5 Tips to Make the Most out of Your Outdoor Pizza Oven

It’s still prime outdoor entertaining season, and with blazing temps taking us into the end of summer, there’s no reason to turn on your regular oven—especially when you’ve got a pizza oven by your side. But when it comes to pizza ovens, not all are created equal, especially if you want to cook like a pro with a statement piece that looks incredibly chic. Enter my new favorite: the Gozney Arc XL.

Recently, chef outfitter Hedley & Bennett collaborated with the brand to create new limited-edition Arc XL designs that are in very Sunset-approved colorways. We particularly love the terracotta-hued “Sunrise” oven, which is an entire southwest patio vibe in itself; but the “Sunset’s” azure tone is giving ocean-side feast and we aren’t mad about it. Ellen Bennett, founder of Hedley & Bennett, adds that the color choice was intentional and a long process to design. The team wanted to evoke the idea of cooking from sunrise to sunset with inspiration from the endless elements of nature. Rounding out the collection are matching outdoor cooking essentials like a pro-grade peel, aprons, hats, and a pizza cutter.

Courtesy of Gozney

But it’s not just about looks. After some very hefty testing, including a weekend slinging over 16 pizzas for my very eager family, the Arc XL outperformed any other oven I’ve tried. The performance level completely transforms the at-home cooking experience and allows for you to experiment and try new things without stress. In fact, it has reinvigorated my excitement for cooking. Bennett says that the removable stone and large opening give cooks more flexibility to make bigger and longer pizzas, while also allowing for more control since there’s access from different angles.

Courtesy of Gozney

We asked Bennett for her top tips to make the most out of your outdoor oven experience. Take a look below.

1. Get Quality Ingredients

Invest in great ingredients where you can—this will really bring the flavors of your pizza to life! Good low-moisture mozzarella cheese, San Marzano tomatoes or Bianco tomatoes, dried oregano, maldon salt, and extra virgin olive oil are a few of my go-tos.

2. Have a Prep Station

I recommend having a beautiful, large wooden table in your outdoor space that doubles as an island. This is a game-changer for entertaining, it can be used for serving when it’s time to eat, and as a prep station during the cooking stage. On pizza nights, I use the table as a pizza throwing station.

Thomas J. Story

3. Preheat

Let your oven preheat before you dive in (how long you preheat for depends on your model)—this will make sure your pizza cooks at the perfect temp while it’s in the oven.

4. Buy Dough from Your Favorite Pizza Spot

Ask your favorite local pizza spot if they sell dough. Many places will sell their dough to you in a cup and this can be a great time saver if you don’t have time to make your own at home. Plus, the taste and quality is always better than store-bought.

5. Get Creative and Cook Other Things Inside Your Oven

Don’t limit yourself to just pizza! While you can of course make the perfect pizza with the Arc, I love to hit up the farmers market and create a platter of fresh, high-quality vegetables and herbs, accompanied by olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon. Then I get a sauce (like a chimichurri) to top it all off with. The oven chars and cooks the vegetables beautifully; all of a sudden you have a full meal of pizza and veggies. You can even cook fish and potatoes in the Arc XL.

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