After you explore outdoor pizza oven options and purchase a gas-powered oven, you could be a little apprehensive when learning how to use it. These tips will help you understand what you need to know about a gas outdoor pizza oven to cook perfect pizza every time.
If you want to use a gas outdoor pizza oven, first assemble your pizza dough and toppings, attach a gas tank to the oven, open the valve to release gas into the connector hose, light the ignition of the oven, and set the correct temperature. Preheat the oven for 10-15 minutes before cooking.
Everyone loves pizza, particularly the crispy crust restaurant-style pizza that melts in your mouth! Since the gas pizza oven is portable, you can store it in the garage and easily take it out for family pizza night. Let’s take a look at the steps to help you become the consummate pizza chef with your gas outdoor pizza oven.
1. Assemble the Pizza Dough and Pizza Toppings
A gas-powered outdoor pizza oven only takes a few minutes to heat. Since this pizza oven warms up quickly, assemble the pizza dough, red and white sauces, and pizza toppings. While everyone can build their own pizzas, you might want to suggest some tasty topping combinations on a chalkboard or plexiglass sign. This can be particularly fun when you are hosting a group and want to be a little fancier.
Here are some pizza topping combinations that many people love.
- Italian sausage, feta, spinach, and fresh tomato
- Caramelized onions, sliced pears, goat cheese, and balsamic drizzle
- Pesto, tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella
- Broccoli, zucchini, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms
- Pulled pork, pineapple, and red onions
- Peperoncini, pepperoni, and mushrooms
If you want to make your own pizza dough, the preparation isn’t complicated but does require some time before pizza assembly. Here is a reliable homemade pizza dough recipe.
Simple Homemade Pizza Dough
Tools you will need:
- Glass mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients you will need:
- One tablespoon (15 ml) of yeast
- One tablespoon (15 ml) of sugar
- One tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil
- One cup of 105-110 °F (41-43 °C) water
- 2 to 2 ½ (500-600 ml) cups of all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of salt
Mixing directions:
- Add the water, sugar, and yeast to the glass mixing bowl.
- Stir the mixture.
- Allow to sit for five minutes until it forms bubbles on top.
- Stir olive oil into the mixture gently.
- Pour the salt and two cups (500-600 ml) of any flour into the mixing bowl.
- Stir until the mixture forms a sticky ball.
- Add small amounts of additional flour until the ball is holding together and no longer sticky to the touch.
- Transfer the dough to a countertop with flour sprinkled over the top.
- Knead the dough, adding more flour, until you achieve a smooth dough ball.
- Transfer the dough to a pizza peel.
- Prick holes with a fork.
- Top the dough with sauce and any toppings you prefer.
2. Preheat the Gas Outdoor Pizza Oven
A gas outdoor pizza oven uses natural or propane gas to heat the oven and ensure even cooking temperatures. While you don’t have to build a fire with wood as wood-fueled pizza ovens require, you will still need a hot oven to bake the perfect pizza.
Here are the essentials to preheat the gas outdoor pizza oven.
- Take the pizza oven to an outdoor tabletop or outdoor kitchen counter where there is plenty of space.
- Attach the pizza oven to a propane gas tank or a natural gas source.
- Open the valve to release the gas into the connector hose.
- Light the ignition on the gas outdoor pizza oven.
- Turn the knob to the correct temperature, usually around 900 °F (482 °C).
- Preheat the gas pizza oven for about ten to fifteen minutes.
Once you are finished making pizza and have cleaned the pizza oven, the best storage method is to place the oven in a zippered storage bag. You can leave the pizza oven outside in a covered outdoor kitchen, or carry it to the garage, where you can store it on a stable shelf.
3. Gather the Pizza Tools To Make Homemade Pizza Outdoors
You need the right tools to assemble and cook pizza in a gas outdoor pizza oven. From a tool to slide the sticky dough into the pizza oven to one that removes the baked pizza, proper utensils will make outdoor pizza cooking easy and accident-free. Here are the tools to make your gas outdoor pizza oven experience easier:
A Digital Kitchen Scale
A digital scale is an essential tool for weighing the pizza dough. Whether you make pizza dough or purchase it from the store, using too much dough can keep the crust from crisping quickly and retain the chewy center that characterizes baking in a pizza oven. A digital scale will help you use the ideal amount of dough each time.
A Pizza Peel
You can choose a wooden or stainless steel pizza peel, but you need this tool to transfer the raw pizza to the gas pizza oven. Many home pizza chefs prefer a wooden pizza peel to transfer the uncooked pizza to the pizza oven and a stainless steel pizza peel to remove the cooked pizza.
When you sprinkle some cornmeal on the wooden pizza peel, you can add the toppings directly to the stretched-out pizza dough on the peel. A stainless steel pizza peel can be the best for removal from the gas pizza oven since steel is thin and can scoop the baked pizza out quickly without sticking.
An Infrared Thermometer
Ensuring the gas pizza oven is at the proper temperature will give you that extra-crispy crust with perfectly melted cheese on top. Having an infrared thermometer on hand to check the temperature is handy, especially since you are cooking outside in various weather circumstances.
Heat-Resistant Gloves
Since the fire is so hot in a gas pizza oven, wearing heat-resistant gloves is a must to protect your hands and arms. These gloves are durable and covered with a protective substance to keep your hands from getting burned. The long length of the glove design protects your hands and arms well.
Pizza Oven Brush
Cleaning the spilled cheese and toppings from the floor of the gas pizza oven is necessary to keep smoking, burning food from ruining the next pizza. This is where you will need a pizza oven brush with a scraper on one side to remove the spills from the pizza oven floor to ensure the next pizza cooks properly.
A Pizza Cutter
Everyone will be ready to try your gourmet pizza, so you need an effective pizza cutter. The main quality to look for in a pizza cutter is ease of use and safety. There are three types of pizza cutters, although the novelty pizza cutter options are growing.
- Traditional wheel pizza cutter
- Modern wheel pizza cutter
- Rocker pizza cutter
Conclusion
Investing in a gas outdoor pizza oven will help you create restaurant-worthy pizzas. A gas pizza oven can heat up quickly to a high temperature, delivering the perfect pizza every time. Ensure you preheat your oven for 10-15 minutes, and you have the right tools to make cooking your pizza a smooth experience.
