Creating the Perfect Pizza at Home

Are you a big fan of pizza, but tired of ordering in from your local pizzeria? With the Juno gas pizza oven, you can make restaurant-quality pizza at home. In this post, we'll share simple tips and recipes for authentic dough and sauce, so you can get the most out of your Juno gas pizza oven. Whether you're a seasoned pizza maker or just starting out, get ready to impress your dinner guests with perfectly cooked pizza.

Juno 12" Pizza Oven

 

The Dough

Ingredients

Authentic Italian dough is easier than you might think, as long as you start with good, simple ingredients. 00 flour works best. It's finer than regular British flour and has a lower gluten content, which is what gives you that light, crispy texture instead of a dense, chewy one.

• 1kg 00 flour
• 600ml room temperature water
• ½ tsp dry yeast

Method

1. Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix.
2. Add the water a little at a time, combining by hand until a sticky dough forms.
3. Flour your work surface well and knead by hand for 8 minutes. You're looking for a smooth dough that forms easily into a ball. Don't overwork it, or the base can turn tough rather than light.
4. Place the dough on an oiled baking tray in a warm spot. Cover with a tea towel and prove for 2 hours. It should double in size.
5. Shape the dough into 8 equal balls. Each one makes a base.
6. Keep proving the dough for as long as you can. Overnight is best, but a couple of days works too, and the extra time helps develop more flavour.

Shaping

Press down in the middle of the dough to start shaping it. Don't use a rolling pin, and only shape the middle by hand. This helps you keep those crispy air bubbles in the crust that a rolling pin would flatten out.

Once you have a round shape, hold the crust and turn the base to thin it out, until it's almost see-through in the middle. Aim for a crust about 1cm wide and deep, remembering that it will puff up further once it hits the heat of the oven.

 

The Sauce

Good tomato sauce starts with good tomatoes. Look for ripe, juicy ones with a deep red colour, as this usually means better flavour and less watery texture. We especially love the San Marzano variety, which is grown in volcanic soil near Naples and known for its sweetness and low acidity.

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Method

1. Finely chop the garlic and fry it in the olive oil for a minute, until fragrant.
2. Blend the tomatoes until smooth, then add them to the pan with the garlic.
3. Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes, until the water has evaporated and you're left with a thick sauce.
4. Season to taste.

 

The Toppings

Pizza at home is all about experimenting. There are no rules, so feel free to get creative with whatever you have in the fridge, even pineapple is fair game if that's your thing. If you'd rather stick to tradition and go for something closer to authentic Neapolitan pizza, use classic mozzarella and fresh basil. Drain and dry the mozzarella well first, since excess moisture is one of the main causes of a soggy crust. Add a handful of torn fresh basil after baking rather than before, so the heat of the oven doesn't scorch it. Serve on a traditional bamboo pizza board for the ultimate wow factor.

 

Top Tips for a Perfect Bake

Follow these top tips for a restaurant-quality pizza at home:

• Use a pizza peel. Sprinkle flour onto it first, so your pizza slides smoothly in and out of the oven instead of sticking.
• Wait until the oven reaches 400°C before you start cooking. Once the flames have settled down from their initial burst, you'll get the best conditions for a quick, even bake. Aim for 60–90 seconds in the centre of the oven, turning the pizza every 10 seconds so it cooks evenly all the way round.
• Angle your oven away from strong winds. A gust reaching inside the oven can put out the flames and drop the temperature right when you need it most.

 

Cleaning

Once you've finished using the oven, fire it back up to a high temperature to burn off any leftover food inside, rather than trying to scrub it out cold. Once it's cool and dry, wipe off any ash marks on the outside with a soft, dry cloth.