If you are looking for what can you cook in a pizza oven, look no further!
In the modern world, it is hard to find a kitchen without an oven. But not everyone has a pizza oven. What can you cook in a pizza oven? That’s what we’re going to explore today!
In this post, I will be looking at some of the best ways to use your new pizza oven and some tasty recipes for using it too! This post ends with tips on how to clean up after cooking in the pizza oven so that you don’t have any lasting messes or odors left behind.
Contents
What is a pizza oven, and how does it work?
The easiest way to understand what a pizza oven is is to break it down into its parts. A pizza oven is traditionally made of brick or stone and has insulated walls, usually clay or steel.
The roof of the pizza oven is domed-shaped with an opening in the front where you would put the wood for fuel at the very bottom. This means that your food is cooked by hot air rising from below rather than being blasted by direct heat on all sides like in a conventional oven.
Can I cook anything in my pizza oven?
Yes! You can cook pretty much anything in your new pizza oven that you would ever want to eat at home! However, some foods will need some adjusting before cooking them inside your pizza oven.
One thing that you should think about before cooking anything is how long it takes to cook in your standard oven. If the food cooks much slower than you’re used to, plan accordingly or risk undercooking or overcooking your meal!
What are some easy recipes for my new pizza oven?
Without a doubt, pizza is probably one of the best foods to make in a pizza oven. But what toppings should you use? Well, here’s an excellent recipe for making Pizza Margherita in your very own pizza oven!
You will need: – A large flour tortilla – Tortilla sauce (alternatively, just take an unopened can of tomato paste and add water) – Mozzarella cheese – Fresh basil leaves – Olive oil
Preparation:
1. Place the tortilla on the bottom of the oven.
2. Spread sauce evenly over tortilla starting from the center and spreading out to edges.
3. Add a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
4. Top with fresh basil leaves.
5. Drizzle with olive oil.
6. Cook until cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 10 minutes for this amount of ingredients…
7. Remove pizza from the oven using a pizza peel or spatula…
8. Cut into slices…
9 Enjoy!
This is just one example, but there are thousands more! Here’s another one that you might like- French Bread Pizza (this recipe calls for it to be cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly).
What are some tips for cooking in my pizza oven?
Aside from making sure that your food can be cooked thoroughly in a reasonable amount of time, there are some other things you need to think about when cooking with your new pizza oven. Make sure that you have proper ventilation!
If not properly vented, cooking in an enclosed space will most likely cause smoke inside the home, so make sure you have windows or doors open while cooking. You also want to use only seasoned wood when using your pizza oven- this means no burning treated wood or wood scraps!
And finally, remember to clean up any leftover ash after each use. We’ll talk about cleaning your pizza oven a bit more in the next section.
How do I clean my new pizza oven?
Cleaning your new pizza oven is very important if you want to keep it from stinking up the inside of your home or getting damaged by flammable materials. The best way to clean a pizza oven is to use water and baking soda- here’s how:
- First, open all windows and doors so that the area is well ventilated
- Take a simple household baking soda and sprinkle it evenly on any remaining ashes in the interior of the pizza oven
- Make a mixture using three parts water and one part white vinegar
- Spray this mixture onto any areas covered with ash
- Use a long-handled brush and scrub all areas until clean
- Empty the residue and rinse with water
- Open the oven door and allow it to dry
The benefits of cooking with a pizza oven
Aside from the fact that your pizzas will come out unique, not to mention smelling wonderful, there are some other benefits of cooking with a pizza oven. For example, you can use it for all sorts of other things depending on what kind of oven you get.
If you get one that is made out of stone or clay, then your options expand tremendously! Some other foods that can be cooked in these ovens include flatbreads, casseroles, and even desserts like flan or creme brulee!
And then you have pizza ovens that are electric or gas- they can be used for most of the same foods but don’t produce quite as much heat, so that the cooking time will vary.
What are some good recipes for my new pizza oven?
As we said earlier, you can cook just about anything in a pizza oven- here are some ideas of what to make:
- French bread pizza (like we mentioned above)
- Frozen pizzas
- Calzones and strombolis
- Flatbreads and naan …
There’s no limit to all the things you can cook with your new pizza oven! Just remember that these ovens need at least thirty minutes to heat up before placing your food inside, so be sure to start cooking as soon as possible.
And as always, feel free to try out some new recipes on your own! Once you get the hang of things, you’ll be able to make some fantastic pizzas and other foods in no time.
