove.
View attachment 84687View attachment 84688

We've had indoor pizzas over winter but I was saying to my wife earlier that it's time to fire up the Ooni and have pizza in the garden

 

[Alastair70]

We've had indoor pizzas over winter but I was saying to my wife earlier that it's time to fire up the Ooni and have pizza in the garden

Sun’s out mate, no excuses

 

[RichardM]

Sun’s out mate, no excuses

Not in Cardiff!

 

[Northern_Brewer]

OT, but just in case anyone finds themselves in need of emergency pizza bases, in one of my rare jaunts to Waitrose I came across Crosta & Mollica ones which aren't bad - claim to be woodfired sourdough. The tomato on them is a bit meagre, but it's a useful starting point.

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/produ...a-base-with-tomato-sauce/621650-200263-200264

 

[Leon103]

It’s been too long since we had a pizza night. Yeasted dough, 60% hydration, 24hr prove.
View attachment 84687View attachment 84688

Nice. What fuel are you using ?

 

[Alastair70]

Nice. What fuel are you using ?

Cheers. It’s a mix of ash and birch, kiln dried. Produces a lovely clean burn, decent sized embers with high heat and low ash production.