Control the temperature

Heat up, read the stone, use the hot corner

The oven has no thermometer. One control: the knob, Max at 9 o'clock, Min at 6.

1. Preheat on Max for about 20 minutes; add 10 to 15 minutes in cold weather (Essentials Guide).
2. Read the centre of the stone with an infrared thermometer, about 15 cm in from the mouth, emissivity 0.95 (help centre).
3. Aim for 400 °C (750 °F) for Neapolitan pizza; above about 450 °C (850 °F) bases burn (help centre).
4. Use the heat map: hottest at the back left by the burner, coolest at the front right (Essentials Guide).
5. Turn it off in breaks: it is safe to 500 °C (950 °F) but should not run on high for long without cooking (Essentials Guide).
6. If the stone is too hot, rest a cast-iron pan on it for about 30 seconds (Essentials Guide).