Pizza Oven Temperature: How Hot Should a Pizza Oven Be?
The world is crazy about pizza. Whether you’re eating a margherita in Milan, a Hawaiian in Honolulu, or a pepperoni in Paris, you’ll find that just about every country in the world has an appetite for the big, round, cheesy dish. Cooking pizza is a universal thing too – and though many toppings, flavours and styles change depending on location, there’s one thing that never does: the pizza oven temperature.
How hot should a pizza oven be?
The ideal temperature at which to cook the perfect pizza is around 400 degrees Celsius. This has been the golden standard for centuries. At 400 degrees Celsius, your toppings cook quickly but won’t burn, and your base will turn out lovely and crisp. However, there’s slightly more to cooking delicious pizza than just the pizza oven temperature.
Preheat the pizza stone
Part of the secret to making and perfecting a good wood-fired pizza lies in heating up the stone before the pizza goes in the oven. Heat rises, so although your oven chamber may be reading 400 degrees Celsius, your stone may not be that hot yet. If the stone isn’t hot enough, your pizza base will burn before the dough is fully cooked through. That’s why it’s important to preheat the stone and get it nice and hot before the pizza goes in the oven.
Keep the temperature and timing consistent
Always keep an eye on the temperature of the oven and make sure it’s consistent. If the temperature fluctuates too much, you’ll end up with an unevenly cooked pizza. Putting the pizzas in when the pizza oven isn’t hot enough is a rookie error, commonly made when first starting out. Timing is a big part of the art too – make sure you’re leaving them in for the three-minute mark.
Cooking using conventional ovens
Conventional ovens usually have a maximum temperature of around 250-280 degrees Celsius. Although it’s possible to cook pizza in a conventional oven, it will never have the same flavour or texture as a genuine wood-fired or gas-fired pizza. If you’re trying to make pizza in your conventional oven, then your best bet is to try and get the oven as hot as possible… or simply jump on the Alfa Ovens website and have a look at the wood- and gas-fired oven options! You’ll be doing yourself a massive favour if you want to up your pizza game.
Some culinary rules are there to be broken, and others are not. Your pizza oven should be kept at 400 degrees Celsius when cooking pizza. If you’re after a first-class pizza for an affordable price, browse the range at Alfa Ovens. Carefully crafted in Italy from the finest materials, Alfa Ovens guarantee a reliable, durable pizza oven for domestic or commercial uses.