Ooni Halo Pro or Halo Core: how to use them
Dough is half the pizza. It's also where things usually go wrong: a stand mixer that strains and heats up, a dough that stays sticky or tears when you stretch it. The Ooni Halo Pro and Halo Core spiral mixers fix exactly that. Here's how they work, which one to pick, and how to get pizzeria dough out of them.
Why a spiral mixer
In a regular stand mixer, the hook orbits inside a fixed bowl. With a stiff pizza dough or a big batch, the motor strains, the dough heats up and climbs the hook.
In a spiral mixer, the bowl turns while a spiral hook and a fixed breaker bar stretch and fold the dough. It's how pizzeria mixers work: gentler kneading that builds gluten without overheating the dough. The result is a smooth, supple dough that stretches without tearing.
Halo Pro or Halo Core: which one
The Halo Pro has a large 7-litre bowl that handles up to 5 kg of dough at once. Speed is set to the percent, with a built-in timer and a light inside the bowl. It's the pick if you host often, prep dough balls ahead for the freezer, or bake bread too.
The Halo Core handles over 3 kg of dough, enough for about ten pizzas in one mix. It's 25% more compact than the Pro, with 20 speeds, a dual motor that keeps the dough cool and a silicone lid so the dough can rise right in the bowl. It's the pick for most families, and for a counter where every inch counts.
Either way, the bowl and every attachment that touches the dough go in the dishwasher.
The method, step by step
Here's Ooni's method for the Halo Pro, applied to our base recipe. For 8 pizzas, with 250 g dough balls at 62% hydration:
- 1,200 g tipo 00 flour
- 744 g water (about 20 °C / 68 °F)
- 36 g salt
- 2.6 g active dry yeast
For a different quantity, our dough calculator does the math.
Pour all the flour into the bowl. In a jug, stir the water, salt and yeast until dissolved.
Fit the spiral hook and breaker bar. Start at 25% (about 120 RPM) and pour in the water gradually. Mix for 10 minutes.
Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes in the closed bowl.
Mix again for 30 seconds at 15% (about 90 RPM) to smooth the dough and strengthen the gluten.
Remove the bowl, cover and let it rise for about 2 hours, until doubled. On the Halo Core, the silicone lid does the job.
Divide into 250 g dough balls, then carry on as in our Neapolitan recipe: at room temperature for a same-day bake, or in the fridge for up to 72 hours for more flavour.
On the Halo Core, the idea is the same: a low speed to bring in the water, a rest, then a short mix to smooth it out. The Ooni guide in the box lists the matching speeds.
How to tell the dough is ready
A well-kneaded dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth, round ball, a bit like a pumpkin. Pull a piece: it should resist and spring back, without tearing right away.
Our tips
Don't go too small. A spiral mixer needs some volume to work well. Below about 1 kg of dough in the Halo Pro, it can climb the hook. Double the recipe and freeze the extra dough balls.
Watch the heat. At high speed for a long time, the dough warms up. Stay at low speed and use cooler water on hot days.
Don't overdo it. The dough doesn't need to be perfect coming out of the bowl: fermentation does the rest.
Oil goes in last. If your recipe calls for it, like a New York-style dough, add the oil in the final minute.
Halo FAQ
Is a Halo worth it if I already have a stand mixer? If you make pizza often or in big batches, yes. A regular stand mixer can make dough, but it strains and heats up with a stiff dough or a large volume. The Halo is built for exactly that.
Can it do more than pizza? Yes: bread, focaccia, brioche, even whipped cream with the included attachments.
What's the main difference between the Pro and the Core? Capacity and footprint. The Pro handles up to 5 kg of dough, the Core over 3 kg in a body that's 25% more compact.
Is it easy to clean? Yes. The bowl and the attachments that touch the dough go in the dishwasher.
Good dough doesn't need force. It needs the right motion, at the right pace.
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