Using a pizza oven in winter is completely achievable – and in some ways more enjoyable than summer cooking. The cooler ambient air can actually help manage stone temperatures more precisely, and there’s something particularly satisfying about firing up an outdoor oven on a cold evening. Here’s how to make it work.
Cold Weather Preheating
The biggest difference in winter is that preheating takes longer. A cold stone will absorb more heat before reaching cooking temperature, and cold air draws heat away from the oven more rapidly. Expect to add 15-30 minutes to your normal preheat time, depending on how cold it is.
Wood-Fired Ovens
Start with slightly more kindling than usual to establish a strong initial fire. Build the fire up more gradually than you would in warmer months – adding too much wood too fast to a cold refractory oven can cause thermal shock and cracking. Use an infrared thermometer to monitor the stone temperature rather than relying on timing alone. You want 450-500°C on the stone before cooking.
Gas Pizza Ovens
Gas ovens like the Ooni Koda 16 or Gozney Arc are particularly well-suited to winter use. Simply run the burner for longer before cooking – typically 20-25 minutes instead of 15. The thermostat doesn’t know it’s cold; it just needs more time to transfer heat into the stone. Check stone temperature before your first pizza.
Protecting the Oven from the Elements
Wind
Wind is the biggest enemy of outdoor pizza cooking in winter. It steals heat from the oven, causes gas flames to flicker and burn unevenly, and makes temperature management unpredictable. Position your oven with the opening facing away from the prevailing wind. If your garden is exposed, use a windbreak – a large piece of timber or a garden screen placed behind the oven can make a significant difference.
Rain
Keep your oven under cover during cooking if possible. A patio umbrella, gazebo, or purpose-built pergola all work well. Most pizza oven manufacturers sell covers – use one whenever the oven is not in use. Don’t cook in heavy rain; water on a very hot stone can cause steam cracking in refractory materials.
Frost and Moisture
If your oven has been left uncovered and exposed to frost, start with a very gentle warm-up fire or low gas setting for the first 10-15 minutes. This drives off any moisture that has been absorbed by the refractory stone or clay before the oven gets to high temperature. Rapid heating of a moisture-saturated stone can cause it to crack.
Managing Temperature in Cold Weather
Once up to temperature, cold-weather ovens cool faster between pizzas. To compensate:
- Increase gas to maximum for 60-90 seconds between each pizza to reheat the stone
- For wood-fired ovens, keep a small active fire running during cooking rather than letting it die back to embers
- Cook pizzas in closer succession – the longer the gap, the more temperature you lose
- Preheat your pizza peel inside before use to avoid it drawing heat from the dough
What to Cook in Winter
Winter is actually a great time to experiment with dishes other than pizza. The longer heat retention of a fully preheated wood-fired oven makes it ideal for:
- Roasted vegetables – peppers, aubergine, whole garlic bulbs and root vegetables all benefit from the high dry heat
- Flatbreads – naan and pita cook in 60-90 seconds and are excellent alongside a winter meal
- Calzone – the enclosed shape retains heat better than an open pizza, making it more forgiving in cooler conditions
- Whole roasted chicken or leg of lamb – in wood-fired ovens after the initial pizza cook, the residual heat at 200-250°C is ideal for slow roasting
Keeping Warm While You Cook
This is obvious but worth saying: dress appropriately. Cooking outdoors in winter in a thin t-shirt makes the experience miserable. The oven itself provides a significant amount of radiant warmth – position yourself to benefit from it while you’re launching and turning pizzas.
A pre-warmed pizza stone at the table helps keep slices hot longer in cold weather. Use insulated serving equipment and get food inside as quickly as possible after cooking.
Storing the Oven in Winter
If you’re not planning to cook through the winter, store portable ovens like the Ooni Koda, Ooni Karu or Gozney Arc in a garage or shed. For built-in or heavy ovens that can’t be moved, use a quality waterproof cover and check it after storms. Refractory domes that retain moisture through repeated freeze-thaw cycles will eventually crack.
Winter pizza cooking is entirely worth the extra effort. The crisp cold air, the glow of the oven, and the steam rising from a freshly cooked pizza is one of the better outdoor cooking experiences you can have.
