Infrared thermometer – measure the oven instead of guessing
Where to aim it, why the stone surface can lie, and what reading you want before the pizza goes in – for wood-fired, gas, electric and home ovens alike.
Quick answer: Aim an infrared thermometer at the surface of the stone or steel, not at the flame or the air – and measure at several points, because a baking surface rarely heats evenly. A surface temperature that looks high enough can still lie if the core of the stone has not had time to get as hot.
Why surface readings can fool you
A stone or steel can have a hot surface after a short preheat while the mass underneath is still cool – and that heat runs out quickly after a single pizza. So measure both at the start of the bake and again after a couple of pizzas to see whether the heat actually holds, which is exactly what the pizza steel vs pizza stone test is set up to measure.
Practical use
Before the first pizza: measure the centre and the edges of the stone/steel – differences of more than 20–30 °C mean the oven heats unevenly and you should rotate the pizza more often (see turning). See the full relationship between temperature and baking time in baking temperature, and read about the kit you are measuring in baking steel.
