Danielle writes to us:

"I've made pizza twice in my Ooni and the crust isn't cooking properly??? I'm REALLY disappointed. My pizza oven preheated for 30 minutes before I started, but the crust isn't cooking well and the top is burning... what should I do?"

We hear your cry for help, Danielle. Let us help you! You're not alone. This question comes up EVERY day! #noshame We've been there too… and now? We achieve a *perfectly* crispy crust in our pizza oven. You're in the right place ❤️ Let's look at the TOP 3 reasons why we achieve this result.

The baking stone in your pizza oven isn't hot enough (even though the oven has been preheating for a really long time …)

When you're getting ready to eat pizza, you can't wait to start baking! You turn on the preheating and after a few minutes you exclaim, "Honey, it's been about 20 minutes, hasn't it?" Whoa... hold on a minute! Take the time to preheat your pizza oven for a full 20-30 minutes until it reaches 900°F (480°C), especially if it's windy or chilly. Preheating time may vary depending on the outside temperature.

General rule: the longer you preheat, the better! This ensures your pizza stone reaches the ideal temperature of 752°F (400°C). It's worth the extra few minutes to avoid eating raw dough.

Psssttt… you can use an infrared thermometer to accurately measure the internal temperature of the pizza oven as well as that of the baking stone.

Your pizza looks like a Leaning Tower of Pisa of toppings.

If you want to cook your pizza in 60-90 seconds like a Neapolitan pizzaiolo, it needs to be leggera , or light, with thin edges. If your pizza is thick and overflowing with toppings and sauce, the crust might not cook through (especially in the center) while your delicious fillings burn. You know, you've been there, Danielle! When starting out , simplicity is key.

But don't worry if you're the all-dressed type. We love it too… especially Réal. You know Réal? He's Alex's father. And he really loves his traditional topped pizza. It's often a real challenge at home to get the perfect result for Alex's classic Neapolitan pizza and Réal's Leaning Tower of Pisa. It requires a bit of experience, but above all, a *perfect* heat-to-ingredient ratio.

Here's a little tip: you can preheat the oven to its highest setting , but lower the temperature just before adding your extra-topped pizzas. This way, the pizza cooks at a lower temperature for a little longer, preventing your precious toppings from burning.

Your pizza isn't rotating enough in your pizza oven

Once you pop your pizza in the oven, there's no time to fill your glass 🍷🍺. That's when the REAL work begins. Eyes on the prize! You can't take your eyes off the pizza. It's the shortest 60 to 90 seconds of your life! To achieve a *perfectly* crispy crust, the pizza needs to rotate several times during this short period for even cooking. That's where your pizza-making skills come into play!

Alex advises placing your pizza in the center of the stone to "seal" the dough for 20-30 seconds. Then, he gently lifts the pizza with a rotating peel and rotates it every 10-15 seconds, moving it slightly on the stone. At the end of cooking, he moves the pizza towards the oven entrance to avoid the excessive heat radiating from the back.

What our experienced pizza chefs have to say…

At Lapizzashop, we help each other out. We share our failures , our successes, and our valuable advice! We're a close-knit group!

• Lydia suggests preheating the pizza oven to the maximum and then lowering it to the minimum during cooking.
• Sacha reminds us that dough with a high sugar content can interfere with baking and burn more easily. Avoid this with our dough calculator !
• France uses its infrared thermometer to monitor the temperature of its pizza oven.
• Michel avoids topping his pizza with raw vegetables (onion, pepper, etc.). He sautés them in a little olive oil until they are colored before placing them on his pizza.
• Carl is careful with the amount of sauce. Easy on the ladle! A thin layer is enough.
• Benoit advises being sparing with the amount of mozzarella (due to its high water content, which can soak into your pizza during baking). He recommends a mix and match with Parmigiano Reggiano.
• Erik advises, if in doubt, go full throttle 😆

There you have it ! Now it's your turn to experiment, live the pizza life , and develop your own expertise. Got any other tips? Let's share them!