What Is the Best Oven Temperature for Pizza?
We all love pizza, don’t we? Nevertheless, a majority of people do not have a single clue on how this delicious snack is cooked. The pizza was a traditional component of Italian cuisine but rose to become a global favorite over time. All around the world, you will find different kinds of pizza. People have become creative with this meal, trying out different recipes and flavors. However, the basic principles of its preparation remain the same. What’s more, no matter what pizza we are talking about, it has to contain a flatbread that is layered with different ingredients like vegetables, meat, cheese or spices, and other delicious elements.
My name is Edward, and I am a huge fan of pizza and have been preparing various kinds of pizzas using my first grill since I was 21. In the year 2014, I traveled to Italy, and that is when I discovered pizza ovens. Since then, I have been experimenting with various ways of preparing pizza in a special oven. One thing that turns me off is cold pizza. Because of this, I have decided to share my experiences with different brands and categories of pizza ovens. All are aimed at ensuring that my pizzas are cooked at the right temperatures, as well as how to keep them warm. What’s more, I have provided tips on how to reheat your pizza while retaining its texture and original delicious taste. The table below shows some types of pizza ovens and their ideal operation temperatures:
The Best Temperature to Bake Pizza in a Specific Oven
Name | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
Pizza Oven Box | 600-800 F | 15-20 minutes |
Betty Crocker BC-2958CR | 375 F | 10-20 minutes |
Blackstone Outdoor Pizza Oven | 900 F | 3 minutes |
Camp Chef Italia Artisan | 700 F | 5 minutes |
Cuisinart CPO-600 | 700+ degrees | 5 minutes |
Hamilton Beach 31700 | 525F | 12-14 minutes |
KettlePizza Pizza Oven | 1000 F | 4 minutes |
Mont Alpi MAPZ-SS | 450-525F | 5 minutes |
Ooni 3 Pizza Oven | 932F | 1 minute |
Pizzacraft PC0601 | 600F | 15 minutes |
Pizzacraft PC6500 | 700F | 15 minutes |
Pizzacraft PC6000 | 700F | 10 minutes |
Presto 03430 | 370F | 15-20 minutes |
MONT ALPI 3 IN 1 Pizza Oven Grill | 1112F | 5 minutes |
The Best Oven Temperature for a Specific Kind of Pizza
Name | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
Digiorno pizza | 400 F | 20-30 minutes |
Napoletana pizza | 905F | 2 minutes |
Costco pizza | 400F | 22-25 minutes |
Mini pizza | 500F | 8-10 minutes |
Boneless pizza | 400F | 16-18 minutes |
Margherita pizza | 450F | 15-20 minutes |
Hawaiian pizza | 425 F | 10-15 minutes |
Sicilian pizza | 450F | 20 minutes |
New York-style pizza | 600 F | 12-15 minutes |
Chicago pizza | 425 F | 20-30 minutes |
Detroit-style pizza | 550 F | 15 minutes |
What Is the Best Temperature to Cook a Homemade Pizza?
Most amateurs at cooking pizza would claim that while preparing ingredients for pizza, you need to adjust the oven’s temperature as high as it can probably get. Most pizza recipes usually recommend using temperatures of around 450 degrees Fahrenheit (~230C). As such, this is the temperature setting I frequently use. However, the ideal temperature for your pizza is not set in stone. Depending on the size and ingredients you use for your pizza, there is a wide range of temperatures you can select.
I understand that brick pizza ovens can reach temperatures beyond 800 F., but for most home ovens, the maximum temperatures dangle in the range of 450 plus or minus a few degrees. However, you can bake your pizza using temperatures as high as 550 to 600 F. I once tried to set my oven to its maximum temperature of about 550 degrees. I am also pretty sure that my oven can, at times, overheat. At such temperatures, no smoke alarms kicked off, and the pizza never turned into a crisp. So, you can play around with your temperature settings between 400 and 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
What Is the Best Temperature to Cook a Frozen Pizza?
Frozen foods are commonly associated with poor quality, flatness, and a limp profile, among other undesirable terms. However, most of us never realize that whatever lies within the freezer does not have to scare the hell out of us. There are some tips and tricks on how you can cook your frozen pizza in the ideal heat setting.
The first step in dealing with a frozen piece of pizza is to let it thaw a couple of hours prior to throwing it into the oven. Better still, you can leave it in the refrigerator the night before. This prevents any contamination compared to when left outside.
