Baking Pizza on the Kamado – Temperature, Stone, and Technique | The Rub Kitchen

Baking pizza on the kamado is one of the most impressive things you can do with this device—and also one of the easiest, once you know the setup. At 300–350°C, with a preheated pizza stone in the kamado, a pizza bakes in 4–6 minutes with a crispy crust, melted cheese, and a slightly charred edge you'd expect from a wood-fired oven. No home oven in the world reaches that temperature.

What do you need?

  • Pizza stone or pizza steel — ceramic or cordierite. At least 2 cm thick. Thin stones crack at high kamado temperatures.
  • Deflector plate — the deflector plate goes under the pizza stone. It protects the bottom of the pizza from too direct heat and prevents a burnt crust.
  • Pizza peel — essential for placing and removing the pizza at 300–350°C.
  • Thermometer — an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the pizza stone—more accurate than the dome thermometer.

Step-by-step setup

  • Step 1: Place deflector plate + pizza stone — deflector plate low, pizza stone on top. Place both cold in the kamado before lighting—this preheats gradually and prevents thermal shock.
  • Step 2: Fire up with both vents open — goal: 300–350°C dome temperature. This takes 45–60 minutes. Don't rush it.
  • Step 3: Check stone temperature — measure with an infrared thermometer. The stone needs more time than the air to come up to temperature. Wait until the stone is at least 280°C.
  • Step 4: Pizza directly from the peel onto the stone — quick and decisive. A pizza sticking halfway off the peel is a problem at 350°C.
  • Step 5: Close lid, wait 4–6 minutes — only open at the end to check. Not in between—you lose too much heat.
  • Step 6: Remove and serve immediately — pizza doesn't wait.

Common mistakes with kamado pizza

  • Stone not preheated long enough — a cold stone results in a soggy, non-crispy crust. Preheat for at least 45 minutes.
  • Too many toppings — at 300°C, the pizza cooks so fast that wet toppings (fresh tomatoes, wet mozzarella) don't dry out. Use drained canned tomatoes and dry fior di latte.
  • Too thick crust — thick dough needs more time, and the outside burns before the inside is cooked. Roll thinly—max 3–4 mm.
  • Pizza peel not floured — use semolina or rice flour on the peel, not wheat flour. Wheat flour burns quickly on the hot stone and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Toppings that work on kamado pizza

The short cooking time (4–6 minutes) means not everything has to be cooked beforehand—but some toppings need a short pre-cook:

  • Sausage — always pre-cooked, otherwise it remains raw
  • Mushrooms — lightly pan-fried, otherwise they release too much moisture
  • Bell pepper — raw is fine, gets nicely roasted in the kamado
  • Prosciutto / nduja — add after baking (not in the kamado)

Tip: sprinkle half a teaspoon of Toscana Fire BBQ Rub over the pizza after baking—the fennel and rosemary give an Italian character.

More kamado guides