This how hot should a pizza oven be covers exactly what you need to know, based on real use.
Temperature is everything in pizza. The difference between a soggy base and a perfect blistered crust is almost always heat. This guide covers exactly how hot your pizza oven should be, how to measure it, and what to do if things are not quite right.
The target temperature for a wood-fired pizza oven
For Neapolitan-style pizza, the cooking floor should be 400 to 450 degrees Celsius. The dome temperature (the air above the pizza) should be 450 to 500 degrees Celsius. At these temperatures, a 30cm pizza will cook in 60 to 90 seconds.
These figures come from the official Neapolitan pizza association (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana), which specifies that the floor temperature should be 485C and the dome temperature should be 430C. In practice, home bakers get excellent results anywhere in the 400 to 500C range for the floor and a similar or slightly higher range for the dome.
Gas pizza oven temperatures
Most gas pizza ovens (Ooni Koda, Gozney Arc, Roccbox) are rated to reach 500C. In practice, the floor temperature is often lower than the dome temperature when running on gas, because the flame heats the air and dome more directly than the floor. To get the floor hot enough, you need a longer preheat.
Preheat a gas pizza oven on full power for at least 20 minutes, ideally 25 to 30 minutes, before launching your first pizza. Use an infrared thermometer to check the floor temperature. If it reads below 380C, wait longer. The floor takes time to absorb heat from the air above it.
Wood-fired oven temperatures
Wood-fired ovens take longer to preheat than gas. A full-size wood-fired oven (like a garden dome oven) needs 45 minutes to an hour to reach cooking temperature. A smaller portable wood-fired oven (like the Ooni Karu) can reach temperature in 15 to 20 minutes once the fire is properly established.
The target is the same: 400C or above on the floor, and 450C or above in the dome. With wood-fired ovens, the dome temperature often runs hotter than gas because the flame is in direct contact with the dome. Rotating the pizza is more important in a wood-fired oven to avoid burning the top while the base catches up.
How to measure pizza oven temperature
The most accurate and practical way to check pizza oven temperature is with an infrared thermometer. Point it at the floor of the oven where the pizza will sit and take a reading. Infrared thermometers are fast, accurate to within a few degrees, and cost between £15 and £40. They are one of the most useful tools you can have for pizza.
Avoid relying solely on the thermometer built into the oven door or lid (if your oven has one). These measure air temperature in a specific spot and may not reflect the actual floor temperature, which is what matters most for the base.
Some pizza ovens have a window or glass door that lets you observe the flame and the crust colour as the pizza cooks. Experienced pizza makers can judge when a pizza is done by looking at the base colour and the behaviour of the toppings, without relying on a timer.
For infrared thermometer recommendations, see our guide to the best infrared thermometers for pizza ovens.
What happens if the oven is too hot?
If the floor temperature is above 480 to 500C, the base can burn before the top is done. You will get a heavily charred or even burnt bottom with undercooked or barely melted toppings. If this happens, turn the heat down slightly (on gas, reduce the flame; on wood, let the fire die back a little) and wait a few minutes before trying again.
A small amount of char on the crust is desirable and is part of the Neapolitan style. Black spots and blistering on the edges of the crust are normal. Black patches covering most of the base are not.
What happens if the oven is too cold?
If the floor is below 350C, the pizza will cook more slowly, the base may not spring up properly, and you may end up with a doughy or dense result. The toppings may also dry out in the longer cook time. If you find yourself cooking for 3 minutes or more, the oven is not hot enough. Give it more time to preheat before the next pizza.
This is particularly common when cooking several pizzas back to back. The floor cools between each cook as it gives up heat to the pizza. With a gas oven, leave 2 to 3 minutes between pizzas with the flame on full to let the floor recover. With a wood oven, manage the fire to keep the temperature up.
Temperature guide for different pizza styles
| Style | Floor temp | Cook time |
|---|---|---|
| Neapolitan | 400 to 480C | 60 to 90 seconds |
| New York style (thin) | 280 to 320C | 4 to 6 minutes |
| Roman / al taglio | 250 to 280C | 8 to 12 minutes |
| Detroit / pan pizza | 220 to 250C | 12 to 18 minutes |
Neapolitan-style pizza is the natural fit for a dedicated pizza oven. The other styles are better suited to a domestic oven where you have more temperature control in the lower ranges.
Summary
Aim for 400 to 450C on the floor and 450 to 500C in the dome for Neapolitan-style pizza. Preheat longer than you think you need to, use an infrared thermometer to check the floor temperature, and give the oven 2 to 3 minutes to recover between pizzas. Temperature is the one variable that makes the biggest difference to the final result.
For more on getting started, see our guide on how long to preheat a pizza oven and our look at how to light a wood-fired pizza oven.
