Pizza oven mistakes – world champion pizza chefs reveal 7 basic errors that make them shudder, and how to avoid them

Backyard pizza ovens are are becoming a hosting staple. They make fast, delicious pizza that's great for parties in summer - the whole family can make their very own pie.

However, even the best pizza ovens can be a little temperamental, and there's a steep learning curve before you can make perfect pizza.

I spoke to pizza chefs - including a world champion pizza maker - about the most common pizza oven mistakes, and how you can avoid them when setting up your oven.

1. Don't heat pizza stone at max

The most basic mistake when setting up a pizza oven is heating the stone too fast. Two-time pizza world champion Renato Viola explains 'Exposing the stone to extremely high heat too quickly can cause thermal shock.'

Thermal shock is when a cold pizza stone heats up too quickly. Though pizza stones can handle high temperatures, a sudden jump from freezing to hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit can cause the stone to expand and crack, ruining your oven before you've even had a chance to use it.

To prevent this, make sure your stone is right for your oven. It should be fine if you buy an oven from a known brand like Ooni or Gozney, but if you've built your own oven and are using an unbranded stone, or a using a pizza stone on a grill, you need to double-check its temperature rating

Chef and pizza expert Mary Cressler explains that 'Pizza stones are meant to be warmed up at high temperatures. But not all pizza stones are created equally. Before you buy your stone, make sure that you review the temperature rating. If using your home oven it should be rated to at least 700°F. For using an outdoor grill, look for ratings at least 1,000°F.'

The good news is that this is only a problem when setting up your oven. Over time, pizza stones cure and get used to expanding with heat, so you only need to be careful the first time you use your oven. Renato says 'Once the oven has been used for a while, this is no longer an issue.'

Renato Viola

Renato Viola, Founder and Master Pizza Chef of Mister O1, is an Italian-born pizza chef. Raised in Southern Italy, Renato apprenticed under master chefs by the age of 11, laying the groundwork for his expertise in blending traditional Italian techniques with modern flavors. His dedication to the craft earned him international acclaim, including two Pizza World Championship titles in Monte Carlo. Renato launched his restaurant Mister O1 in Miami Beach in 2014. Since then, the brand has grown to over 20 locations nationwide.

Mary Cressler

Chef Mary Cressler is the founder of Vindulge, a large outdoor living brand focused on recipe and cooking in your backyard. She is also the co-author of Fire + Wine, available at Amazon and the upcoming cookbook Fire + Wine: Backyard Pizza. Mary is also a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and she is President of the Portland chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

2. Don't cook too early

Pizza ovens need time to heat, and it's crucial that the stone reaches temperature. The air temperature is important for melting cheese, but getting the heat right for your stone is the most important part of cooking. Pizza stones absorb a lot of moisture, and this helps to keep the oven dry. However, this means that the stone needs to be incredibly hot. If the stone is too cold, the wet dough will stick to the stone and the pizza won't cook properly. If the stone is at the right temperature, however, the stone will instantly crisp the base and cook a perfect pizza.

However, you need to be patient. The best ovens will reach temperature in around 15 minutes, but older models will take about half an hour to heat up.

Mary Cressler says 'Be patient. The most important ingredient for great pizza is dough, the most important technique for the right pizza texture is to make sure the stone is at the appropriate temperature before baking your pizza. Have a NY style dough? Make sure the stone is between 500-550°F. If it's a Neapolitan pizza in an outdoor pizza oven, the stone should be between 700-750°F.'

3. Keep the door closed, vents open

Two common pizza oven mistakes involve ventilation. Heating up your pizza oven will take a long time if you leave the door open. Renato Viola explains that 'Leaving the door open causes heat loss, preventing the oven from reaching the ideal temperature needed for properly cooking the pizza.'

However, you shouldn't completely close off the oven. You need to keep any vents as wide open as possible. Mary Cressler says 'If you have a door with your oven use it to retain heat, but be sure you leave vents slightly open for airflow. Otherwise, you starve your fuel of oxygen.'

However, don't worry if your oven doesn't have a door. Many domestic pizza ovens don't have doors, but their small size means that they still reach temperature. Mary says 'Most pizza ovens don't come with a door, especially budget versions. In this case, it's ok to warm it up at the highest heat. The area is small and it will warm up quickly.'

4. Never clean a pizza stone with chemicals

By far the worst pizza oven mistake is cleaning the pizza oven with chemicals. Pizza stones absorb lots of moisture, so even soapy water will affect the stone. It can take days for wet pizza stones to dry out, and even slightly damp pizza stones will crack.

More importantly, soap or cleaning chemicals can affect the taste of your food. Renato says 'You should only clean a pizza oven with a dry oven brush. Using chemicals can absorb into the stone and affect the taste of your pizza.' Not only will it make your pizza taste soapy, but more importantly, these toxic chemicals can even make you sick.

Instead, you should brush the stone clean. Mary Cressler says 'The best way to clean a pizza stone is high heat and to scrape it down with a ball of foil or a cleaning brush. After 30 minutes at high heat, the grime will burn off naturally.' Brushes are easy to find online. While there are expensive pizza oven brushes at Ooni, for example, you can find a cheap pizza oven brush like this from Amazon that does the same job.

5. Beware the wrong wood fuel

If you're using a wood-fired pizza oven, be careful with the pizza oven fuel. While it's tempting to use leftover newspaper and cardboard delivery boxes, these don't burn reliably. The ink from printed paper and cardboard can also be toxic and affect the taste of your food.

Mary Cressler says 'You can use paper to start a fire, but paper will never be hot enough to actually cook a pizza. We recommend wood fire starters to use with your pellets or wood chunks for the best results.'

However, take care when choosing wood for your pizza oven too. Whatever you do, avoid softwoods. Mary warns that 'Softwoods like pine can add a bitter flavor when burning and don't burn as hot as dry hardwood. We strongly encourage the use of hardwoods like oak or hickory for a neutral flavor and the right amount of heat units. If using pellets use the same variety.'

6. Don't use too much fuel

With a wood oven, you also need to be careful not to overdo it with your fuel. It seems smart to stuff the oven with as much wood as possible to ensure a hot pizza stone, but ironically this can limit the flames. Mary says 'Be sure your wood is not too big for your cooking chamber. That will prevent a good fire from forming.'

On top of that, too much wood in the oven limits the cooking surface, especially in permanent brick pizza ovens. If you build the fire too big, you may only have room for a mini pizza.

7. Never use a pizza oven under trees

Finally, be careful where you set up your pizza oven. Try to keep it away from overhanging tree branches. If you build the pizza oven fire too high, flames could shoot out the chimney and ignite low-hanging branches.

Alternatively, sap from the tree could fall onto the pizza stone, making an acrid taste that ruins your pizza. You can avoid both of these issues by making sure there is clear air above your pizza oven.

All this advice can help you set up your oven, but ingredients are another matter entirely. Learning the things pizza chefs always do can improve your dough and sauce, taking a basic pizza to restaurant-quality.