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Ooni Karu 12G
First Cook Guide
Making truly amazing pizza at home is the reason we invented the first Ooni pizza oven. Becoming a master pizzaioli
takes time, passion and of course, the right pizza oven. Building on years of design and engineering knowledge
around pizza, the Ooni Karu 12G uses the latest innovations to create a cooking experience like no other.
Cooking with Ooni Karu 12G is a simple, fun experience and this First Cook Guide will help you get the most out of
your new oven. Have a read, prepare your ingredients, then invite your friends and family to join you – the way you
cook and enjoy food outdoors is about to change forever.
Ooni Karu 12G is a multi-fuel oven powered by real wood, charcoal, or gas*, and heats up to 950 °F (500 °C)**
allowing you to cook truly great pizza at home. Like all Ooni pizza ovens, you can cook a range of pizza styles and
beyond. Try a Detroit-style pizza at a lower temperature or sear a tasty tomahawk steak with grilled veggies after just
15 minutes of heat up time.
Welcome to the Ooni Community! We just know you’re going to love your Ooni Karu 12G.
Welcome to Ooni
*Gas burner attachment sold separately
**Fuel type and conditions can aect top temperatures
Kristian Tapaninaho
Founder & co-CEO
Darina Garland
Co-founder & co-CEO
1
Key Features 4
Setting Up 6
Essential Tools 9
Temperature Control 10
Stone Temperature And Care 11
Which Fuel Should You Use? 13
Cooking With Wood 14
Cooking With Lump Charcoal 16
Flame Management 18
Chimney Bae Control 19
Make, Shape, Top, Cook. 20
Cooking Troubleshooting 24
Aftercare 26
Classic Pizza Dough Recipe 28
Classic Pizza Sauce Recipe 30
Looking For More? 32
Contents
2 3
If your Ooni Karu 12G has not arrived as expected, reach out to
us at support.ooni.com. We’ll be happy to help!
Your safety is paramount. Please read the Ooni Karu 12G
manual carefully and store for future reference.
Key Features
a
e
b
d
h
f
g
c
Your Ooni Karu 12G
comes with a host
of awesome features
to give you the best
cooking experience.
a
SureGrab door handle stays cool to the touch,
even while the oven blazes at 950 °F/500 °C
e
Larger fuel tray to reduce time spent refuelling
b
ClearView borosilicate glass door lets you
keep an eye on your pizza without opening
the door and releasing heat
f
0.6” (15mm)-thick cordierite baking stone
c
Integrated thermometer monitors Karu 12G’s
ambient temperature for the perfect bake
every time
g
Fully-insulated construction retains heat and
maintains temperature
d
Chimney bae with heat-resistant handle to
easily adjust oven airflow
h
Serial number — register for your warranty
extension via ooni.com/warranty
4 5
Setting Up
Only use your Ooni Karu 12G outdoors
There are a few things to consider when choosing a
spot to use your Ooni Karu 12G.
1. Set up your Ooni Karu 12G on a sturdy wooden, steel
or stone surface — an Ooni Modular Table is ideal,
because it has a sleek, stainless steel surface and
plenty of space to hang pizza-making tools.
Plastic and glass tables are not recommended.
2. If there’s a breeze, point the back of the oven into
the breeze for the best air flow for the fire.
3. Leave plenty of space around your Ooni Karu 12G.
4. Follow the instructions in the manual.
6 7
Essential Tools
Digital
Infrared
Thermometer
An Ooni must-have! Get an instant and accurate
temperature reading by aiming the laser at the middle
of the stone baking board. The Ooni Digital Infrared
Thermometer will allow you to achieve perfectly crispy
pizza bases. We aim for at least 750 °F (400 °C) when
baking Neapolitan pizza.
Pizza Peel Ooni Pizza Peels are designed specifically for use with Ooni
pizza ovens. Use one to launch your pizza into the oven
and retrieve it after cooking. The Turning Pizza Peel is used
to rotate your pizza for an even cook.
Fuel
Use Ooni Premium Fuels and Ooni Natural Firestarters
when cooking with your Ooni oven. Our Premium Natural
Firestarters are all-natural, simple to use and provide the
necessary amount of heat and flame for lighting wood and
charcoal without aecting the flavor.
Ooni has a wide range
of accessories and
tools designed to
enhance your outdoor
cooking experience.
8 9
Temperature Control
There are two ways of measuring the temperature
inside your Ooni Karu 12G: air temperature and
stone temperature.
Stone temperature vs. air temperature
Your pizza stone will heat up more slowly than the
air temperature inside the oven. To cook great pizza,
you need the balance of both, so be sure to use both
the built in analog thermometer and an Ooni Digital
Infrared Thermometer to ensure your stone and air
temperatures are similar.
