Your First 60-Second Neapolitan

The first bake in a stone-fired oven is a small ceremony: the stone glowing, the flame rolling across the roof, and a pizza that finishes before you've poured the drinks. This is the exact routine we use for a first bake — no guesswork, no burnt first attempt.

TECHNIQUE · Preheat ~20 min · Bake 60–90 sec · Serves: everyone watching

WHAT YOU NEED

• One dough ball, room temperature (see our high-heat dough recipe)
• Fine semolina or flour for dusting the peel
• A simple topping — crushed tomato, mozzarella, basil. First bakes reward restraint.

METHOD

1. Light the oven and let the stone soak up heat for a good 15–20 minutes. The flame settling into a steady roll matters less than the STONE being fully charged — it does the baking from below.
2. Stretch the dough on the counter, not the peel. Move it to a well-dusted peel only when you're ready to top it.
3. Top it fast and light. A wet, overloaded centre is the number-one first-bake mistake.
4. Launch with one confident push-and-pull. Hesitation folds the edge; confidence lands it flat.
5. Let the rotating base do the turning — watch the crust, not the clock. When the far edge blisters and the cheese bubbles evenly, it's done. Usually 60–90 seconds.
6. Rest it one minute before cutting. The crumb finishes cooking off the stone.

Safety first: run the oven on a stable heat-resistant surface, keep children away, and follow the supplied manual.

From the Flavor Forge Kitchen — stone heat, done right.