Upgrading the kitchen gear is always a wise investment, especially if you’re a pizza lover and have always wanted a high-quality pizza oven. However, these kinds of ovens have many features, and you might wonder how to heat a pizza oven in the best possible way and have a delicious meal without making any mistakes. Don’t worry – here’s how to do it and have crispy and delightful pizza at home.
A pizza oven should be heated up to 600°F. This is the average temperature, however, so it all depends on the type of oven a person is using. For example, domestic ovens can heat up to 500°F and commercial ones up to even 900°F.
So, if you want to know how the pizza oven temperature works, keep reading. We’ll talk about the right oven temperatures and how hot they should be.
How to Heat a Pizza Oven?
The best temperature for heating up the pizza oven is about 850°F, which is 450°C. Leave the oven heating up at this temperature for at least 20 minutes until you start cooking pizza. This is because the fire will be built up a bit hotter, and the oven will maintain the temperature during the cooking time.
However, you should change the temperature once the pizza is in the oven – it should be about 750°F which is 400°C. Of course, the temperature will also depend on the type of oven you have. That’s how the preheating process could be different for a pellet oven or for brick ovens.
Check Temperatures in a Wood-Fired Oven
Many people rather get wood ovens because of many reasons. That’s why in the table below, we’ll show you different oven temperatures for diverse types of food.
| What To Cook | Style of cooking | Fahrenheit | Celsius |
| Pizza, naan, and garlic bread | Pizza cooking | 750 °F + | 400 °C+ |
| Turkey, whole fish, and roast potatoes | Roasting | 450 – 540 °F | 230 – 280 °C |
| Steak, shrimp, and sardines | Grilling | 540 – 600 °F | 280 – 320 °C |
| Pizza rolls, sourdough, and focaccia | Baking bread | 400 – 450 °F | 200 – 230 °C |
| Carrot cake, strawberry cobbler, and cinnamon rolls | Baking desserts | 320 – 400 °F | 160 – 200 °C |
| Pulled pork, stews, and BBQ ribs | Slow cooking | 210 – 250 °F | 100 – 120 °C |
How Does Oven Temperature Affect Pizza?
As you can imagine, there’s definitely a good reason why a pizza oven should stay hot. If it is constantly hot, the pizza will be baked thoroughly. Also, it will enhance the taste and quality of pizza pie, and with the correct temperatures, all the toppings will bake finely, and the cheese will melt nicely.
On the other hand, baking in a non-preheat oven isn’t such a good idea since pizza could have some unbaked spots, and cheese probably won’t melt. That’s why high temperatures are better for your pizza – you’ll get a fine texture, and pizza will be ready in just a few minutes with a perfectly baked crust and melted cheese heavenly.
What’s the Ideal Temperature for a Commercial Pizza Oven?
If you’re using a commercial type of pizza oven, you need to know that these ovens can reach temperatures from 700°F to 800°F. Since this kind of kitchen gear is what professionals are using, you shouldn’t be surprised to know that some wood-fired ovens can reach temperatures like 850°F and 900°F.
However, it’s recommended that you cook at 600°F, although many manufacturers suggest baking at temperatures of 600°F and 850°F. It doesn’t matter if you’re baking or just reheating pizza – the temperature of 600°F will finely bake the Italian dish.
What About Domestic Pizza Oven Temperature?
When it comes to household ovens, the average ones can get the optimum temperature of about 500°F. However, there are some models that can heat up to 600°F, like the BakerStone pizza oven. So, you see, even if it’s not a wood-burning oven, you can still have the oven that will do pretty much the same job.
Here are some things you need to be aware of when using a household pizza oven:
- The optimal temperature you need to gain will be determined by the thickness of the crust,
- A thin crust will require higher temperatures, and a thick one will require lower,
- If ovens have fans, they should be turned on to increase the overall temperature.
How Do You Know When Pizza Is Ready?
Preparing the oven now seems much easier – you have to know the right preheat temperature to set it up, and that’s it! But the real problem starts when you have to figure out when your pizza is actually baked.
If you get the pizza too early from the oven, it may not be baked enough and won’t get the fine brown color. On the other hand, if you leave the pizza in the oven for too long, it could burn. So, how to know the right time to get your pizza out of the oven?
Luckily, there is a simple trick to help you solve this mystery – put a small piece of pizza dough and let it bake. After all, the first pizza, in most cases, gets just too crunchy, so it’s better not to bake a large portion. That’s why baking a smaller portion is definitely the best thing to do.
When it comes to exact minutes – it mostly depends on the type of pizza you’re baking and the oven you’re using. The median time is about five or six minutes, so be close to the oven and ensure you check the baking progress from time to time.
Is Using Pizza Stone Necessary When Cooking Pizza in an Oven?
Is a pizza stone really necessary when baking pizza? Of course not, but this kind of kitchen gear can surely only improve your cooking skills and make the meal even more delicious – the taste will be better, and even the crust will be crispier.
In fact, a pizza stone won’t only improve the taste of your dish, but it will also hold the heat, which will allow the pie to bake slowly. Also, it affects the oven temperature.
Make Sure the Temperature Is Just Right When Cooking Pizza
As you can see, setting the right oven temperature is not that hard, but it is a crucial step if you want to have a perfectly baked pizza. So, making sure to get the right temperature is the first step to preparing the oven and having the best results.