Just remember to use a pizza peel if you’re making a pizza or something else that’s flat, and a cooking tray or pan if your recipe calls for one- this will ensure that everything comes out okay!
Tips for using the right ingredients to get the best taste out of your food when cooking with a pizza oven.
When you cook pizza in a conventional oven, the toppings are heated by the hot air inside. However, it’s elementary for ingredients to burn with a pizza oven if added too early because the temperature is so high- the result is often dry and burnt food. Here’s how to ensure that your food turns out just right:
1. Check to make sure that frozen pizzas can be cooked thoroughly in twenty minutes or less
2. Cook meats very quickly on high heat before adding any other ingredients
3. Be mindful of recipes calling for fresh vegetables as they should go on at the very end
4. Eat right away! Pizza and flatbreads don’t keep well once removed from a heated oven and will lose their flavors
Tips for cleaning your pizza oven
Cleaning your pizza oven is one of the most important things you can do to keep it in good condition. Here are some tips on how to do this properly:
1. Always use the proper materials when cleaning- never use abrasive tools like steel wool pads or chemicals that could damage the oven’s interior! Use water and baking soda instead, which we have already discussed
2. After cooking a meal in your pizza oven, turn it off and let it cool completely before attempting any clean up-. Don’t attempt to clean while the inside of the oven is hot, as this will be more difficult, and you might get burned from residual heat!
3. Open windows/doors so that there is good circulation in the room
4. If you cooked something particularly stinky (like fish), you can use lemon juice to cut through some of that smell before attempting to clean.
5. Remove everything that can be removed- this includes things like rocks and stones, as well as any pot rests or cooking trays
6. Use water and baking soda to scrub up crusted on food particles- baking soda will help remove tough stains while making it less sticky, so it’s easier to brush off or wipe away with a rag!
7. Rinse with plain water once done scrubbing, then dry with paper towels. Be sure not to rinse away all of the baking soda, though, since this is what helps make your oven clean and non-stick!
8. Clean the exterior of your oven using a very mild cleaner and a soft cloth- you can also use water if you wish
9. Place all of your removable parts into a cleaning solution for at least thirty minutes before continuing with rinsing and drying them off. If something is dishwasher safe, it’s probably best to do this in there instead!
10. For stubborn stains that don’t come up quickly, try adding some baking soda directly onto the area before scrubbing or soaking it on its own – be careful not to add too much, though, as this will make the overall process more difficult!
11. After everything has been thoroughly dried, place all of your removable parts back inside of your pizza oven and turn it on to 500 degrees for an hour. This will ensure that everything is dehydrated and ready to go!
Baking stones should be cleaned with a mild soap or baking soda using a plastic scrubber.
Ways that you can use your new pizza oven outside of just making pizzas
You can cook anything you would usually cook in a conventional oven- it’s not limited to pizzas alone! Some ideas for cooking are listed below:
1. Bake bread or other baked goods, like cookies
2. Try grilling vegetables, meats, and more
3. Make delicious breakfast items like pancakes
4. Cook roasted dishes! The intense heat will make your food very flavorful
5. Bake casseroles
6. Roast nuts
7. Slow roast significant cuts of meat
8. Make homemade french fries
9. Get creative and go wild with what you can do! Your oven is an all-purpose kitchen tool that has endless possibilities.
6 Amazing Pizza Oven Recipes That Aren’t Pizza
1. Flatbreads– flatbreads are great because they don’t take very long to cook and tend to be more flavorful than traditional pizzas (in my opinion). To make them, you can use your favorite pre-made dough recipe or follow the instructions below:
- Let your dough rise for two hours at room temperature on a floured surface
- Roll out into the desired shape about 1/4 inch thick (this is usually pretty big!)
- Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt
- Bake in the oven for approximately ten minutes on each side, until golden brown, Enjoy your delicious pizzas!
2. Breadsticks These breadsticks are similar to those you might get at Olive Garden or other restaurants– they are crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. They are very versatile, so you can have fun changing up your toppings to change their flavors! To make them, you will need: – A large baking sheet
- Baking spray or olive oil
- ½ cup of warm water (110 degrees F)
- One tablespoon rapid rise yeast
- One teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 cups all-purpose white flour
- Cornmeal for sprinkling onto your pan; preheat your oven to 500 degrees F.
- Add ½ cup of warm water into a mixing bowl along with the yeast and mix well.
