To be bored of wood fired pizzas every week?

[ooninooni]

DH got given one of those Ooni pizza ovens for his birthday last summer. Every Saturday right into autumn we would have pizza oven pizza, then tailed off when the weather changed.

It started again around Easter and now - every week without fail - we have one night that is pizza oven pizza.

Thing is, I just don't like it all that much. DH and the kids think it's great but I honestly prefer a shop bought pizza.

I find the pizza oven too stodgy, the sauce gives me heartburn. I can't get excited by it.

My friend has an Ooni oven and raved about it.

What am I missing? Is there something I should be doing toppings wise that will make me enjoy it more?

If you think a meal is about calorie content, a bottle of booze would suffice.
Protein, veg, & some form of stodge in varying proportions is the norm throughout the world - including Italy

I hate pizza in every form.

I’ve been making pizzas forever in the oven - one tip to cut down on the faff is to just stop making tomato sauce. It’s totally unnecessary as you just need a tin of chopped tomatoes. Ladle a bit on the pizzas (not much is needed for each one) and sprinkle with salt. Easier, cheaper and more digestible than heavy reduced sauces.

Also, dough shouldn’t be sticking to the worktop. Mix in a bowl until it’s a ball and then tip out to kneed.

I never bothered upgrading to an ooni as their popularity coincided with about a hundred Neapolitan wood fired pizza places opening within a five mile radius (that’s before we get into New York, Detroit and Roman). I only bother making my own now when we actually fancy the process of making them and want something a bit different.

So, I’m a bit of a pizza aficionado and I’m glad we’re past the dark days when a pizza treat was domino’s or something from M&S. But even I’d get bored with one a week.

I'm mainly baffled by the idea that the sauce or the flour is really expensive. I don't have an ooni but I make homemade pizza regularly. I just use regular bread flour and make a sauce out of tomato puree, oil, water and salt. I expect it would be better if I made something from fresh tomatoes but that's too major a commitment. I might try it later this summer.

Another person really recommending leaving the dough for a day or two in the fridge.

There's a place near us that does a ricotta and smoked salmon pizza (no tomatoes) which is good.

@ooninooni
If the pizza is giving you indigestion - that’s your body telling you nope, no more, stop!
Tomato sauce & tomatoes, as weird as it sounds, bother my bladder.
Maybe it’s the acid for us both.

We don’t have an ooni but a big proper wood-fired pizza oven outdoors. I couldn’t eat pizza every week.
If you’re bored with pizza you could maybe ask him to make you a basic garlic bread and eat it with something else.

However…. What I recommend is

1. ask him to stretch or roll a very thin pizza base and brown it lightly in the oven
2. remove it and cover it with Nutella and a sprinkle of small marshmallows.
3. Cook for a minute until done and eat it all yourself

I'm not mad keen on pizza but have seen (on Instagram) the same kind of toppings on tortilla wraps and they look amazing - maybe try that instead; lighter, healthier and you can add salad. Or just order yourself a Chinese! :)

Yanbu, I eat about three pizzas a year, usually in an Italian restaurant. No way would I have this often.

YANBU - can't be arsed with it. We've used ours about once every 6months and that was slightly too often.

I'd love someone to make me pizza every week! YABU

I make a lot of pizzas in the oven- a tip, instead of tomato sauce or whatever, use the tomato concentrate, it will keep the moisture from the ingredients and wont make the base wet. Make sure other ingredients are dry (so paper towel to get moisture out of mushroom and roast veg). Make sure you give the dough enough time to raise.
Pizza can be a lot of fun, if you dont love it ok, but if it makes the rest of the family happy, get yourself somethign else like someone suggested.

I find the dough is best after 72 hours fermentation. I use the Jamie Oliver recipe. also the use of semolina helps

I haven't got one op but am sure shop bought ones are much easier!!

You ask for suggestions from MN then you’re rude to someone who offers a solution. It’s a first world problem anyway.

I think you're very funny and droll OP. I wouldn't want one of those Ooni things - what a money and time pit.

I imagine your neighbours hate the smell too

This is one I made with goat's cheese.

I would get so so bored of pizza every week. I do like a nice wood fired pizza but I don't think pizza is a massive treat, even good pizza. It is bread and cheese and a few bits of veg or meat!!

I'm with you OP. Buy him a sushi rolling set or a cocktail smoker or a posh BBQ smoker. Something else to get obsessed with?!

looks so good!

I suppose anything too often gets a bit much. We are on a spaghetti bolognaise break atm.

Anyway OP. I haven't read all the replies. I got to massive salad and then decided to only read yours 😂

My favorite topping is chicken mayo. I know it sounds gross, but I'm a convert. I was always a spinach, bacon and feta gal, but times have changed. And the best bit about it, it doesn't have the tomato base. It's that base topping that makes it slide, and always tastes the same no matter the topping. Imo.

I hope your sloppy supper was fairly okay though 😂

Buy yourself one really nice rib eye steak and ask DH to cook it for you in the oven. Tuck into it while the rest are eating pizza and then comment on how that is what you really call a treat.

I never bothered upgrading to an ooni as their popularity coincided with about a hundred Neapolitan wood fired pizza places opening within a five mile radius (that’s before we get into New York, Detroit and Roman). I only bother making my own now when we actually fancy the process of making them and want something a bit different

Same here. I absolutely love good pizza. When we went on holiday to Gozo, it was amazing and I think I had it about five times in a week.

I did vaguely think about buying an Ooni, but then remembered that I hate the process and time that making it takes, and they cost so much money.

So I make a point of going out to eat pizza if that's what I want, as we also have plenty of really excellent Neopolitan style wood fired pizza places where we are. Then there's also the Sicillian pizza, arancini and custard doughnut takeaway too. Definitely no need at all to bother myself in making something that probably won't be as nice.

Sounds like you're eating in a pizzeria, not a restaurant.

I was in a fabulous Italian restaurant in York when the waiter patiently explained to a customer that they did not have pizza on the menu because they were a restaurant.

That looks nice. Is it crispy?

Yes, thin and crispy base is the secret to a good pizza. We bought our pizza oven during lockdown and we've used it a lot. Now usually just once a month but if DS comes home he rings ahead and asks for one.