Next, you can poke some holes within the pizza’s crust using a kitchen knife. These holes enable the pizza to get some ventilation. It allows the steam to escape, thus getting rid of extra moisture. Finally, you need to crank up your oven to the maximum temperature (most home ovens reach 550 degrees Fahrenheit). You can add some garlic or olive oil over the crust prior to placing it into the oven. This will preheat the oven in preparation for the pizza. However, you can go higher than that. Some professional pizza companies have ovens capable of attaining temperatures of 700 to 1000 F. After taking the pizza out, you can drizzle some olive oil & lemon juice over the entire pizza to offer it a fresh taste.
Now, if you are a real pizza connoisseur like myself, you won’t bother with frozen pizza at all and opt for baking your own pizza from scratch. At the very least, get a premade crust and use all fresh ingredients. There is nothing like fresh tomatoes and newly grated cheese on top of a delicious pie right out of the oven.
What Is the Best Temperature to Reheat a Pizza?
The idea of eating a one-day-old pizza usually sends chills down the spines of many. For those with some leftover slices of pizza, reheating the pizza is often not an alternative. This is most commonly due to past disappointments whenever they tried it.
The initial step in reheating your pizza is allowing the oven to heat up fully before you start reheating it. The reheating temperature should be at least 375 F. Do not let the pizza heat up slowly as this will make it dry up or lose its quality.
Take a baking tray and line it with foil or a pizza pan and pop it into the oven for some minutes. The aim is to get the foil piping and tray hot before getting into contact with the pizza. Next, painstakingly remove the hot tray and put the pizza upon it. Put the whole thing back into the oven for around 10 minutes.
Ten minutes is enough to ensure the top and center of the pizza are warmed to a proper temperature. The most important reason for preheating everything is so the crust is nice an crisp again. After having the pizza in the fridge for a day or two, the crust will get quite soft and no one likes it soft.
What Is the Best Temperature to Keep Your Pizza Warm?
In case you are preparing a pizza party, it can be a tricky affair to keep the food warm throughout. At most parties, the food is usually laid out openly with no reheating mechanism. Apart from the food getting cold, your guests might fall sick from eating food that has been exposed outside for long periods. There are a variety of ways to keep your pizza warm.
First, you can use aluminum foil to wrap up each piece of pizza. Heat the oven to around 400 degrees F. (200C) then bake the pizza for around 10 minutes. This can keep the pizza warm for at least three hours. You can also use cardboard. However, you need to work with lower temperatures of around 170 degrees (76C). Cardboard can catch fire at higher temperatures of around 400. Therefore, it is better to maintain the heat at around 170 degrees, or else you might light the cardboard on fire and embarrass yourself in front of your guests (and potentially burn down your house). While using an oven rack, you also need to heat the oven and the rack to 170 F.
What Is the Best Temperature to Cook Pizza in a Convection Oven?
Convection ovens usually have the capability of attaining very high temperatures and can evenly distribute heat, thanks to the internal fan. For this reason, it is pretty simple to prepare pizza using a convection oven.
After preparing the dough, preheat the oven to the maximum setting. This is typically between 450 to 500 F. it would also be ideal for sliding in a baking tray or pizza stone inside the oven during the preheating stage in order to crisp the bottom of your pizza’s crust.
Use olive oil to brush the upper part of your pizza dough, add some tomato sauce, followed by grated cheese. However, be careful not to make your pizza soggy with too many ingredients. After removing the baking tray or pizza stone from the oven, get it dusted with cornmeal before placing the pizza on top.
Transfer the tray/stone to the oven’s bottom rack using a pizza paddle/peel. Allow the pizza to bake for around 8 to 10 minutes. Finally, remove the pizza from the convection oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Top it with some basil before cutting it into slices using a pizza wheel.
What Is the Best Temperature to Cook a Pizza on Grill?
While cooking pizza using a grill, you need to heat the pizza stone initially. Let it attain a temperature of 500 F while the hood is shut. Most stones need about one hour to attain such a temperature. During this time, you should be preparing your pizza dough as well as the required ingredients. What’s more, you should be cooking the raw ingredients such as sausage, shrimp, or chicken. Never assemble uncooked meat on your pizza’s dough.
Once the stone has been appropriately heated, shift its peel slightly outwards. Place the pizza over the peel and carefully slide the peel off under the pizza’s crust. Shut the grill’s lid and let the pizza cook at a temperature of about 500 degrees for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Alternatively, you can wait until the pizza’s crust gets browned.
This method is similar to baking in the oven, but might be more accessible if you’re having guests oven and spending time in the backyard or at a park with grills. You might not always have an oven available to cook with, so be sure you know all the different methods and temperatures for each.
What Is the Best Temperature to Cook a Pizza in Wood Fired Pizza Oven?