Let this sit for five minutes or until it becomes foamy. Add in your salt, flour, and water once it becomes frothy and mixes until the dough forms into a ball. Knead for about five minutes on a floured surface or until smooth.
Place back in the bowl and let rise for about an hour. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F again while the dough rises. Roll dough onto a baking sheet sprayed with your favorite cooking spray shape into desired breadstick shapes (rectangular if you want them to look like store-bought sticks!).
Brush tops of breadsticks with olive oil, then sprinkle sea salt onto the top of each one. Bake breadsticks for ten minutes or until golden brown
3. Bruschetta – This delicious Italian appetizer is also great when made inside your pizza oven!
- A large garlic clove
- 1/4 cup of olive oil + extra for drizzling
- 1 tbsp of minced onion
- One lemon, juiced and zested
- Two tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Two tomatoes
- Fresh basil leaves, to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Toast cut into small pieces Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Crush the garlic clove with the back of your knife until it becomes finely chopped. Add onion, balsamic or red wine vinegar, and lemon juice, then stir together until evenly combined heat until onions become transparent (about three minutes).
Remove from heat and add in olive oil while continually stirring. Let sit while continuing with the next step Cut top of tomatoes and cut out the center. Squeeze liquid from the tomato into your garlic mixture. Add in basil leaves, salt, pepper, and lemon zest, then stir together to combine.
Arrange bruschetta mix onto toast pieces evenly. Drizzle an extra tablespoon or two olive oil over the top. This gives it a nice finished look. You could also try adding toppings like mozzarella cheese before baking if desired. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown
4. Breakfast Pizza – This pizza is great because it combines hot breakfast items with the fresh taste of the dough! Here are some ideas for ingredients:
- Bacon
- Eggs any style
- Cheese- you can use whatever your favorite cheese is! I prefer mozzarella but pepper jack is good too
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook desired amount of bacon, then drain and set aside. Roll out dough into a large square shape (about ¼ inch thick) and place it on a baking dish. Top crust with cheese and your favorite toppings. Bake for about 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and crispy and the cheese is melted.
Let cool for five minutes, add in any last-minute ingredients you want, slice it up, and enjoy! You can also add fresh basil or parsley after cooking for extra color.
5. Meatball Pizza is one of my personal favorites– this pizza combines whole wheat dough packed with veggies and delicious meatballs! This recipe makes two pizzas, so feel free to cut it in half if you don’t want that much.
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 24 oz pizza sauce (I used Newman’s Own )
- Three cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 6 ounces water
- One tablespoon brown sugar
- One teaspoon salt
- 3/4 tsp basil leaves
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- Two teaspoons yeast
- 4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Add onion and kale to a large skillet with three tablespoons of veggie broth over medium-high heat for five minutes, then turn down the heat to low and season with black pepper. Let this cook for another five or until veggies are done.
Remove veggies from heat, set aside. Mix water and yeast in a bowl, then let sit for five minutes. Add salt, brown sugar, basil leaves, oregano, and garlic to the water mixture, then stir until combined. Once thoroughly mixed, add flour one cup at a time while stirring.
Once dough forms, remove from bowl, knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes or until smooth While kneading, place another skillet onto medium-high heat with olive oil Add in all ingredients (one cup of pizza sauce, veggie mix you made earlier, any other meatballs you want to use).
Let simmer until heated through Slice dough in half if it isn’t already Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray Divide dough into two balls Roll out each ball into a circular shape then place onto baking sheet Spread out the desired amount of pizza sauce on top of dough Add in meatball mixture.
Top with mozzarella cheese Bake for 20 minutes until the crust turns golden brown
6. Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza – Kids love this classic, mainly divided into individual servings! Here are the ingredients:
4 Tbs peanut butter
2 tsp raspberry jelly/preserves (if you make your spread a bit more)
4 Tbs strawberry jam
Roll out onto prepared pan- I used a 9×13″ pan sprayed with cooking spray Press down slightly to form crust. Make sure there are no holes in your dough! Assemble the four ingredients in this order:
Spread peanut butter on crust Spread raspberry jelly on top of peanut butter Layer strawberries over jelly (You may need to cut your strawberries in half and layer them in a circular pattern) Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Things you should know before buying a pizza oven.
