Getting your pizza oven to the right temperature ensures that the crust of your pizza will be crispy and cooked all the way through. You will get a superb taste and texture instead of a soggy, doughy crust.
Pizza is one of the most popular and tastiest foods out there. It is a food that everyone can enjoy. What makes pizza so great is the combination of crispy crust, delicious sauce, and melted cheese. Plus, you can go wild with toppings on a pizza – so there is a combination for everyone.
Delivery pizza is excellent, but there is something special about making a pizza at home. Whether you are making it from scratch or cooking a frozen pizza, pizza from the comfort of your home is one of the best comfort foods out there.
To make the perfect pizza from home, you need to know how to get a pizza oven piping hot. Even the best homemade pizza can go wrong if the oven has not achieved the precise temperature.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about pizza ovens and how to get a pizza oven hot. We will also cover steps you can take to fix your oven. You can thank us after your next pizza party.
Why Is My Pizza Oven Not Getting Hot?
The ideal temperature for a pizza oven is a blazing hot 750-850 degrees Fahrenheit (400-455 degrees celsius). This temperature is hard to achieve unless you have a commercial or specialized pizza oven. However, most residential ovens can reach between 450-600 degrees Fahrenheit (232-315 degrees Celsius) – this is sufficient to cook a pizza.
The upper rack will always be hotter within a pizza oven because hot air rises. Keep this in mind when cooking your pizza. If you are only cooking one pizza, always put the rack as high as possible to cook the pizza at the highest temperature possible.
When heating your pizza oven, you must keep the door closed completely. If you do not entirely close the oven or open it mid-way through, this will cause uneven heating and produces hot spots in your pizza oven, which will cause uneven cooking. If you must check on the status of your pizza, do it quickly to prevent excessive heat loss.
How To Fix My Pizza Oven?
If you are committed to learning how to get a pizza oven hot, then you will likely have to fix any problems with your oven or buy a new one. Purchasing a new pizza oven is expensive, so tackling the problem personally can save you a lot of money.
First, check the door to make certain it is closing completely – no gaps and no tendency to spring back. If you find the door does not sit flush with the oven aperture, search for obstructions and gently tighten any exposed screws or nuts on the hinges. You may need to search the web to find instructions on repairing the door on your oven.
Next, check the flue of the oven. A broken flue can release the heat you need to keep trapped in the oven. The flue is one of the most critical components in regulating heat. If the flue is jammed open, it will prevent you from getting your oven hot. Repairing a flue will require research and potentially a professional repair specialist.
If the door and flue are not the culprits, the next component of the oven you should check is the thermometer. Your heating element may be working just fine, but if the oven thinks it is hotter than it is, it will not continue to add more heat.
The best way to check the oven’s thermometer is with another thermometer. Set the oven to the desired temperature and place another thermometer inside the oven. Remember to use an oven-safe thermometer to prevent damage to it and your oven. Once the oven has reached the desired temperature, compare the readings on each thermometer.
You should repeat this test at several temperatures to ensure that the thermometer is at the correct temperature. If the oven’s thermometer is incorrect, you may have to recalibrate or replace the thermometer. To recalibrate, check the owner manual.
Replacing a thermometer is generally something you can do yourself, but you need to shop well to find affordable parts.
This is a useful step for all types of ovens. However, checking the thermometer is particularly important if using an electric pizza oven. Electric pizza ovens are more susceptible to problems if the thermometer is not working properly.
If none of these issues are occurring, or you still have a problem after fixing them, the walls of your pizza oven may not be trapping heat well. There are a couple of ways to contend with this problem:
- You can wrap your oven in a fire-proof blanket to increase the oven’s insulation. This is best if you have a metal appliance.
- If you have a brick oven, you can add another wall of bricks around the pizza oven. This may be a more effective way of insulating the oven than a fire blanket.
Other Steps To Get Your Oven Pizza-Ready
If you have checked all the components of your pizza oven and they are all in working order, then patience may be the key to achieving the results you desire. Your oven may simply be slow to heat.
It is important to preheat your oven for at least 30 minutes and as long as two hours before putting a pizza in to cook. A long preheating process will ensure that the pizza oven reaches its maximum temperature and that there are no hot spots that will produce an uneven cook.
If possible, use an infrared thermometer to double-check the temperature of your oven. Additionally, if you are using a wood-fired pizza oven, the fire must burn down and have sufficient coals before cooking your pizza. The coals will produce the hottest and most sustainable temperatures.
In addition to letting the fire burn first, it is essential to use the right kind of wood. Hardwoods like beech or ash will burn at the highest temperature. Using the correct type of wood is a crucial step in learning how to get a pizza oven hot.
The best type of wood is kiln-dried logs. These are pieces of wood that the heat of the fire has dried out. A good technique is to prep your wood in the oven by putting it in after you are done cooking and the oven is still warm. This will sufficiently dry out the wood and ensure that your fire burns at a high temperature.
Choosing and arranging the wood in the pizza oven is essential to getting the oven to the needed temperature. It is best to ignite the fire from the top down. You want to put the larger pieces of wood on the bottom and smaller pieces and kindling on the top. Then, start the fire by lighting the kindling on the top of the wood stack.
Finally, if you use a wood-burning pizza oven, you need to leave the door open. This is the opposite of an electric or gas pizza oven. The wood needs oxygen to burn, and closing the door can cause the fire to burn at a lower temperature or even put the fire out completely.
Wrap Up
Now you know the essentials of how to get a pizza oven hot. If you double-check the components of your oven and set up your fire correctly, you will have a blazing hot pizza oven that can cook your pizza in just minutes.