Author: Santa Barbara Baker

Ooni Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe

Ooni Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe

Easy & Authentic Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe for Ooni Pizza Ovens and Ooni Detroit-Style Pizza Pans. Looking for more recipes for your Ooni Pizza Oven? Check out my cookbook: Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook. All the recipes are dialed in for making at home in an 

Detroit-Style Peanut-Butter Pizza Brownie Recipe

Detroit-Style Peanut-Butter Pizza Brownie Recipe

An epic Detroit-Style dessert pizza. This Chocolate Peanut-Butter Brownie Pizza is perfect to make in an Ooni Pizza Oven using an Ooni Detroit-Style Pizza Pan. Staying true to the Detroit-Style pizza vibe the brownies get indulgent peanut butter racing stripes in lieu of the traditional 

Easy Neapolitan Pizza Dough for Ooni Pizza Ovens

Easy Neapolitan Pizza Dough for Ooni Pizza Ovens

Make authentic Neapolitan-Style pizza with your Ooni Pizza Oven using this easy Neapolitan pizza dough recipe. Staying true to authentic Neapolitan-Style pizza it only uses a few ingredients and it tastes delicious. For best results It’s crucial to use the recommended flour for this recipe, Caputo “00” Pizzeria Flour (in the blue bag). Thankfully it’s now easy to source this flour online without breaking the bank, pick up a bag here.

Why is this pizza dough recipe so easy?

We let fermentation do the hard work. No fussiness, just an easy Neapolitan pizza dough recipe that produces amazing results in a home pizza oven. This recipe produces beautiful, leopard spotted pizza that tastes delicious!

Can I use another brand of flour?

This recipe is designed for Caputo “00” Pizzeria Flour, in the blue bag (not the red “Chef’s” flour). This flour is specifically designed for making authentic Neapolitan pizza at high heat. Other flours may burn or produce undesirable results. If you have a home pizza oven you should have a bag on hand!

How do I get leopard spots on my pizza?

The “leopard spotting” that has become the signature of Neapolitan-style pizza for many is a combination of formation and heat. A properly fermented dough with lots of small bubbles when baked at very high heat will produce this stunning look.

What pizza oven should I use to make authentic Neapolitan pizza at home?

All of the Ooni Pizza Ovens can produce authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. My favorites are the Ooni Volt 12 and Ooni Karu 16 with the gas attachment.

Where can I buy your cookbook?

My cookbook: Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook is now available for purchase. You can buy it here and many others booksellers. It’s full of recipes dialed in for making epic pizza at home.

More pizza dough recipes and more can be found on the Santa Barbara Baker.com.

Easy Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Easy and authentic Neapolitan-style pizza dough recipe perfect for all Ooni Pizza Ovens or any high-heat pizza oven.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cuisine: Italian, Pizza
Keyword: Dough, Holiday Recipes, Neapolitan Pizza Dough, Ooni, Pizza
Servings: 2 pizzas
Author: Santa Barbara Baker

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pour the filtered water into a medium size bowl and add the salt. Stir to dissolve.
  • Sprinkle the instant dry yeast over the surface of the water. Allow the yeast to rehydrate for about 1 minute and then stir to dissolve completely.
  • Add the flour to the bowl and use your hands to mix, pinching and stirring to fully incorporate all the ingredients. Do not knead at this point. Cover and let rest at room temperature (about 70F) for 20 minutes to allow the flour to better absorb the water.
  • After 20 minutes, uncover the dough and knead with your hands directly in the bowl or on a work surface. Knead and fold the dough for about 3 minutes till the dough begins to look mostly smooth. Cover and let rest at room temperature (about 70F) for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours (1 hour tends to be the sweet spot).
  • Uncover the dough and transfer to a work surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces (about 260 grams each). Using your hands shape the portions into dough balls, folding the dough into itself a couple times to expose a nice shiny surface and pinch the dough balls closed.
  • Transfer the dough balls to a lightly oiled dough tray or individual bowls. Brush the surface of the dough balls lightly with oil (optional). Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to cold-ferment for at least 12 hours.

