How to Use the Buschbeck Pizza Oven Insert (Without Burning the Base)

If you've ever pulled a pizza out of your Buschbeck with a base like a hockey puck and a top that's still pale and sad, you are not alone. I've burnt more bases than I care to admit. The good news is the Buschbeck pizza oven insert is brilliant once you understand what it actually needs - and it's almost never the insert's fault.

Getting a proper wood-fired pizza out of your fireplace comes down to patience, a hot stone, and knowing when to turn things. Let's go through it properly, from lighting the fire to pulling your first blistered, bubbling pizza out onto the board.

Why the Buschbeck pizza oven insert needs time, not just fire

Baking is a different game to grilling. With grilling you're cooking over direct flame and you can see progress instantly. Baking in your Buschbeck pizza oven insert relies on stored heat - the stone itself, plus the walls and roof of the firebox, all need to be properly hot before anything goes near the dough.

That means lighting a generous fire at least an hour to an hour and a half before you plan to bake, and keeping it burning well the whole time. Rushing this step is the single biggest reason people end up with a sad, under-cooked pizza or one that's stuck halfway between raw and burnt.

If you're using a separate pizza stone or baking insert, put it in place while the fire is building so it heats up gradually. Chucking a cold stone into a roaring fire is asking for a crack right down the middle - and always follow whatever instructions came with your specific model and accessories.

The right heat for the Buschbeck pizza oven insert

For pizza you want fierce heat - somewhere around 350 to 400°C (660 to 750°F) on the stone, with live flames licking along the back of the firebox to roll heat over the top of the pizza as it cooks. At that temperature, a pizza is done in two to four minutes. That's the whole point of a wood-fired setup: speed and that proper leopard-spotted crust you just can't get in a regular oven.

If you want a deeper read on judging heat without a thermometer, I've written a whole guide on reading the zones in your firebox - it's worth bookmarking before your first proper baking session.

Stretching your dough and building the pizza

Stretch your dough, don't roll it. Rolling pushes all the air out of the crust and you lose that lovely puffed-up edge. If you need a reliable dough to start with, my everyday pizza dough recipe is the one I use every single time I fire up the Buschbeck.

Go easy on the toppings. A thin layer of sauce and a few well-chosen extras will cook through evenly and stay crisp. Pile it high and you'll end up with a soggy middle no matter how hot your stone is. If you want proof that simple wins, have a look at how I build a classic margherita on the Buschbeck pizza stone - three or four ingredients, done properly.

Dust your peel generously with semolina or fine polenta before you build the pizza on it. Give the peel a little shake before it goes anywhere near the oven - if the pizza doesn't slide freely, it's going to turn into a very expensive calzone-shaped mistake the moment it hits the stone.

Turning the pizza so it doesn't burn on one side

This is the bit people skip, and it's exactly why bases burn. The side of the pizza facing the flames cooks fastest, so you need to rotate it a quarter turn every 30 to 45 seconds using the peel or a pair of tongs. Stand there, pay attention, and keep turning. It only takes a couple of minutes total, so it's not a huge ask.

Between pizzas, feed the fire with a small split of wood to keep the flames lively, and give the stone a minute to recover its heat before you load the next one.

Fixing a burnt base on your Buschbeck pizza oven insert

If the base is burning before the top has even started to cook, your stone is simply too hot. Let it rest out of the direct flame for a minute, or slide your next pizza a little further forward in the firebox, away from the hottest part of the stone.

If it's the opposite problem - the top is browning nicely but the base stays pale and doughy - the stone has cooled down too much. Give it a few extra minutes to reheat before you try again. This back-and-forth is completely normal, especially with your first few bakes. Even now, I treat the first pizza of the night as a test pizza.

The first pizza is always the chef's. Use it to judge the heat, then adjust and keep going.

Beyond pizza: bread, focaccia and flatbreads

Once you've got pizza sorted, the Buschbeck pizza oven insert is capable of a lot more. Bread likes a hot start and a gentler finish, around 220 to 250°C (430 to 480°F). Let the fire burn down to coals, push them to the side or back, and bake directly on the stone or in a tray.

Thick doughs like focaccia do particularly well in a heavy pan or cast iron - my wood-fired rosemary focaccia is one of the most-made recipes from the book for exactly that reason. And if you're after something a little heartier, a calzone on the pizza stone uses the same technique as a regular pizza, just folded and sealed.

Flatbreads are the easiest entry point of all. Slap them straight onto a hot hotplate, the grill, or the stone for a minute or two each side until they puff up and char in spots. They're a brilliant way to learn exactly how your particular fire behaves before you commit a full pizza to it.

Using the falling heat after baking

Don't waste the heat once your pizzas are done. As the fire dies down, the firebox turns into a gentle, falling oven. This is the perfect moment to slide in a tray of vegetables, a crumble, or a pot of beans and let the residual heat finish the job slowly. Old-fashioned bakers relied on this trick for centuries, and it's one of my favourite ways to wind down a night by the fire.

What to do when the weather won't play along

Weather doesn't always cooperate, and that's fine. Most baked recipes from the book can be made in a conventional oven, heated to its maximum - usually around 250°C/480°F - with a pizza stone or heavy tray preheated for at least 45 minutes. It won't be quite the same magic as the Buschbeck pizza oven insert, but it'll still turn out a decent pizza.

Once you've got the rhythm of heating, stretching, loading and turning down, it becomes second nature. The full book has the complete temperature chart and all 89 recipes if you want to take this further - but honestly, the basics above will get you a very good pizza tonight.

Buschbeck recipes to try next

• My Everyday Pizza Dough for the Buschbeck Pizza Oven Insert
• Margherita Pizza on the Buschbeck Pizza Stone
• Calzone on the Buschbeck Pizza Stone
• Wood-Fired Rosemary Focaccia in the Buschbeck
• Fire-Baked Brownies in the Buschbeck Pizza Oven

FAQs

What temperature should my Buschbeck pizza oven insert be for pizza?

Aim for around 350 to 400°C (660 to 750°F) on the stone, with visible flames at the back of the firebox. At this heat a pizza cooks in two to four minutes.

Why does my pizza base burn before the top is cooked?

This means the stone is too hot. Let it rest out of direct flame for a minute, or slide the next pizza further forward in the firebox away from the hottest spot.

How long should I heat my Buschbeck before baking pizza?

Light a generous fire at least one to one and a half hours before you want to bake, keeping it burning well so the stone and firebox walls are properly hot.

Can I use a regular pizza stone in a Buschbeck pizza oven insert?

Yes, but place it in the firebox while the fire is still building so it heats gradually - putting a cold stone straight into a roaring fire can crack it.

What if I don't have a Buschbeck or the weather is bad?

Most baked recipes can be made in a conventional oven at its maximum temperature, usually around 250°C/480°F, with a pizza stone or heavy tray preheated for at least 45 minutes.

Get all 89 recipes in The Wood Fire Kitchen

This guide 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.