From Dough to Done: Bertello Pizza Oven Using Tips (2024)

Are you wondering how to get the best out of the Bertello pizza oven?

By using it correctly, my simple answer.

But if you want to know more, let me make you believe that this oven is perfect, and you have to assemble, launch and use it correctly.

How?

Through this guide!

With this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about this great outdoor oven. Not only that, but I’ll also reveal all the essential tricks you can use to create a delicious pizza at home.

So, hold tight and get ready to experience the magic of the Bertello pizza oven!

1. Set Up the Bertello Pizza Oven Right Way

If you want to set up the Bertello outdoor pizza oven, it’s simple once you get the hang of it. The first thing you need to do while setting up this oven is to find a suitable location. Make sure that no flammable materials are around and that there’s enough clearance for the chimney.

To assemble your oven:

Attach the legs, chimney, and door.
Install the cordierite stone. You can do this by sliding the cordierite stone inside the oven on top of the firebrick base.
Remove the legs of the oven’s matte stainless-steel body.

Setting up the propane gas burner

To install the gas burner:

Slide it into the back of the oven with the help of two bolts.
Tighten the bolts to secure the burner in place.
Connect the burner to a propane tank and open the valve on the tank.

This optional propane gas burner can quickly cook up a storm no matter where you are.

How should you set up the wood/charcoal tray?

If you don’t want to use the gas burner and take the traditional route of using charcoal or wood for cooking your pizza, you can use the wood/charcoal tray with the oven. Slide the tray into the front of the stove. Secure it in the back before putting in the cordierite stone.

For fuel, you can use charcoal and wood chunks. This works great because the hot charcoal will keep the wood burning for longer, and the wood will heat the oven.

should you use Propane only?

Why use propane in a pizza oven? Well, we’re here to give you the answers!

First, the gas burner is excellent as the Bertello pizza oven uses a high temperature for cooking. Maintaining a consistent temperature of around 900 degrees Fahrenheit can be challenging. You’ll need to continually add wood and charcoal to keep the heat, which can be time-consuming and distracting from the cooking process.

2. Preheat the Bertello Pizza Oven for Maximum Possible Time.

Preheating is a crucial step when it comes to using an oven. To preheat your oven, fill the firebox with charcoal and light it. Allow it to burn for about 20-30 minutes until the charcoal turns white and the oven reaches its desired temperature.

If you’re using pellets, start preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 °C). This will help produce evenly cooked food with a delicious, wood-fired flavor that will impress!

Light the fuel and preheat your Bertello oven for about 10-15 minutes, ensuring the temperature reaches 800-900°F (427-482°C). The high heat is crucial for creating a crispy crust and melting the cheese.

3. Follow the Recipe and Pizza Stone Temperature Only.

When baking pizza in a Bertello oven, you must follow specific steps to ensure the best results. Here’s how you can cook your pizza in a Bertello oven:

Prepare your pizza by rolling out the pizza dough.
Add your desired sauce and toppings.
Place the pizza on a pizza peel or a flat surface that will allow you to transfer it into the oven quickly.
Once the oven is preheated, place your pizza inside the pizza stone. If you place your pizza too close to the fire source, it’ll result in burning. Similarly, if you put it at the corner of the stone, it won’t cook properly. Therefore, always put your pizza right in the center of the stone, at a 9 o’clock angle to get the best results.
Let it cook for about the recommended time in your recipe according to the advisable temperature.
Check the pizza regularly to see if it’s done.
Please remove it from the oven when it’s done – your recipe will state its doneness checks.

Voila! Your delicious pizza is done!

Do you know what’s the most important thing to follow during your cooking process is?

The pizza stone temperature—no, not the pizza oven temperature.

You must check the pizza stone temperature, which ought to be according to the pizza type. For best results, always launch your pizza right in the middle of the pizza stone, where it’s neither too hot nor cold.

For this purpose, never rely on the pizza oven’s built thermometer, no matter how expensive your pizza oven is. Instead, invest in getting some best quality, most accurate pizza oven thermometers, infrared.

Additional Tips and Tricks for Using the Bertello Pizza Oven

To get the most out of your Bertello oven, it’s essential to understand its tips and tricks. Whether you’re a seasoned pizza enthusiast or a beginner cook, these tips will help elevate your pizza game.

Are you ready to learn the mysteries of making perfect pizzas with the Bertello pizza oven? Check out the following tips!

1. Season your Bertello pizza oven.

To ensure the longevity of your oven, we recommend that you season it regularly. Seasoning an oven with wood is a traditional method used for centuries to season ovens, particularly wood-fired ovens.

The process involves building a fire in the oven and allowing the heat and smoke from the fire to season the oven surface. To do this, burn some wood for about an hour at high heat. It’ll help remove any manufacturing residue and create a protective layer on the oven’s surface.

2. Experiment with different modes of cooking

The Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven offers a unique and versatile cooking experience that allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds. With this oven, you can cook using propane gas or a combination of propane gas and wood.

You can access the different modes by removing the pizza stone and the standard wood/charcoal burning basket. Next, you can add the specially designed wood burning tray for the gas burner and insert the gas burner. Finally, place the cooking stone back in the oven, and you’ll be ready!

3. Use a pizza peel.

A pizza peel is essential for putting pizza into an outdoor pizza oven. This flat, wide-bladed tool transfers the pizza into and out of the oven. You can also use it to rotate your pizza while cooking in the Bertello pizza oven.