4-6 Hours Before Making the Pizzas

  • Remove the dough tray or bowls from the refrigerator and let rise at room temperature (about 70 F) till fully proofed before using. This should take about 4-6 hours depending on your environment. The dough should look relaxed and may have spread out quite a bit in the dough tray. Look for lots of small bubbles and maybe a few larger ones (you really want tons of little ones for the best leopard spotting).
  • Stretch, top, and bake in your Ooni Pizza Oven. Check out my website SantaBarbaraBaker.com, Santa Barbara Baker YouTube Channel, and my cookbook: Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook for all the details on stretching, topping, and baking, amazing pizza with your pizza oven.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward Santa Barbara Baker a small commission – at no extra cost for you. Clicking on these links helps keep the pizza content baking! Thanks for the support!

Oprah’s Favorite Pizza Oven

When Oprah is craving a slice of pizza, she doesn’t settle for delivery, she fires up her Ooni Pizza Oven. The Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven is Oprah’s favorite home pizza ovens. Included as part of her legendary Oprah’s Favorite Things 2023 List the 

New York Style Cheese Pizza: Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook

New York Style Cheese Pizza: Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook

I show you how to make the New York Style Cheese Pizza recipe from my new cookbook: Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook. Pre-order the cookbook here! A classic New York style cheese pizza is one of my favorite pizzas to make at home in my 

New York Pizza in the Ooni Volt

New York Pizza in the Ooni Volt

New York Pizza in the Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven is easy if you use the right pizza dough and oven settings. I’ve found the Ooni Volt to be the easiest pizza oven I’ve used for making New York Style pizza at home. Not a big surprise as the Ooni Volt oven design is closer to the deck style oven that many classic New York pizzerias bake with. The big surprise was how Ooni’s recommended settings for New York Style Pizza worked in the Volt. Check out the video where it put Ooni’s NY style pizza oven settings to the test.

The classic NY style cheese pizza is one of my favorite pizzas to bake at home. A New York style “plain pie” is one of the signature recipes in my new cookbook, the Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook.

Preorder my new pizza cookbook; Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook

Can you make New York Style Pizza at home?

Yes, NY style pizza is possible with pretty much any Ooni Pizza Oven, outdoor pizza oven, or on a baking steel in a traditional home oven. The Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven excels at this style of pizza thanks to its novel design and intuitive controls. Highly insulated and equipped with a door the baking environment is closer to the deck pizza ovens that many New York style pizzas are baked in.

What’s the best Pizza Dough for New York Pizza in an Ooni Pizza Oven?

In the NY Style pizza in the Ooni Volt video I’m using a cold fermented, 300g dough ball of the Modern Artisan Pizza Dough from my cookbook, the Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook. My easy no-knead Ooni pizza dough recipe portioned to a 250-300g dough ball could also work here or give sourdough a try with the best sourdough pizza recipe for Ooni Pizza Ovens.

What’s the Best Setting for NY Style Pizza in the Ooni Volt?

Ooni’s recommended oven settings for New York Style pizza in the Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza oven are an oven temperature of 650F, the balance control adjusted to 3 for the bottom element, and a bake time of approximately 5 minutes. I gave these settings a try in the video and found the results to be excellent. I like to give my Ooni pizza oven a little more time to heat before baking my first pizza to solve the #1 complaint about Ooni pizza ovens. To learn more about the settings and controls on the Ooni Volt check out this vid.

Do you need to turn a NY Style pizza in an Ooni Volt?

Ooni recommends turning your pizza with a pizza turning peel one every minute in the Volt for a New York Style pizza. In the video I gave this a try and I found it to be more than adequate. 1-3 turns is probably fine for this style of pizza in the Ooni Volt and less heat escapes during the baking process.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward Santa Barbara Baker a small commission – at no extra cost for you. Clicking on these links helps keep the pizza content baking! Thanks for the support!

