Best tips for using a pizza oven at home
Unlike a regular oven, the backyard pizza oven cooks pizza fast—so Bovino encourages users to prep everything in advance. “Proof your dough, mill your sauce, grate your cheese, and chop or slice your toppings ahead of time,” he says, that way pizzas can be topped and cooked with ease. Maintaining organization will lessen the mess of DIY pizza nights.
DiGiovanni suggests joining pizza communities on Facebook. He facilitates one for Solo Stove’s Pi community, where user share photos of their finished products and can pose questions for the group. Pizza Dough Addicts is also a group he frequents, which contains an archive of educational pizza videos.
Experimentation is also encouraged. “Pizza is an art—just know you are on the pursuit of perfection,” DiGiovanni says. “Although you’re never going to be perfect, you’re always going to learn—and that’s the beauty.” So should pesto be brushed on the crust? Why not? Would a spicier tomato sauce work here? Absolutely. Making pizza in your own home gives you full creative control.
It also gives you the liberty to turn your pizza into what Bovino calls the “recovery calzone” and DiGiovanni lovingly refers to as “accidental calzone.” One of the trickiest parts of making pizza is launching it, so to ensure it flies safely into the oven, make sure the dough is coated in semolina flour and the peel is also covered with corn meal.
Even if you’re careful though, “Rips and tears happen. Pizzas go wonky when launched. If this happens, don’t panic,” Bovino says. “Just fold and pinch close all the way along the edge and launch. Keep that in your back pocket as a trick to save a torn pizza.”
Lastly, have fun! After all, it’s just pizza you’re making. “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong,” Bovino adds. “Focus on that first and the rest will follow.”