Several factors need to be considered to attain the ideal temperature within a wood-fired pizza oven. First, you need to cure your oven. This will ensure that you can maintain & regulate heat coming from the cooking surface as well as heat within the dose. It is also important that there is evenness in heat circulation within the oven.
The type of wood also matters. Preferably, use hardwood, the likes of Jarrah & white gum. They have a high calorific value. Avoid sappy woods and all wood types that have undergone painting, gluing, and chemical treatment. For the ideal results, your flame should access the central or front part of the dome. Add wood bit by bit and allow the fire to continue for around 20 minutes.
You have to be able to measure the cooking surface temp and for that I’d use the following I.R. thermometer:
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By now, you should be able to see a white spot at the center of the dome just above the fire. This spot will expand across the upper part of the dome. At this juncture, the oven is all set for cooking. As the white spot widens, try to build a fire towards the oven walls on each side. This should take a concise time before the whiteness spreads downwards across the dome walls. After a while, close to two-thirds of the dome will become white. At this point, the temperature should be at between 370 and 400 degrees Celsius. This shall be the right temperature at which to cook your pizza.
Maintain this temperature once you have attained it. To achieve this, you need to keep an eye on the done. In case it becomes dark, it is time to add more wood. However, before you put your pizza in, it is important to test the temperature of the oven. After that, throw in a pinch of flour into the oven and take note of how long it takes to begin smoking and burning. In case you got it right, the flour should burn within seconds. The flame must be maintained throughout the cooking to maintain the oven’s temperature while cooking your pizza. This means that you should add the wood every 15 to 30 minutes. At the correct temperature, your pizza should be ready after about three minutes.
What Is the Best Temperature to Cook a Pizza in Electric Pizza Oven?
In general, the higher the temperature of your oven, the sweeter your pizza will become. For this reason, the best oven temperatures of pizza lie in the range of between 450 to 500 F. but how can you cook pizza using an electric oven? First, you need to preheat your oven to the temperatures stated above. What’s more, the oven needs to heat alongside the stone. As such, place the stone in the oven then begin the heating process.
Note that in case you want a crunchy crust, you need to preheat your cast iron skillet or even your baking sheet at the bottom of the oven. Upon inserting the pizza, throw in some ice cubes onto the heated pan to form a steam outburst.
The next stage is to form the dough for your pizza. You should place it upon a peel that has been dusted with some cornmeal or flour. You can also spread some olive oil over the crust. This will assist in forming a golden-brown crust that is crispy, but not dry. To ensure that your pizza does not stick to the skillet, try to wiggle the skillet’s peel. This will ensure that the pizza easily slides off during removal.
To place your pizza correctly, locate the peel’s tip on the edge of your heating stone at the rear of the oven. Then with one swipe, jerk off the peel backward away from beneath the pizza. In case your pizza seamlessly slides on top of the peel, then it should perfectly land at the center of the stone. However, if the pizza holds on to the peel, most of the toppings will fall off the pizza and land on the stone.
Check on your pizza 5 minutes after placing it into the oven. In case some parts turn brown earlier than others, flip the pizza, rotate it, and return it to the stone. Finally, after the cheese has melted and formed a mid-to-dark brown color, your pizza is done!
Everything about Cooking Pizza in a Nutshell
Some essential factors need to be considered while selecting a pizza oven. Although stone-based ovens that utilize wood have a better performance, modern trends are proving otherwise. Nowadays, numerous guidelines govern the use of solid fuel in cooking. As such, gas ovens are becoming more trendy. However, one advantage of wood ovens is that they can attain much higher temperatures, thus cooking more efficiently. Nonetheless, they are nowadays confined to specialty applications. If you are a general user, electricity, and gas are your best options.
In terms of capacity, this factor is measured through the number of pizzas produced per hour. Electric ovens are still the #1 choice in big pizza franchises since they offer the greatest capacity within the smallest of spaces. They also require less know-how to utilize efficiently.
The pizza oven is not enough to enable you to get the desired pizza. The type of flour you choose also contributes a lot. In most cases, it is preferable to use bread flour rather than all-purpose flour. When bread flour is combined with water, the proteins in it form gluten within the dough. Kneading further enhances the formation of gluten. As such, your dough can stretch more and offers your pizza a more chewable crust. In case your dough feels a bit dry, add some water bit by bit. If it is too wet, add more flour, a tablespoon at a go. What is your best approach to making pizza? Have you ever tried to cook pizza in a wood-fired oven, and what were your experiences like? Did you like it? Share your views and experiences with us by commenting below.
