I’ve had my Ooni for just over a year.
I only used it a couple of times while I waited for the accessories I ordered to arrive. Everything related to Ooni seemed to be out of stock and I had to wait a couple of months for the Perforated Peel.
I didn’t really like the size of the Ooni table so I ordered a 60″ X 30″ X 34″ stainless table from a restaurant supply store in Vancouver. And it was considerably less expensive than the Ooni table and a much better size. The turning peel was also out of stock so I found another brand on line.
Right out of the box the igniter didn’t work so I had to use the match holder.
Wasn’t exactly user friendly having to extend the match into the oven so I bought 11″ matches to insert into the holder.
Much safer.
So to be honest, I was really disappointed in this oven.
So it didn’t get used much during the summer months
and then I was in a car accident in December that put me out of commission for a few months. So it wasn’t until recently that I decided to give try again.
I was determined to master the Ooni. I hate giving up.
Finding the hack on how to adjust the flame lower made a big difference.
Last week I started a biga on Monday morning and made the dough Monday night. I use the stretch and fold method. 1000g batch at 65% hydration. Immediately after the last stretch and fold the dough went into the fridge and remained there until Wednesday afternoon.
Divided the dough into a number of balls. Three at 275 to 300g, one at 450g and I had enough leftover for a small ball.
Three of the balls went into the fridge and I kept out one of the 275g balls plus the little one and baked a

pepperoni and mushroom pizza

for Moe and I to share and

a small Pizza Margherita for Matt.
Thursday morning , 4:00 AM I took two of the balls out of the fridge and I baked two pizzas and too them to work to share.

One Pepperoni and Mushroom

and the other Italian Sausage and Mushroom.

And then on Friday, Matt used the larger ball of dough to bake two Calzones, in the conventional oven and

I used the last ball to bake a Pepperoni and olive pizza in the Ooni.

So five pizzas in three days.
The recipe I use for pizza is the same one I use for my baguettes.
The only difference is the hydration. I normally go with 72% and use the same dough for pizza.
But for this experiment I lowered the hydration to 65%.
I started another batch of dough on Tuesday. Biga made in the morning and the dough in the evening. Dough went into the fridge over night and came out of the fridge Wednesday afternoon. Removed enough dough to make two pizzas.

Matt made his own Greek Potato pizza in the conventional oven and

I baked a Pepperoni, Mushroom, Olives and green pepper

in the Ooni.

The remaining dough came out of the fridge today around 2:00 and was ready for me to use when I got home from work.


Baked four baguettes.
Baguette and Pizza Recipe
BIGA
200g water
200g bread flour
2g of yeast
Stir well and leave to rise until at least doubled
Add to:
800g of flour
450g of water (for 65% hydration)
2g of yeast
27g of salt
Mix well using the autolyze, stretch and fold method.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Use to pizza or baguettes
What amazes me the most, Ann, is the beautiful sporadic char on the crust that you achieve without browning the cheese! Absolutely incredible!,
Thanks Phyllis. I must confess that I really don’t like when the cheese gets browned. I’ve found a method that works for me using the ooni. Once the stone gets up to over 900°F, I immediately turn down the flame, turning the dial clockwise to as low as I can get it without it going out. Launch the pizza keeping it towards the front and on the right side of the oven. And I turn often, every 15 to 20 seconds. I don’t mind if the rim gets a little more charred. I like the char. Also, even though I have the Ooni 16, I keep the pizza under 13 inches. And this weeks pizzas I made then no bigger than 10″.
Ann, your baguettes and pizza crust are as good looking
as I have ever seen even in books and online!! I’m so encouraged knowing you use a biga as your preferment rather than always using sourdough starters. I’m mixing up my biga this afternoon and plan on baguettes Sunday.
I’m not sure you will ever fully comprehend how enormously you have impacted the home baking and cooking world.
Thanks so much for sharing your culinary adventure with me and so so many others!