How to Cook Pizza in a Gas Oven

Gas ovens tend to become inaccurate and uneven as they age, making precise baking difficult. The laws of pizza are straightforward to learn, though, even if accomplishing them can be difficult in a home oven. Crank the heat as high as possible, and bake the pizza on a surface that can retain plenty of heat. Even if your first pie doesn't turn out perfect, you can usually adjust for better results with a few simple tactics.

Part 1

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Cooking Pizza

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1
Put in a pizza stone if you have one. This one change can make a huge difference. Gas ovens often have less even heat and more moisture than electric ovens. A preheated pizza stone heats your food faster and more evenly, and draws out moisture to prevent soggy crusts.^{[1]XResearch source} Place it on the lowest or second-lowest rack, or wherever you usually bake your pizzas.
- Unglazed terra cotta tiles are an effective and much cheaper substitute.^{[2]XResearch source} However, some clay contains lead or other non-food-safe substances. The risk is lower for tiles made in the U.S. or other countries that regulate lead closely.^{[3]XResearch source}
- A cast iron pan is the next best option.^{[4]XResearch source}
2
Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature. Professional pizza ovens are much hotter than anything in your kitchen. Crank the oven up to the highest setting — at least 500ºF (260ºC). A pizza stone or heavy cast-iron pan takes longer to heat than your oven, so wait at least 30 minutes.^{[5]XResearch source}
- A large pizza stone may need 40–60 minutes. If you want to be sure, check with an infrared thermometer.
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3
Build your pizza. Place your homemade pizza dough on a pizza peel dusted with flour or cornmeal to prevent sticking. Pound the dough into a disk and form the lip of the crust by hand.^{[6]XResearch source} Toss or pull your pizza until it reaches the desired thickness and size. Brush the lip of the crust with olive oil and add all the toppings.
- If you don't have a pizza peel, use a rimless baking sheet or an upside-down rimmed sheet, with floured parchment paper over it.^{[7]XResearch source}
4
Slide the pizza onto the cooking surface. Shake the pizza peel or baking sheet gently to unstick the dough. Place the end of the pizza peel onto the cooking surface and jiggle it so the pizza starts to slide off. Once the end of the pizza is flat on the stone, jerk the peel back quickly to drop the rest of it.^{[8]XResearch source}
- The preheated stone or pan is extremely hot, so be careful.
- If using a parchment-lined baking sheet, you'll get better char if you slide the pizza off the parchment paper and cook directly on stone or metal. If your pizza is messy with toppings, though, picking up the parchment and dropping it onto the cooking surface is an easier option.
If you normally bake your pizzas at a lower temperature, don't rely on your recipe's time estimate. Most homemade pizza only takes 8–12 minutes at 500 to 550ºF (260–285ºC). Take yours out when the top is bubbling and the crust has browned.
6
Rotate the pizza if your oven cooks unevenly. If your oven has issues with hot spots, rotate the pizza 90 degrees halfway through baking to help it brown evenly.^{[9]XResearch source} This usually isn't necessary if you are using a pizza stone (and allowed enough time for it to preheat), since the stone's radiant heat should make up for your oven's shortcomings.
- Do this quickly to minimize heat loss.
7
Take the pizza out of the oven. Slide the pizza off the pizza stone or pan and onto a plate or cooling rack. Let cool for a couple minutes before cutting.
- Check the underside of the crust before you remove it. The ideal crust is well-browned, with a few spots of char. If the crust is still pale, let it bake a couple minutes longer.

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Troubleshooting Baking Issues

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Switch to a different rack if the top and bottom cook at different rates. In a base-heated oven, the crust will cook faster the lower it is. The top of the pizza cooks faster closer to the ceiling, mostly due to faster air currents.^{[10]XResearch source} Use a lower rack next time if you've been getting brown, bubbly cheese over a pale, doughy crust. Move the pizza to a higher rack if the crust ended up crisper or more charred than you prefer.
- All ovens are a bit different, so you might get different results, especially if your oven heats from the back or ceiling.
- Some people even place their pizza stone directly on the floor of the oven, instead of on a rack. This will make an extra-crisp crust, but some pizza stones will crack under that much heat.
If your oven runs cold or you prefer a thick crust, it can be difficult to bake the crust completely without burning the toppings. Try baking the pizza for a few minutes with only the sauce, then adding the other toppings and finishing the job.^{[11]XResearch source}
If your dough is still turning out underdone, use less sauce or switch to a drier cheese. If your oven is particularly cold or uneven, you may need to use less moisture in your dough.
Thin, cracker-crust dough can bubble excessively. Poke the center of the dough several times with a fork to make holes for air to escape through.^{[12]XResearch source}
If delicate leafy greens, garlic, or thin slices of meat turn black and bitter, it's not necessarily your oven at fault. These toppings burn easily. Place them under the cheese or under other ingredients to prevent this.
If the crust is perfect but the toppings need more time, make sure the toppings are spread in a thin, even layer.

Community Q&A

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Question
How do I make pizza toppings from vegetables?
Community Answer
You can use practically any vegetable, sliced or chopped into thin pieces. Put them on the pizza raw, or grill them for a few minutes first. Only dense vegetables like squash and root vegetables need to be cooked completely before baking on a pizza. Here are a few recipes to try.
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How do I bake a cake in a gas oven?
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A gas oven works like any other oven. You simply follow the directions for the cake and set the proper temperature on the oven.
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What if I use an oven tray; how long will it take to cook and at what temperature?
Carolina Melo Moreira
Community Answer
About 350F (180C) for 20 minutes or when the cheese melts. If the dough is precooked, the time may be shorter.
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Tips

You can also use a pizza stone to get more even results with other baked goods. Place it on the rack below the food, not directly in contact with it.^{[13]XResearch source}
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Warnings

Only check on the pizza when necessary. Opening the oven door lets a lot of heat escape.
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Some silicone baking sheets may not be safe to use at high temperatures.^{[14]XResearch source} Check the product information or switch to a metal or stone surface.
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Use the main oven setting (floor heat source), not the broiler (ceiling heat source). A broiler will overcook the pizza toppings and leave the crust underdone. If your oven does not have a ceiling heat source, then the broil setting instead keeps the oven on constantly instead of maintaining a specific temperature — a good setting for pizza.^{[15]XResearch source}
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Rapid temperature change can break a pizza stone. Always put the pizza stone into the oven before preheating, and leave it in afterward to cool down. Thaw frozen pizza dough before putting it on the hot stone.^{[16]XResearch source}
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