My Everyday Pizza Dough for the Buschbeck Pizza Oven Insert

I've made a lot of pizza dough in my backyard in Geelong, and this is the one I keep coming back to. It's not fancy, it doesn't need a starter, and it forgives you if you forget about it in the fridge for a day. That's exactly what you want from a dough that's going to end up on a screaming hot Buschbeck pizza stone.

The thing about cooking pizza on a Buschbeck is that your oven is doing things a domestic kitchen oven simply can't. We're talking proper heat, the kind that blisters a crust in under two minutes. For that, you need a dough with enough structure and hydration to handle the shock without turning into a cracker.

This dough gives you that. Make it the morning of pizza night, or the day before for even better flavour. Either way, it's built for wood fire, not for mucking about.

Makes 4 pizzas · Fire: very hot · Prep: 15 min + rising

Ingredients

• 500 g (3⅓ cups) plain or 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
• 7 g (2 tsp) dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 325 ml (1⅓ cups) lukewarm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Mix the yeast and sugar into the water and leave for 5 min until foamy.
2. Put the flour and salt in a big bowl. Add the yeast water and oil and mix to a shaggy dough.
3. Knead on a floured bench for 8–10 min until smooth and springy. Pop it back in an oiled bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 1–2 hrs, until doubled.
4. Knock it back and divide into 4 balls. Cover and rest for 30 min before stretching, or keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Fire note: Light the fire about an hour before you want to cook so the pizza stone has time to heat right through. Aim for 400°C (750°F) on the stone with your infrared thermometer.

Buschbeck kit: Pizza Oven Insert · Wood Pizza Paddle · Infrared Thermometer

How to cook this dough on a Buschbeck

Your Pizza Oven Insert is the star here, and it needs a proper head start. Light your fire about an hour before you plan to cook, pushing the coals to one side once they're established so you've got a hot zone and a slightly cooler one for finishing toppings that need a touch longer.

Use your Infrared Thermometer on the stone itself, not just the air above it. You're aiming for around 400°C (750°F). Below that and your base will stew instead of blister; much hotter and you'll catch the edges before the centre's cooked through.

Stretch your dough ball out on a floured bench, dress it quickly, then slide it onto the stone using your Wood Pizza Paddle in one confident motion—hesitating halfway is how you end up with a folded, lopsided pizza.

• Rotate the pizza a quarter turn every 20-30 seconds so it cooks evenly against the hottest part of the stone.
• Watch the crust, not the clock—it should puff, blister and catch a few dark spots in well under two minutes.
• If the base is colouring faster than the top, lift it slightly closer to the dome or flame for the last few seconds.

Once you've got the rhythm down, this becomes the easiest, most reliable cook on the whole Buschbeck.

What to serve with this dough

Once you've mastered the base, it's just a matter of what goes on top. Try my Margherita Pizza on the Buschbeck Pizza Stone for the classic approach, or fold the same dough into a Calzone on the Buschbeck Pizza Stone for something heartier. A side of Fire-Blistered Tomatoes with Burrata rounds out the spread nicely.

FAQs

What temperature should my Buschbeck pizza stone be for this dough?

Aim for around 400°C (750°F) measured directly on the stone with an infrared thermometer. That's what gives you a quick blister without a soggy base.

Can I make this dough ahead for a Buschbeck pizza night?

Yes, it actually improves with a slower rise. Make it the day before and keep it in the fridge, then bring it to room temperature before stretching.

Why does my dough tear when I stretch it for the Buschbeck?

It usually hasn't rested long enough after dividing. Give the dough balls a full 30 minutes covered before you try to stretch them.

Do I need a pizza oven insert to cook this dough on a Buschbeck?

The Pizza Oven Insert makes it much easier to hold the high, even heat this dough needs, but a hot stone placed near a strong fire can work too.

Get all 89 recipes in The Wood Fire Kitchen

My Everyday Pizza Dough is one of 89 recipes in my cookbook, The Wood Fire Kitchen: Recipes for your Buschbeck outdoor fireplace. It covers everything from lighting and reading the fire to pizza, grilling, the rotisserie, camp-oven dinners and desserts baked in the embers, with a Buschbeck kit note on every recipe so you know exactly which accessory to reach for.

Get the paperback ($49 USD)

Want a look inside first? Grab the free sample on the book page, or browse more Buschbeck recipes.