Eigen pizza oven: zo bak je je eerste perfecte pizza

Your own pizza oven: how to bake your first perfect pizza

A pizza oven in your garden or on your terrace — it sounds like a dream, but it's easier than you think. Whether you want to brighten up a weekday evening with the family or surprise friends with a true Italian experience: with the right preparation, you'll be baking pizzas that beat any restaurant in no time. In this guide, we'll take you step by step — from dough to that first bite.

Step 1: The dough — make it yourself or buy it?

Good dough is the foundation of everything. You have two options:

Option A: Make it yourself (recommended)

Use Caputo flour — the Neapolitan standard for pizza dough. Caputo "Pizzeria" or "Cuoco" are the most commonly used varieties. Its high gluten content gives your dough the elasticity and airiness you want. Available at Italian delis or online.

Basic recipe for 4 dough balls:

  • 600g Caputo flour (type 00)
  • 390ml lukewarm water
  • 2g dry yeast (or 6g fresh yeast)
  • 18g salt
  • Optional: 1 tbsp olive oil

Mix, knead for 10 minutes, let rise for 2–24 hours (the longer the better). Divide into balls of ±250g and let come to room temperature for another 30 minutes before baking.

Option B: Buy dough

No time or inclination to knead yourself? Buy ready-made pizza dough at Sligro (catering quality, for larger quantities) or at VanLemmen (bakery dough, excellent quality for home use). Always let purchased dough come to room temperature before rolling it out.

Step 2: Prepare the sauce and toppings

Less is more with pizza. The Neapolitan school swears by simple, good ingredients — and that's precisely the philosophy Nero is built upon.

Basic tomato sauce

  • 1 can peeled San Marzano tomatoes (400g)
  • Crush by hand — do not blend
  • Salt to taste
  • Optional: splash of olive oil, fresh basil

Do not cook. The sauce will cook in the oven.

Classic toppings per pizza

  • Margherita: tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, basil, olive oil
  • Salami: tomato sauce, mozzarella, Italian salami
  • Bianca: ricotta, mozzarella, rocket (after baking)
  • Funghi: tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, garlic

Cut everything beforehand and arrange it in bowls — this makes baking a fun, communal process.

Step 3: What do you need? Hardware overview

The oven

The Nero-14 is a gas-fired pizza oven that reaches temperatures up to 500°C — necessary for that authentic Neapolitan crust with air bubbles and a slightly charred edge. Compact enough for any terrace, but powerful enough for serious work.

Essential accessories

  • Pizza peel (Pro Pizza Peel): for launching pizzas. Choose an aluminum peel for launching.
  • Turning peel (Pro Turning Peel): for turning pizzas in the oven. Choose a smaller turning peel for rotating pizzas during baking.
  • Rolling pin or hands: most pizzaiolos shape the dough by hand for more control. A rolling pin rolls all the air out of the dough, so hands are preferred.
  • Work surface or dough mat: for stretching the dough.
  • Pizza cutter: for serving.
  • Thermometer: the built-in thermometer or an infrared thermometer helps you check the stone temperature (goal: ~400°C for Neapolitan).

The gas cylinder

The Nero-14 runs on butane or propane gas. Use a standard 5kg or 10kg camping gas cylinder — available at hardware stores (Praxis, Gamma), garden centers, and gas stations. A 5kg cylinder lasts an average of 8–12 sessions. Always have a spare cylinder.

Step 4: Lighting and heating the oven

  1. Connect the gas cylinder to the oven's regulator.
  2. Place the oven on a stable, flat, and heat-resistant surface.
  3. Light the oven via the igniter and set the gas to the highest setting.
  4. Heat for 15 minutes — the pizza stone must be fully up to temperature.
  5. Check the stone temperature: ideal is 380–430°C for Neapolitan style.

Use the waiting time to roll out dough and prepare toppings. Make it a cozy ritual: a glass of wine, music on, everyone preparing their own toppings.

Step 5: Rolling out and topping the pizza

  1. Lightly flour your work surface or sprinkle with semolina.
  2. Press the dough ball flat with your fingers — working from the center outwards.
  3. Gently stretch the dough into a disk of ±28–32 cm. Leave the edge slightly thicker (the "cornicione").
  4. Place the dough on the lightly floured pizza peel.
  5. Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce over the dough — leave a 2 cm border free.
  6. Add mozzarella and toppings. Less is more. Don't overload it, otherwise the base will become soggy.

Tip: Work quickly after topping — otherwise the dough will stick to the peel.

Step 6: Baking in the oven

  1. Slide the pizza with a quick, confident movement from the peel onto the hot stone.
  2. Close the oven and wait 60–90 seconds.
  3. Check if the bottom is starting to color — then rotate the pizza a quarter turn with the turning peel.
  4. Repeat if necessary until the crust is nicely leopard-spotted and the cheese is bubbling.
  5. Total baking time: max 2–3 minutes at 400°C+.

The first pizza is always exciting. The second is already much easier — and after three pizzas, you'll be baking like a pro. Every pizza you pull out of that oven feels like a small celebration.

Step 7: Serving and enjoying

  1. Remove the pizza from the oven onto the peel or a wooden board.
  2. Let it rest for 30 seconds — this keeps the base crispy.
  3. Cut with a pizza cutter into 6 or 8 slices.
  4. Garnish optionally with fresh basil, rocket, Parmesan, or a drizzle of olive oil.
  5. Serve immediately — pizza waits for no one.

The best thing about a pizza oven in your own garden is this: everyone gathers around it, everyone tops their own pizza, and eating becomes a shared moment instead of just a meal. That's exactly what the Nero was made for.

Summary: your pizza oven checklist

  • ✅ Dough: Caputo flour (homemade) or balls from Sligro/Van Lammen (bought)
  • ✅ Sauce: San Marzano tomatoes, uncooked
  • ✅ Toppings: simple, fresh, prepared in advance
  • ✅ Hardware: Nero-14 oven, pizza peel, turning peel, thermometer
  • ✅ Gas: butane or propane, 5 or 10 kg cylinder
  • ✅ Preheat: at least 15 minutes, stone at 380–430°C
  • ✅ Baking: max 2–3 minutes, turn after 60–90 seconds
  • ✅ Serve: immediately, with good people around you

Ready to get started? Discover the Nero 14 pizza oven and all accessories in our shop.

Of course, we also have a video: 




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