1. The fuel used by the pizza oven
Nowadays, the most common fuel for a pizza oven is gas, which can quickly and efficiently provide high temperatures to bake pizzas in only 90 seconds. Besides, you should also note that buying a wood-burning oven or charcoal-fired oven will give you better flavor than a gas-fired pizza oven because of the fuel they use.
2. Ease of use and maintenance
When looking for the best outdoor pizza ovens, the next thing to consider is how easy it is to operate and maintain this particular appliance. You will find that there are many outdoor appliances on the market, just like indoor appliances, but their functions are different although they look identical at first glance.
All you need to do with a gas-fired pizza oven is to light up the gas then you are good to go. It doesn’t need any maintenance, while the wood-fired range will require more attention not to affect your cooking performance, while the charcoal-fired oven is somewhere between the two oven types mentioned above.
3. Thorough safety check
The next thing that anyone should do when looking for the best outdoor pizza ovens is to have a thorough check on the safety of this product.
You may buy an appliance with many extra features, but what’s the use if it’s not safe enough? So, be careful when checking safety issues regarding any type of appliances you purchase online or offline, including pizza ovens, of course!
4. Durability and warranty period
Another important thing that you should pay close attention to when looking for the best outdoor pizza ovens is the durability of this appliance. As you know, it’s pretty easy to buy devices on the market these days, but not all equipment is durable enough, even if they are expensive.
That’s why you should always look closely at the warranty period of equipment before purchasing any type of product, including pizza ovens, so that it can ensure your rights as a customer buying its products.
Pizza ovens come in different types with different functions and uses, making shopping so tricky, especially for first-time buyers who aren’t familiar with this type of outdoor appliance yet.
However, people who have shopped online will tell you that some sites offer detailed information about various types of equipment available on the current market and valuable reviews written by customers who have purchased and used them.
Above all, the most important thing to remember when looking for the best outdoor pizza ovens is to be open-minded and patient so that you can compare various products on the current market without feeling rushed or hurried if possible.
Here are five of the most popular types of pizza ovens on the market right now: wood-fired oven, gas-fired oven, charcoal-fired oven, vertical brick pizza oven, and freestanding electric outdoor style pizza oven, which I believe are suitable for all people who want their equipment for home use.
1) Wood Fired Oven – wooden-fired pizza oven is one of many different types of cooking appliance that functions with fuel made from burning hardwood to produce a high temperature of around 500 degrees Fahrenheit or 260 degrees Celsius.
The main advantage of owning a wood-fired oven is that the pizzas cooked in this particular type of oven taste more delicious than those baked with gas or charcoal due to its quick cooking performance and the smoky flavor added by burning wood.
2) Gas Fired Oven – gas-fired pizza oven is one of many popular types of outdoor appliances on the market at present that functions by burning propane or natural gas to produce the high temperature required for baking pizzas quickly and efficiently.
Of course, some people prefer buying wood or charcoal-fired ovens because they offer better flavor than this type, but it doesn’t mean that gas-fired pizza ovens are useless or even bad for their cooking performance. If you add wood chips to the gas burner of this oven, you will get a nice smoky flavor, much like the one offered by conventional ovens.
3) Charcoal Fired Oven – charcoal-fired pizza oven is another popular outdoor appliance that functions with fuel made from burning hardwood which produces a high temperature of around 500 degrees Fahrenheit for baking pizzas quickly and efficiently in a short time.
The main advantage of owning a charcoal-fired oven is its price, as it’s more affordable than a wood-burning pizza oven, so if you have a limited budget but love to eat delicious homemade pizzas frequently, this type of equipment might be suitable for your needs.
4)Vertical Brick Pizza Oven – vertical brick pizza oven is a new type of oven that has been released to market recently.
As its name suggests, this appliance functions with fuel made from burning hardwood to produce a high temperature of around 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more than enough for baking perfect homemade pizzas quickly and efficiently.
Of course, you will have to spend some extra bucks on buying wood or coal as well as having some work for collecting bricks from outside your house where you live but using a vertical brick pizza oven offers so many benefits, including cooking pizzas effortlessly without taking up too much space on outdoor patio or backyard.
5) Freestanding Electric Outdoor Style Pizza Oven – freestanding electric outdoor style pizza oven is probably one of the best types of pizza ovens on the market right now, which is suitable for people who have no more than a limited budget but want to cook perfect homemade pizzas at home without spending too much time or money.
