
Ooni Koda 16
Pizza oven gas
Ooni Koda 16
Pizza oven gas
The stone doesn't get hot enough for me, so the top of the pizza is done quickly, but the base remains doughy (especially in the middle). Unfortunately, heating it longer doesn't help because the stone in the middle doesn't get hotter. What am I doing wrong? Should there be a lid on the opening at the front for heating?
I think the stone gets hot enough. But the problem is rather the uneven ratio between the lower heat (stone) and the upper heat (flames). I have often heard of this problem. But it can be alleviated somewhat:
- First, let the stone get hot at full heat for about 20-30 minutes (without the pizza, of course).
- Then insert the pizza and set the flames to MINIMUM. (The regulator has a stop, but you can reduce it a little further by pressing it in. Just so that the flames do not go out and burn stably).
This way the pizza doesn't burn so quickly from the top and the hot stone has enough time to bake the base.
Nevertheless, make sure that the pizza is turned. Because even with minimal flame, it can quickly turn black at the edges.
With this "trick", I've always had a great pizza so far. But of course there are also factors like the dough and the type of pizza. (Short and therefore super hot or slower with medium temperatures. The first should give the typical Pizza Napoli with a crispy edge and a soft, thin base. The latter tends to give a crispy base as well. It's up to you how you like it. But the former is more difficult because you need temperatures of +500°C or more).
Sounds like the dough is too moist or too thick. What recipe do you use?