Analog thermometer
Ooni Karu 12G has an ambient air thermometer that
shows the inside oven temperature, so you can heat
your oven to the ideal temperature for whichever pizza
style you choose.
Low (heating up)
Medium (pan-style pizzas)
High (Neapolitan-style pizzas)
Stone Temperature And Care
The stone must be in the oven while preheating.
Stone temperature
The stone surface will gradually increase in temperature
the closer it gets to the flame. It’s important to rotate
your pizza and food for an even cook.
Stone care
Once your Ooni Karu 12G has completely cooled, you
can use the Ooni Pizza Oven Brush to remove any
burnt food before flipping the baking stone. The hot
temperatures inside Ooni Karu 12G will naturally clean
the underside.
Do not use water to clean your baking stone.
Hottest
Hot
10 11
Which Fuel Should You Use?
Cooking with fire is as
much an art as it is a
science. The following
table will give you an idea
of the results to expect
from each fuel.
Our favorite fuel is a
combination of charcoal
and wood, but you can
choose whichever fuel
best suits your cook.
*Please note that the above figures are estimates and are
dependent on weather and ambient temperatures.
**Gas Burner available at ooni.com. Region-dependent.
Fuel Temperature Benefits
Charcoal &
Wood
Up to 950 °F
(500 °C)
A base layer of charcoal helps keep a steady, even
temperature. Adding wood will give a burst of heat and
wood-fired flavor, perfect for pizza.
Wood Up to 950 °F
(500 °C)
Cooking with wood alone is the fuel of choice for
Neapolitan pizza purists. Wood is also ideal for any food
that enjoys a fast cooking time, like steak, fish or vegetables.
Charcoal Up to 950 °F
(500 °C)
Bake amazing bread, meat and more with charcoal. We
love this option for low and slow cooking and it gives you
the option to bake thicker-crust and deeper-dish pizza.
Charcoal will provide a base heat without excess flame.
Gas** From 482 –950 °F
(250–500 °C)
Great for cooking with ultimate speed and quickly reaching
super-high temperatures, the Ooni Gas Burner creates the
ideal temperature for cooking pizza and much more.
See your Gas Burner manual for lighting instructions.
12 13
Cooking With Wood
True Neapolitan-style
pizza is cooked with
100% hardwood. Plus,
nothing beats the
mesmerising glow,
soothing crackle and
amazing smell of
cooking with fire.
Wood can get your Ooni
Karu 12G running at
high temperatures that
are ideal for fast-cook
pizza styles.
Types of wood
For best results use
kiln-dried hardwood.
Size
We recommend pieces of wood approximately 6”
(15cm). Ooni Premium Hardwood 5” (13cm) Oak Logs
are ideal for your Ooni Karu 12G.
Too Big Best
15cm
Good
Start with three to six pieces of wood in your grate and
light with natural firestarters. You can also light with a
kitchen blowtorch or matches. Please refer to manual
for further guidance.
Refuel when the wood has mostly burnt to embers but
before all visible flames have disappeared.
Add small amounts of fuel often, and make sure not to
overfill – wood mustn’t overflow the grate.
1 2
Hardwood
Painted or treated
Softwood
14 15
It is normal to see smoke when cooking with wood. Ooni Karu 12G
will burn cleanly and with minimal smoke when running at
optimum temperatures.
Cooking With Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal oers
a wide range of
temperatures and is a
smart choice for low
and slow cooking in
your Ooni Karu 12G. We
use charcoal for non-
pizza dishes that don’t
need the same exposure
to flame.
Use high-quality,
sustainably sourced
lump charcoal like
Ooni Premium Lump
Wood Charcoal.
Lump charcoal will
burn down to a small
amount of ash, reducing
your clean-up.
Do not use briquettes as
they will block the holes
in the grate, resulting in
reduced airflow.
Start with two to three pieces of charcoal in your grate
and light with natural firestarters. Please refer to manual
for further guidance.
1
If your charcoal is still black and is producing smoke,
your Ooni Karu 12G is not yet ready to cook.
When your charcoal is glowing white with a red center,
it’s ready to cook.
Add fuel a little at a time to maintain a good base
temperature. Always leave room for airflow through
the grate.
2
3
16 17
A combination of charcoal and wood is a great way to cook
in your Ooni Karu 12G. You can achieve a steady base
temperature with lump charcoal. Adding wood gives a burst
of heat, rolling flames and wood-fired flavor.
Flame Management Chimney Baffle Control
Neapolitan-style pizza
needs rolling flames
to cook a pizza in
60–90 seconds.