This appliance looks like a microwave oven with its stand that can be placed anywhere on the outdoor patio or backyard without taking too much space. Of course, you will have to spend around $500-$1000 on purchasing this type of equipment but considering so many benefits it offers, I believe buying this one is worth the price.
For example, it does not take longer than 25 minutes to cook perfect homemade pizza. At the same time, all other appliances mentioned above require some extra bucks in addition to their original prices for buying fuel used in producing high temperatures needed for cooking pizzas.
Also, you can place it on a flat surface or even mount it vertically on the wall if there is not enough space available for placing this oven which makes it more flexible and advantageous than other types of pizza ovens mentioned above.
6) Freestanding Gas Outdoor Style Pizza Oven – freestanding gas outdoor style pizza oven is another highly efficient outdoor appliance that comes with a high price. Still, it offers so many benefits, including high speed in which cooks perfect homemade pizzas quickly and efficiently.
This oven looks just like a microwave with its stand, so you need to spend some bucks on buying fuel to ideally produce the high temperature required for cooking pizzas. However, because this one only takes around 25 minutes to cook pizzas, this appliance is worth the price.
7) Stone Deck Pizza Oven – stone deck pizza oven is one of the best types of outdoor appliances you can find on the market right now. As its name suggests, the primary material used in producing this oven is stone, which offers a more natural flavor than other materials, including stainless steel or cast iron.
This one comes with a high temperature, around 500° F. Still, and it takes nearly twice as long as other types of ovens mentioned above for baking perfect homemade pizzas quickly and efficiently.
However, because all ingredients are placed directly inside a stone bowl without extra pans or plates, this type of oven provides many benefits, including the more delicious crust and even cooking at low temperature.
As a result, it can be said that homemade cooking pizzas in this oven offer more delectable and natural flavor compared to other types of ranges available on the market right now.
In addition, the stone deck pizza oven is portable, so you will not have any problem transferring it from one place to another, including the patio or backyard, which makes this appliance even more flexible and advantageous than other types of ovens mentioned above.
FAQs about what can you cook in a pizza oven
Can you cook burgers in a pizza oven?
You can cook different types of food, including burgers, in a pizza oven. However, you have to use pans or some other types of plates used to cook ingredients that require less time.
It is just because cooking procedures are slightly different inside a stone bowl than an oven, where baking trays are mainly used to place all ingredients depending on their nature and requirement.
Can you BBQ in a pizza oven?
Yes, you can barbecue in a pizza oven. However, you will need to adjust the temperature accordingly since it takes nearly twice as long as an oven for producing the high temperature required for grilling burgers or steaks.
Can you cook other things in an electric pizza oven?
Yes, you can cook different types of food in an electric pizza oven. In addition to cooking homemade pizzas, you can also cook bread, cookies, or even roast chicken in this appliance.
Can you cook anything else in a pizza oven?
Yes, you can cook various types of food in a pizza oven. However, you need to adjust the temperature accordingly since it takes nearly twice as long as an oven to produce the high temperature required for grilling different types of food.
What else can be cooked in an OONI pizza oven?
There are different types of food you can cook in an OONI pizza oven, including cookies, bread, chicken, and other delicious dishes.
Can you bake cakes in a pizza oven?
Yes, you can bake cakes, but only if you have a separate layer for placing cooking trays or pans. Heat circulates all around the baking tray to produce the high temperature required for baking perfect cakes quickly and efficiently.
Can you cook burgers in an OONI pizza oven?
You can cook different types of food, including burgers in a stone bowl of a pizza oven. However, you have to use pans or some other types of plates used to cook ingredients that require less time.
It is just because cooking procedures are slightly different inside a stone bowl than an oven, where baking trays are mainly used to place all ingredients depending on their nature and requirement.
Yes, you can bake cookies, but only if you have a separate layer for placing cooking trays or pans. Heat circulates all around the baking tray to produce the high temperature required for baking perfect cookies quickly and efficiently.
Final thoughts on what can you cook in a pizza oven
Considering all facts and references mentioned above, it can be said that you can cook different types of food, including homemade pizzas, cookies, bread, and various other kinds of dishes in a pizza oven.
However, you need to adjust the temperature accordingly since it takes nearly twice as long as an oven to produce the high temperature required for grilling different types of food. In addition, you also need to use cooking trays or pans so that heat circulates all around the baking tray.
This is because cooking procedures are slightly different inside a stone bowl than an oven, where baking trays are mainly used to place all ingredients depending on their nature and requirement.