Store Bought Pizza Dough – 1 Simple Trick

Store Bought Pizza Dough – 1 Simple Trick

Learn the Trick to Preparing Store-Bought Pizza Dough: Baking Store-Bought Pizza Dough in an Ooni Pizza Oven: The secret to amazing homemade pizza is in the dough. Making your pizza dough from scratch with a recipe like my easy no-knead dough recipe pretty much guarantees epic 

Ooni Volt Pizza Oven

Ooni Volt Pizza Oven

The Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven is Ooni’s first electric pizza oven and I’m taking it for its first bake. Built for both indoor and outdoor use this oven packs some impressive technology and features to make epic homemade pizza. For a first bake 

Ooni Cup & Char Pepperoni Review and Taste Test

Ooni Cup & Char Pepperoni Review and Taste Test

Let’s take a look and take a taste of the new Cup & Char Pepperoni from Ooni Pizza Ovens. These “roni cups” style pepperoni are part of the Ooni Pizza Ovens grocery lineup. This pepperoni is a custom cup ‘n char style pepperoni made just for Ooni. We take a look at the packaging (they don’t have to be refrigerated till after they’re open, sweet). I take a taste of the new Ooni pepperoni on their own and then fully cupped and crispy on an amazing New York Style pizza baked in an Ooni Pizza Oven.

Want to bake pizza like the one in the video? Making your own dough is a great place to start. Check out my easy no-knead dough recipe. I baked the New York Style pizza featured in the video using my Ooni Karu 16 Pizza Oven. It’s my favorite of the Ooni Pizza Ovens lineup.

Preorder my new pizza cookbook; Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook.

From Ooni Pizza Ovens: “Unlike lay-flat pepperoni, cup & char (aka cup-and-char, cupping pepperoni, and Old World pepperoni), these slices curl during cooking, elevating any pepperoni pizza to new heights. Their crispy edges rise sky-high, trapping natural juices and delicious flavors released during cooking to form the ‘ronicups seen at some of the world’s most famous pizzerias. Decades ago, most pepperoni was cup-and-char! The lay-flat style seen everywhere today only took over as producers turned to fibrous casings and ways to speed manufacturing. While common on Instagram, this special pepperoni still isn’t widely available—often an ingredient wielded by pros. We turned to Buffalo, New York, a region that never gave up on the original recipe, to bring you this mouth-watering, old-school version, the best cup & char we could find. This versatile topping has a balanced spice level that goes great on New York slices, Chicago Tavern-style pies, New York Sicilian squares, and Detroit-style pizza, but it really complements any style. Add to your favorite pizza base, bake and enjoy.”

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward Santa Barbara Baker a small commission – at no extra cost for you. Clicking on these links helps keep the pizza content baking! Thanks for the support!

How to Make a Calzone with an Ooni Pizza Oven

How to Make a Calzone with an Ooni Pizza Oven

Learn how to make a calzone with an Ooni Pizza Oven. This epic Ham and Fontina Cheese Calzone recipe is an easy and delicious recipe perfect for learning how to bake a calzone in an outdoor pizza oven. It’s full of flavor, but not full 

Epic Pepperoni and Kimchi Pizza Recipe for Outdoor Pizza Ovens

Epic Pepperoni and Kimchi Pizza Recipe for Outdoor Pizza Ovens

New York style pizza in an outdoor pizza oven is easier than ever thanks to the versatile Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fueled Pizza Oven. This kimchi pizza recipe takes the classic NY pepperoni slice to the next level with a spicy combination of kimchi and pepperoni 

World Cup Pizza – Chorizo and Chimichurri – Choripán Pizza Recipe

World Cup Pizza – Chorizo and Chimichurri – Choripán Pizza Recipe

No matter who wins the World Cup if you make this pizza you will be a champion. Inspired by one of the world’s greatest sandwiches, Choripán, this Chorizo and Chimichurri with Salsa Criolla Pizza scores every time. Traditionally Choripán is a sandwich made with grilled chorizo, split down middle on a toasty roll often with chimichurri. The exact preparation and toppings can vary a bit depending on geography. The version I grew up with was served topped with a version of salsa criolla, the amazing and ubiquitous Peruvian condiment. For this pizza I combine my favorite elements of this top tier sandwich and put it on a batch of my homemade pizza dough, the result, a pizza of world cup championship deliciousness.

In the video I’m baking the pizza in my Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven. My favorite of the Ooni Pizza Oven lineup. For cooking the chorizo I used Ooni Cast Iron Sizzler Pan. Support the creation of more free recipes and content by purchasing Ooni products through my links! Thank you! One love!