This is the type of fire to aim for when cooking a 60–90 second Neapolitan-style
pizza – it’s the result of fuel management. You’ll see this when fuel is given time to
burn through properly and there’s enough room for airflow through the grate.
If your flame doesn’t look like this, gradually build up a flame by adding pieces of
wood, allowing new fuel enough time to burn properly before you start cooking.
The easiest way to regulate temperature in your Ooni
Karu 12G is through fuel management. The inbuilt
chimney bae also allows for adjustments to the
airflow and combustion of fuel.
If your Ooni Karu 12G is not running hot enough on
wood or charcoal, check that the chimney bae is open
and chimney cap is removed. This will provide maximum
airflow and top temperatures in the oven.
Open chimney bae: increases the draw of air through the
oven, creating more powerful flames and increased heat.
Closed chimney bae: reduces the draw of air for a smokier
eect and lower heat.
18 19
Make, Shape, Top, Cook
Get your peel, dough and ingredients to
room temperature.
Cold dough will spring back on itself and stick; warm
dough will stretch too far and tear. If you stretch your
pizza on a warm peel, the dough will start to sweat,
which will cause it to stick.
Shaping
Use any technique you like to shape your dough: finger-
press, steering wheel, parachute or toss. Just make sure
you leave a 1/2” (1cm) edge for the crust and the dough
hasn’t torn.
Dust your peel with a little extra flour before placing
your stretched dough on it.
Saucing
Before adding anything to the dough, stop and shake
the peel to check that your dough is moving freely. If it’s
stuck, pick it up and add more flour to the peel. Do this
before you add toppings!
Check for holes in the pizza base before adding
toppings, and pinch them closed if you find any.
Toppings
Keep them light. Heavy ingredients will weigh down
your dough and make it harder to slide o of the peel.
First o, work swiftly: — there’s no need to rush, but remember dough that rests on the peel for too long will be
more likely to stick. Get your pizza ready when both you and your Ooni Karu 12G are ready to cook.
20 21
Temperature
Using your Ooni Infrared Thermometer, aim for at
least 750 °F (400 °C) in the center of your baking stone
before you launch a pizza into the oven.
Launch
If your pizza does stick you can use what we call the
hovercraft technique (see above). Lift up the edge of
your dough at one side and gently blow air underneath
the base. This will create air pockets and will spread
flour to the areas that are sticking.
Cooking
When cooking with your Ooni, it’s important to stay
close because the oven gets HOT and will cook your
pizza very quickly. For an even cook, rotate the pizza
every 20–30 seconds
Enjoying
Slice your pizza straight away and serve hot.
Give your pizza stone enough time to recharge before
baking another.
Make, Shape, Top, Cook
22 23
Cooking Troubleshooting
Making pizza is a journey. The important thing
is to learn as you go and enjoy it! Practice, eat,
learn, repeat!
Like all cooking, the most important factors are
temperature and time. If you want to cook a thin pizza
quickly, aim for a higher temperature and reduce the
amount of time in the oven. For thicker pizza and other
dishes, reduce the temperature and increase the time
so your food can cook through.
My base is undercooked
• Use the Ooni Infrared Thermometer to make sure
your baking stone has reached 750 °F (400 °C) or
higher before you launch
• Use the Ooni Classic Pizza Dough recipe
• Stretch your dough thinner
• Use fewer toppings
• Avoid a lot of toppings with high moisture content
My base is overcooked / burnt
• Reduce your preheat time and stone temperature
• Reduce the amount of flour added to your pizza base
and make sure you use “00” flour
• Use Ooni Classic Pizza Dough recipe
• Add enough fuel to produce flames across the top of
your pizza while the stone bakes from underneath
One side of the crust is burnt
• Rotate your pizza sooner and more frequently
• Use the Ooni Turning Peel to make turning your
pizza easier
• Reduce the flame size before launch
24 25
Aftercare
How do I extinguish Ooni Karu 12G?
Please refer to your manual for instructions on how to
extinguish your Ooni Karu 12G.
How do I clean Ooni Karu 12G?
A run at top temperatures will do the hard work for you,
burning o any excess flour or remnants of food.
Soot is a natural side eect when burning solid fuels.
Once the Ooni Karu 12G has completely cooled, excess
soot can be wiped down using a dry paper towel or the
Ooni Pizza Oven Brush. You can reduce the amount of
soot that builds up through ecient fuel management
(as described on page 18).
When cool, the outside of your oven can be wiped
with a damp cloth and dried completely. Use a regular
stainless steel cleaner to remove any marks or smudges
from the stainless steel.
How do I clean the glass pane?
