There are many ways to cook your pizza, but perhaps one of the unique ways is how to cook pizza in a fireplace. This one is truly a great way to make your pizza indoors or outdoors once you master it.
We get so used to posts that say can you cook on grills and other appliances and perfect your pizza. But what if you don’t use any of them, and you just got an outdoor or indoor fireplace to cook the pizza in?
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This post is about, and we will be teaching whether can you and how to properly cook your pizza in your fireplace. This is an easy and interesting process, and you need to be specifically careful with the steps.
A fireplace has the vibe of making your pizza in the most authentic way possible. You get to cook in something with so much heat in it, and the bricks are like authentic wood-fired ovens.
You should always remember when cooking pizzas in an outdoor or indoor fireplace pizza oven insert or fireplace because you do not need too much fire. You only need the embers as the fire can burn the pizza very quickly.
Along with that note, we will also give you tips on what can you use when cooking in an outdoor or indoor fireplace, so your pizza gets out of it without burnt crust and raw toppings. So let us start with an easy one.
If you want you can easily go with our best recommended Pizza oven for under $5oo too but if you want to save some cash then just go on reading.
Cooking With A Cast Iron Pan
The easiest way to cook your pizza in your patio fireplace or fire pit outdoors is to use a cast-iron pan. A cast-iron pan is perfect for cooking over direct heat as it is very durable and can retain heat very well.
You can either place the pan directly on the charcoals or make a small stand to lift the cast-iron pan a little bit.
Either way, we will teach you how to do both of those to cook your pizza perfectly.
So go prepare your pizza dough, start the fire in your fireplace and let us get cooking. Make sure that you have everything ready so you can cook once the fireplace is hot enough.
==> Check out the Cast Iron Pan I use for cooking
Method 1: Use Elevated Cooking
Once you turn the wood into burning charcoal like in wood-fire ovens or wood-burning stoves, get two bricks and then place them on both sides of the fireplace. This will hold the cast-iron pan and balance it over the fire while cooking.
Gather the hot charcoals under the cast-iron pan in between the two bricks. Let the cast-iron pan preheat until the surface is hot enough for cooking and then put a thin layer of oil on it.
To make the process faster, you can cook the toppings first on a separate pan on the stove, or better yet, cook them on the cast-iron pan to see if it is truly hot enough to cook pizza.
Place the dough first on the pan and then arrange the pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings on top. Let it cook for a few minutes until the crust starts to brown, and the cheese melts.
You will know the pizza is ready when you see the toppings are softer and the cheese is gooey and melted.
It will be hard to let the cheese bubble without convection, so go with melted cheese.
Method 2: Directly On The Charcoal
If your cast-iron pan has a cover, it is better to directly cook your pizza on the charcoals. The same process goes with preheating the cast-iron pan and producing charcoal in the fireplace.
Once you get the indoor pizza ready, you can spray some oil on the cast-iron pan and then place the pizza in it. Put all the toppings and other ingredients on the pizza before cooking it.
Create a flat surface with the charcoals and then place the cast-iron pan directly on the hot charcoals in the fireplace. This will get the crust cooking quickly like in wood-fired ovens or wood-burning stoves to have a crispy result.
Place the cover of the cast-iron pan and then get some charcoal on the side.
Place it on top of the lid and then let the pizza cook for about 10 minutes like with wood-fired masonry oven outdoors before opening and checking the pan.
I prefer this method as you can create convection heat within the interior of the cast-iron pan.
That way, the toppings will cook with a better result, and they will cook quickly with the crust.
Once the crust is browning and the cheese melts, then you can remove the cast-iron pan from the fireplace and then carefully remove the pizza from the pan. Serve while it is still hot!
Using A Grill Grate
If you do not have a cast-iron pan, but you have a small grill grate that fits in your fireplace, I recommend using it for your pizza. It is very easy to cook a pizza with a grill grate.
The first thing you need to do is to ensure safety and setting up the grill grate properly. Make sure to use gloves to prevent burning yourself when you are managing the fire inside it.
This method will give your pizza a better crust as you will see the crust while cooking. You can manage it easier and so you can prevent the crust from burning in the fireplace.
Step 1: Prepare The Grill Grate
Like what we set on the first method, allow the woods in the fireplace to burn out and become charcoals. You do not need flames to cook the pizza in the fireplace, so avoid that.
Place two bricks on the side of the fireplace to hold the grill grate. Put the grill grate on the firebricks and then spread the charcoals under it, making sure that they heat the grate evenly.
Prepare the ingredients for your pizza, starting with the dough. Knead and shape it to a size that fits on the grill grate, and then set the toppings, sauce, and cheese on the side for a minute.
Step 2: Cook The Dough First
Place the dough directly on the grill grate without putting the toppings, sauce, and cheese on yet. Let one side of the crust cook first and carefully manage it, so the dough does not burn.
Once there is enough charring on one side of the dough, flip it over and then let the other side cook. While that is happening, place the toppings on the cooked side of the crust.
It is better if you have a cover that you can use to create a little bit of heat from the top.
This will help cook the toppings as the heat from the fireplace does not settle on top to create convection heat.
Can You Use A Pizza Stone
Unless you elevate it or use something to block the direct heat, I recommend not to use a pizza stone when cooking in your fireplace. This will only risk breaking the pizza stone.
Pizza stones are great for cooking pizzas but they can be too fragile with direct heat or flames.
If you want, I think it is better to use pizza steel when cooking pizza in a fireplace. It is more durable and can also absorb heat, so it will cook the crust perfectly.
Just be careful not to let the pizza stay too long in the pizza steel as it can burn. When using pizza steel, you can follow the first method above to cook the perfect pizza.
Conclusion
While there are so many appliances that you can use to cook pizza, there is no one stopping you from making it as creatively as you want. You can make your pizza in your fireplace.
This is a very fun activity, especially during the cold winter months. You get to keep yourself warm while also waiting for your food to finish cooking.
There is no need for you to convert the fireplace into a wood-burning wood stove like Morso or oven. There are some converter fireplace kits or DIY pizza combo oven kits available for your outdoor kitchen but those are not needed.
Yes, it can be easy if you have an indoor fireplace pizza oven insert or converter but that is not necessary. If you want to convert the fireplace into a wood-burning stove, that would be too much trouble and work.
Just follow the methods above, and you will be making the best pizzas in your fireplace!
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