Choripán Pizza – Chorizo and Chimichurri with Salsa Criolla

Inspired by one of the world's greatest sandwiches, Choripán, this Chorizo and Chimichurri with Salsa Criolla Pizza is absolutely delicious. Traditionally Choripán is a sandwich made with grilled chorizo, split down middle on a toasty roll often with chimichurri. The exact preparation and toppings can vary a bit depending on geography. The version I grew up with was served topped with a version of salsa criolla, the amazing and ubiquitous Peruvian condiment. For this pizza I combine my favorite elements of this top tier sandwich and put on a batch of my homemade pizza dough, the result, a pizza of championship deliciousness.
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Pizza
Cuisine: Argentina, Pizza
Keyword: Choripán, Choripán Pizza, chorizo, world cup pizza
Servings: 1 pizza
Author: Santa Barbara Baker

Ingredients

For the Chimichurri

For the Salsa Criolla

For the Pizza

  • 2 links Chorizo Sausage (Fresh Argentinian or Spanish style.)
  • 3 ounces Low-Moisture Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
  • 3 ounces Fontina Cheese
  • 1 dough ball Pizza Dough
  • 1/2 cup Salsa Criolla
  • 1/4 cup Chimichurri

Instructions

To make the Chimichurri

  • Remove the parsley leaves from the stems, finely mince the leaves and add to a medium size bowl. Finely mince the small red chili and two cloves of garlic and add to the bowl. Add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Whisk to combine. Whisk in about 1/4 cup water till the chimichurri is thinned out a bit, it shouldn't be super thick (you may need to use less or add more depending on amount of parsley and desired consistency). Season to taste with about 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside till ready to top the pizza. Chimichurri can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or more.

To make the Salsa Criolla

  • Fill a medium sized bowl with ice cold water. Using a mandoline thinly slice the 1/2 red onion from pole to pole directly into water or thinly slice with sharp knife and add to ice water. Let soak for about 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • Cut the small red pepper into thin strips or julienne and add to a medium sized bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the peppers. Drain the soaked red onions in a fine mesh colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water, let drain and dry briefly on a few paper towels. Add the red onions to the bowl, add the teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar and about 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Toss to combine and season to taste with about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few cranks for freshly ground black pepper. Set aside till ready to top the pizza. Salsa Criolla can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Drain before using.

To make the Pizza

  • Begin heating your Ooni Pizza Oven on high heat. A full pre-heat of any outdoor pizza oven will take at least 30 minutes on high heat for proper baking and crispy bottomed pizza.
  • While the oven is heating to make the pizza place a cast iron pan in the pizza oven directly under the flame and let heat for about 5 minutes. Apply a small amount of olive oil to the outside of the chorizo links. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and add the chorizo. Return the pan to the oven and roast on medium-heat till browned and just cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove the chorizo from the pan and let cool. Split the chorizo links in half lengthwise and then cut in half crosswise to form chunks about 1-inch in size. Set aside till ready to top the pizza.
  • Cut the low-moisture whole milk mozzarella cheese and Fontina cheese into 1/2 cubes and combine in a small bowl. Set aside till ready to top the pizza.
  • When your Ooni Pizza Oven is fully heated stretch the pizza dough to about 14-15 inches. After your dough is stretched turn your pizza oven down to low to let the heat temper while you top the pizza.
  • Leaving room for the crust to rise top the pizza with the cubes of cheese. Top the cheese with about 1/2 cup of the salsa criolla making sure each slice gets an assortment of all the ingredients in the salsa. Place one piece of chorizo in the center of the pizza and add about 1 piece to to what will be each slice of the finished pizza, 8 slices total. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the chimichurri over the top the pizza.
  • Turn the heat on your Ooni Pizza Oven to medium high and take the temperature of the stone aiming for for 750-800F in the center. When the stone has reached the proper temperature load the pizza. Let the crust set and look for the cheese to begin to melt a bit all around the pizza before your first turn with your pizza turning peel. Bake the pizza till the crust is golden brown, the cheese is melted and the chorizo is charred in some spots.
  • When fully baked carefully remove the pizza and let rest on a wire rack for about 1 minute. Drizzle generously with more chimichurri and slice on a parchment lined baking sheet or pizza peel. Serve immediately.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward Santa Barbara Baker a small commission – at no extra cost for you. Clicking on these links helps keep the pizza content baking! Thanks for the support!