Only clean when your Ooni Karu 12G is completely
cool. Soot can be removed using paper towels or a dry
cloth. For more thorough cleaning, use warm soapy
water when the glass is completely cool.
Where should I store Ooni Karu 12G?
While Ooni Karu 12G is happy to live outdoors, we
recommend that you store your oven indoors when it is
not in use. Remember to allow your oven to cool and to
ensure that it is completely dry before storing.
The Ooni Karu 12 Cover is perfect for Ooni Karu 12G
and can be ordered at ooni.com.
How to care for your baking stone
It is normal for the stone to look used so don’t worry!
Your baking stone can be cleaned by running Ooni Karu
12G at top temperatures. If you need to remove hard-
to-budge debris from the stone, use the Ooni Pizza
Oven Brush. Don’t use water to clean your stone.
Only dry, bread-based dishes should be cooked directly
on the stone. Meats, vegetables and other wet dishes
should be cooked using Ooni Cast Iron or other pans
that are able to withstand the high temperatures inside
Ooni Karu 12G.
In colder climates and at times of year when the
temperature is lower, the baking stone will take longer
to heat up. To achieve faster heat up times, we suggest
storing your stone at room temperature.
26 27
Classic Pizza Dough
Flour, salt, water and yeast come together to create
the perfect foundation for any good pizza!
This recipe is an excerpt from our cookbook, Ooni,
Cooking with Fire and is our go-to dough recipe at
Ooni HQ.
Ingredients
12 cups (368g) lukewarm water
3.5 grams active dry yeast, or 7 grams instant
dried yeast
4 ½ cups (613g) “00” flour, plus extra for dusting
3 teaspoons (18g) salt
Method
Place two-thirds of the water in a large bowl. In a
saucepan or microwave, bring the other third of water
to boil, then add it to the cold water in the bowl. This
creates the correct temperature for activating yeast.
Whisk the salt and yeast into the warm water.
If mixing by hand:
Place the flour in a large bowl and pour the yeast
mixture into it. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough
starts to form. Continue mixing by hand until the pizza
dough comes together in a ball.
Place the dough ball onto a lightly floured surface and
knead with both hands for about ten minutes, until it’s
firm and stretchy. Return the dough to the bowl.
Cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm
place for about two hours, or until doubled in size.
If mixing with a mixer:
Fit the mixer with the dough hook and place the flour
in the mixer bowl. Turn the machine on at a low speed
and gradually add the yeast mixture to the flour. Once
combined, leave the dough to keep mixing at the same
speed for five to ten minutes, or until the dough is firm
and stretchy. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and
leave to rise in a warm place for two hours or until
doubled in size.
When the dough has roughly doubled in size, divide
it into three or four equal pieces, depending on what
size you want your pizzas to be (either 16 inches or 12
inches wide respectively). Place each piece of dough
in a dough tray or in separate bowls, cover with plastic
wrap and leave to rise for another 30 to 60 minutes, or
until doubled in size.
28 29
Classic Pizza Sauce
Our super easy, no-nonsense Classic Pizza Sauce is the
perfect complement for your favorite toppings.
Made using a stovetop (hob) rather than in your Ooni,
this recipe is an excerpt from our cookbook, Ooni:
Cooking with Fire. Use high-quality tomatoes for the best
flavor – we recommend canned San Marzano tomatoes,
the traditional choice for Neapolitan-style pizzas.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
4 cups (800g) canned whole plum tomatoes (we like
San Marzano)
2 teaspoons sugar, heaped
1 teaspoon salt
Handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
Pinch of freshly-ground black pepper
Method
Place the oil in a pan over a medium heat. When warm,
add the garlic and fry until softened but not brown.
Pour the can of plum tomatoes into a bowl and use a
masher or fork to break them apart and crush them.
Pour the tomatoes into the pan.
Add all the remaining ingredients, then simmer on
a low heat for 20 minutes, or until the flavor has
deepened and the sauce has thickened slightly.
This sauce can be used straight away, or placed in an
airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to
a week.
30 31
We love hearing and seeing what you create and
cook with your Ooni Karu 12G so keep in touch by
tagging your photos on social media with #ooni.
The Ooni app is here with our favorite recipes and videos on
how to get the best out of your Ooni pizza oven.
Featuring our Ooni Dough Calculator, say goodbye to
guesswork when it comes to the perfect pizza dough.
Download it now!
Looking For More?
32 33
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All rights reserved.
PA-A0034E
The Ooni Impact Fund donates 1% of Ooni’s annual global revenue to
charitable causes and projects focused on social and environmental
change. By purchasing Ooni Karu 12G, you’re helping to plant trees
through Ooni’s partnerships with Eden Projects and 1% for the Planet.
Thank you!
