Getting Started
Karu 12
Solid Fuel
Hardwood kindling like our Ooni Premium Assorted Oak Pack and/or Ooni Premium Lumpwood Charcoal. We often use a combination of both.
Gas
To cook with gas use an Ooni Karu 12 Gas Burner and a tank of propane gas. Not sure which gas tank to use? Read our support article here.
Pizza Peel
Essential for getting your pizza in and out of the oven. Get Pizza Peel
Infrared Thermometer
Check that your baking stone is at least 750°F / 400°C before cooking. Get an Infrared Thermometer
⚠ Ooni Karu 12 cannot be used with solid fuels and gas simultaneously.
For the dough
Sauce
Toppings
Don't want to make dough?
Use shop-bought or check out Frozen Ooni Sourdough Balls.
Make your dough
Watch the video below to learn to make dough for a Neapolitan-style pizza.
Make ahead: Pizza dough can be made up to 3 days in advance. Cover and chill until the day you want to cook. Take the dough out and leave on the counter to come up to room temperature for 5 hours before stretching and cooking.
How much pizza do you need?
Use our handy pizza dough calculator and discover other useful tips!
Ball your dough
1. Move and tuck
Move the dough in your hands and tuck the excess underneath to make a ball.
2. Pinch and spin
On a floured surface, pinch inwards with both hands and spin until you have a round shape
Once you have your dough balls make sure they’re covered with cling film, a damp tea towel or a lid if you’re using a proofing box.
Make your pizza sauce
Open a can of whole peeled tomatoes into a bowl. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and crush the tomatoes with your hands, a masher, a fork, or a food mill on the thickest gauge until the sauce is the desired chunkiness. Add additional salt to taste.
If you’re feeling more adventurous, try this Classic Pizza Sauce Recipe.
Setting Up Your Oven
Watch the video below to help you get set up and light your Karu 12.
To season, run Ooni Karu 12 at top temperatures for 30 minutes before extinguishing. Once cool, wipe down the inside with dry paper towels.
After your initial season, pre-heat Ooni Karu 12 for at least 15 minutes. Check that the baking stone has reached the ideal temperature (752°F/400°C) with an Ooni Infrared Thermometer.
Cooking with a gas burner? See your setup guide here.
⚠ This oven is for outdoor use only. Using Ooni Karu 12 indoors is not safe.
Shape your base
1. Finger Press
Before you start, remove any jewelery on your hands. It’s also essential to dust your surface and hands generously with flour or semolina. Then follow these steps below.
Press, flatten, and gently stretch the base outwards from the center. Leave a 1cm (0.5") crust.
2. DJ Deck
Put both hands flat onto the disc of dough and rotate the dough as you’re pulling your hands away from each other.
3. Steering Wheel
Pick up by the edge and let it hang down. Gently pinch along the edge as you rotate it around.
4. Parachute
Place over your hands and move apart slowly to keep stretching the dough, watch out for tearing.
Top Tip!
Holes in your base? If it's small, pinch it closed! Bigger? No matter the scenario, your dough can be salvaged. Turn it into a Recovery Calzone!
Top your pizza
1. Flour Everything
Flour your hands, stretching surface and peel with a generous sprinkling to prevent sticking. Semolina can also be used.
2. Check for holes and tears
Simply pinch together gently to avoid sauce going through to the peel.
3. Transfer to the peel and shake
Before topping, transfer the dough to your peel and shake it. If it’s stuck, lift and scatter more flour or semolina underneath the area that wouldn’t budge.
4. Keep toppings light
Keeping toppings light will make it easier to launch your pizza into the oven and less likely to stick to the peel.
5. The hovercraft
Still stuck? Lift the edge and blow under gently to create air pockets.
Launch Your Pizza
It's time to slide your pizza off the peel and into the oven. This can be a tricky part of the cook. After making sure your base hasn’t stuck, aim to slide the pizza into the middle of the baking stone.
Cook Your Pizza
For best results, use your peel to take the pizza out and turn it every 20-30 seconds.You can also use an Ooni Pizza Turning Peel to turn pizzas while still in the oven.
Your Neapolitan-Style pizza will be ready in under 2 minutes. If you want to cook a second pizza, make sure the stone gets back up to 715°F-850°F (380°C-450°C) before launching.
Uneven bake?
Try adjusting your cooking technique with these tips: Why is my pizza burning?
You made it!
Enjoy your pizza! You should be proud of yourself for making it from scratch!
What's Next?
Get the Ooni app for a dough calculator and much more.
To keep learning, get inspiration or use our dough calculator – download our mobile app with over 250 recipes.
