You can make so many delicious foods in your outdoor pizza oven. Of course, the main reason you will use it is for pizza, but you do not have to limit yourself just to that.
Your outdoor pizza oven doesn’t need to be used solely for pizza. Quite the opposite, since there are a variety of delicious meals and snacks that can be cooked in there.
As well as pizza, don’t forget your favorite side dishes such as rustic potato chips, garlic focaccia bread, and roasted veggies.
You can also cook dessert there, such as baked cheesecake (be prepared for a rustic look). If you are a meat lover, you should try out steaks and ribs cooked in the pizza oven.
The only limit is your imagination. Keep on reading to find out about two of our favorite non-pizza foods that can be cooked in an outdoor pizza oven.
Can you bake a cake in a pizza oven?
Yes, you can bake a cake in a pizza oven but it will be no easy feat, that's for sure.
The traditional cake recipe may not be the best cake to bake in your pizza oven, especially if you build your pizza oven yourself and it does not feature controllable temperatures.
A traditional pizza oven that uses hot stones or wood-fired as the hearing method presents a risk in relation to burning.
The bottom of your cake may burn. This can happen easily and fairly quickly.
However, there are ways you can lessen this risk such as baking the cake on an upturned wire rack or something similar.
The reason your cake will be more prone to burning on the bottom when baked in these traditional pizza ovens is that the temperature can get very hot and there is no way of controlling it.
Sure, it may work for some cakes and for some lucky people, but there is no way of knowing for sure so you may want to err on the side of caution and use a conventional oven for your baked goods (unless you want to experiment, of course).
One other thing to keep in mind is the fact that some pizza ovens, especially more modern models and types do have controllable temperatures.
Deck-style ovens or pizza ovens with a metal base or surface will be far better equipped for cooking your baked goods.
You will be able to set the oven to a temperature that suits the task at hand and you will not have to worry about it exceeding this temperature as it would do in a traditional stone or wood-fired pizza oven.
You may also want to take into account the types of cakes you are making. Because you will have less control over the temperatures inside your traditional pizza ovens (whether stone or wood-fired), it is best not to choose a cake that needs a very specific temperature.
It is perhaps best to choose a cake to bake that does not need to rise a lot and perhaps is more rustic in appearance.
The reason for this is because the cake may be burnt or overcooked and may cook on the outside faster than it cooks on the inside.
If this happens you may take the cake out of the oven too soon as it looks and feels cooked but it may sink immediately and may even be undercooked on the inside.
That being said, there are some cakes that thrive in the conditions of an outdoor pizza oven, particularly baked cheesecakes! Try your hand at these for a delicious dessert.
To ensure that you get the perfect bake each time you should use a conventional oven.
However, if you are a keen experimenter when it comes to baking you should definitely try to bake a cake in your pizza oven. You may even be pleasantly surprised by the results!
Can you cook jacket potatoes in a pizza oven?
Yes! We are pleased to tell you that you can definitely cook a jacket potato in your pizza oven.
Jacket potatoes are also known as baked potatoes and make an excellent filling lunch, a great addition to any dinner, and are a barbecue or grilling night staple.
They can be as simple or as complexly flavored as you like, and what's more, they are so simple to make.
Cooking a jacket potato (or baked potato) in your pizza oven is incredibly easy. They need to be baked at a high temperature and the scorching insides of a pizza oven make for the perfect place to cool these tasty taters.
There are a number of different methods for cooking jacket potatoes on your wood-fired oven.
Our favorite foolproof method is to bung the potatoes into the microwave oven on full or medium power for around 10 minutes, ensuring to prick them with a fork beforehand (trust us on this, you don't want to risk an exploded potato in your microwave).
When they are done, you can bring them outside to your pizza oven and prepare them for paradise.
By this, we mean you give them the VIP (very important potato) treatment.
First, you massage some of your favorite oil or full-fat butter into them. Then you can sprinkle on some sea salt and cracked black pepper.
You can now add any other herbs and spices you may want. We recommend garlic granules and smoked paprika for delicious flavor.
When you have seasoned them to your liking you can pop them straight onto the oven rack. No need for foil unless you want them to be soft. Our foil-free method ensures the skins are crispy.
Leave them for around 10 minutes turning halfway through. If they aren't done enough for you you can leave them for 5-minute intervals, checking each time.
Take them out and top them with whatever you desire! Shredded cheese is our favorite topping, but you can also experiment with chili, baked beans, and even make a pizza-topped potato!