The handle of the peel keeps your hands away from the hot oven, and the wide blade ensures that the pizza does not stick to the peel as you transfer it into the oven.

3. Add some smoke to your pizza!

If you’re a fan of smoky, rich flavors in your pizza, then the Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven is the perfect appliance for you! Use a combination of charcoal and wood to infuse your pizza with a delicious smokiness that you can’t achieve with a traditional gas or electric oven.

To achieve the best smoky flavor, allowing the wood to soak for at least 30 minutes before adding it to the oven is important.

It’ll help release the flavors and aromas that make wood-fired pizzas so delicious. So why settle for a bland, ordinary pizza when you can have one with a bold, smoky flavor?

4. Adjust the cooking time.

Cooking time for a pizza can vary on several things, including the thickness of the dough and the toppings. Therefore, it’s important to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Additionally, if you notice that your pizza is cooking too quickly, you can remove it from the oven earlier or cover it with foil. This will help to slow down the cooking process.

5. ALWAYS rotate your pizza.

If you don’t want to burn your pizza while it’s in the Bertello oven, you may need to rotate it to constantly ensure an even heat distribution. Never, and I mean never, miss this step!

6. Turn up the temperature!

The Bertello pizza oven is a true game-changer, offering you the versatility to cook with gas or a combination of gas and wood. Its patent-pending design ensures that the stone heats up to an incredible 900 degrees in just 15 minutes.

Unlike other ovens, the Bertello oven is designed to keep the stone hot in between pizzas, ensuring that each one comes out perfectly. No matter the weather conditions, this oven will be your go-to appliance for cooking delicious pizzas year-round, even in sub-zero temperatures. So, get ready to impress your friends and family with restaurant-quality pizzas cooked right in your own backyard!

7. Get a pizza oven thermometer

I love Beretllo pizza ovens for the fact that they don’t have a built-in pizza oven thermometer. At least, Bertello understands that built-in thermometers are inefficient.

For smooth pizza making, the users must have an infrared thermometer because it’s not about the pizza oven’s interior temperature but the pizza stone’s.

So, you should have yours.

8. Use wood chunks to manage fire.

If you want to fire up your oven using wood, here’s what you need to do:

Take about half a cup of pallets and pour them on the baking tray.
Set your wood chunks around the pallets. Make sure you’re not blocking the vent while doing so.
Light up your wood and use a USB fan to get a good flame.

Let the wood burn for about 20 minutes before putting your pizza into the oven. This will give it the nice smoky flavor that you’re looking for.

9. Clean your oven.

To clean out your Bertello pizza oven, remove any food particles by gently scrubbing the surface with a sponge or wooden spatula. Avoid using metal tools as they may damage the surface. Mix water and baking soda to form a paste to remove burnt-on bits. Spread the paste on the surface, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then wash it away with water.

Place the pizza stone in a conventional oven set to 500 °F (260°C) for more stubborn grime. Make sure you place the stone on the top rack right when you turn the oven on and allow the stone to gradually reach temperature. Please leave it in for about an hour, then remove and scrub off the burnt bits.

Once you’ve cleaned the pizza stone, return it to the oven.

FAQs

What is the best wood type for the Bertello Pizza oven?

Using dry hardwoods for grilling or cooking pizza is a good choice. You can use White Oak, Maple, Hickory, Poplar, Cherry, or Red Oak. These types of woods are known for their strong, flavorful smoke and heat-producing abilities, making them ideal for cooking a variety of foods, including pizza.

Additionally, larger wood chunks will provide a longer burn time, so you won’t have to add more wood to keep the fire going constantly. However, it’s important to ensure the wood is properly seasoned, meaning it has been dried for several months, to reduce the amount of smoke and creosote buildup in the grill.

What size pizza can you cook in a Bertello Pizza oven?

A Bertello Pizza Oven can accommodate up to 10-12 inches. However, it’s best to aim for a slightly smaller size due to limited clearance in the oven and the need to maneuver the pizza for even cooking.

When making pizza in this oven, you’ll need to rotate it and slide it in and out to ensure it cooks evenly, so it’s important to be mindful of the space and not cut it too close to the sides of the firebox.

What are some cons of using a Bertello Pizza Oven?

Using a Bertello pizza oven can be a fun way to cook delicious pizzas and other dishes, but it’s also important to be aware of its limitations. Here are a few cons to keep in mind:

Temperature Management:

Cooking with a Bertello oven can be a bit of a challenge regarding temperature management. Since it’s not as easily adjustable as an electric or gas oven, it can be difficult to reach and maintain high temperatures.

Fuel Management:

If you’re using charcoal or wood as a heat source for your pizza instead of using the gas burner, it means that you have to constantly reload the fuel to keep the temperature up, which can be time-consuming.

No Thermometer:

One of the biggest challenges when cooking with a Bertello oven is the lack of a built-in thermometer. This makes it difficult to know exactly how hot the oven is at any given time, which can affect the cooking results.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Bertello pizza oven is an excellent choice for outdoor pizza-making endeavors. It’s easy to set up, with a simple assembly process that takes minutes to complete. You’ll be serving up delicious, crispy-crust pizzas in no time!

So, take your skills to the next level with the Bertello pizza oven. Are you ready to create some mouth-watering pizzas?

We hope you found this article useful and will use our tips the next time you use this amazing oven.

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