How to make Pizza Margherita at home in an Ooni Pizza Oven

How to make Pizza Margherita at home in an Ooni Pizza Oven

Learn how to make a Margherita Pizza at home in an Ooni Pizza Oven. It’s queen the of all pizzas and possibly the greatest pizza of all time. Know it, bake it, live it. In the video I’m using my no-knead pizza dough recipe. It’s an 

It’s Corn! How to Make a Corn and Bacon Pizza

It’s Corn! How to Make a Corn and Bacon Pizza

It’s Corn! Inspired by the famous seasonal Corn Pie from Razza in Jersey City, NJ this sweet corn and bacon pizza showcases summer’s favorite lump with knobs along with smoky bacon, shaved shallots, and a blast of heat from Calabrian chili paste. I can’t imagine 

The #1 Ooni Pizza Oven Complaint, SOLVED!

The #1 Ooni Pizza Oven Complaint, SOLVED!

The #1 complaint received about Ooni Pizza Ovens is that’s it’s nearly impossible to bake a crispy pizza. The center is always soggy and uncooked while the crust is burned to a crisp. I feel you. This can be a struggle. Rest assured, it can be done and it doesn’t require any hacks, modifications to your oven or any additional purchases. You just need to change the way you bake!

Ooni would like you to believe that your pizza oven is ready to bake in as little as 15 minutes. Sounds a bit too good to be true? If you want a well baked pizza with a crispy bottom of course it is. No home pizza oven is ready to crank out that style of pizza in such a short amount of time. Thermal mass won’t allow it. There is so little in these backyard ovens it will always be a bit of a struggle, but don’t go tossing it on the curb just yet.

The good news is crispy, well baked pizza in an Ooni Pizza Oven is completely within reach. These ovens are made for making pizza at home with your friends and family, it’s time to slow down. No one needs a 60-second homemade pizza. It’s a gimmick and not the makings of delicious homemade pizza.

Learn how to properly preheat your Ooni Pizza Oven to set yourself up for easy crispy bottom pizza baking. Once it’s heated use heat control and tempering techniques to make for a low stress bake. A crispy, no flop pizza slice is possible in affordable home pizza ovens. Watch the video and learn how.

In the video I’m using my no-knead pizza dough recipe. It’s an easy Ooni pizza dough recipe designed for home pizza making. If sourdough pizza is more your style check out my Ooni sourdough pizza recipe. I’m baking the pizza in the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven my favorite pizza oven in the Ooni Pizza Oven lineup. Support the creation of more free recipes and content by purchasing Ooni products through my links! Thank you! One love!

Preorder my new pizza cookbook; Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward Santa Barbara Baker a small commission – at no extra cost for you. Clicking on these links helps keep the pizza content baking! Thanks for the support!

How to make the best Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza

How to make the best Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza

The best Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza starts with seeking out the freshest eggplant you can find. For me that means a summer stroll through the amazing Santa Barbara Farmers Market keeping my eye out for something special. For this pizza it’s the Fairy Tale eggplant a 

Making New York Style Pizza in an Ooni Pizza Oven

Making thin crust New York Style pizza in the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven. My latest stop on my journey to make the best crispy no flop pizza at home in my Ooni Pizza Oven. Learn my techniques to achieve pizzeria quality pizza at 

How to Fire Roast Peppers in an Ooni Pizza Oven

How to fire roast peppers in the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven. As your Ooni Pizza Oven preheats you can put that heat to use to prepare your pizza toppings. Here I roast a poblano pepper for my Ultimate Summer Pizza recipe.

Support the creation of more free recipes and content by purchasing Ooni products through my links! Thank you! One love!

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward Santa Barbara Baker a small commission – at no extra cost for you. Clicking on these links helps keep the pizza content baking! Thanks for the support!

The Ultimate Summer Pizza

The Ultimate Summer Pizza

If it’s the ultimate summer pizza it better include corn. This summer pizza uses a base of corn infused cream spiked with black black pepper to showcase peak summer corn, roasted poblano peppers, bacon, mushrooms, pickled jalapenos, a blend of cheeses, and finished with herbs 

How to Preheat the Ooni Karu 16 Pizza Oven for Crispy Bottom Pizzas

If you are struggling with soggy bottom pizzas in the Ooni Karu 16 Pizza Oven it’s likely that your stone is not hot enough. Learn how I heat my Karu 16 using gas to make crispy bottom pizzas super easy. Please note that this post