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Pizza · Fix it
Pizza burnt on the outside, raw inside
Last updated 23 August 2026
This means the top or bottom heat is too fierce relative to how fast heat is reaching the centre, usually from an oven that's too hot for the base's thickness or not enough bottom heat from the stone. Lower the shelf slightly or thin the base, and check the stone has genuinely finished preheating.
Diagnose it
Which one matches your dough
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix | Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rim is black, centre is doughy | Top heat too aggressive for the bake time needed | Move shelf down, reduce grill exposure | Balance top and bottom heat sources deliberately |
| Bottom is pale, top is charred | Stone or steel hasn't fully preheated | Extend preheat time significantly | Always preheat 45 minutes to an hour minimum |
| Happens with thicker styles specifically | Base is too thick for the heat level being used | Stretch thinner or reduce oven temperature slightly | Match dough thickness to your actual oven heat |
| Only happens in a wood-fired or pizza oven | Uneven flame exposure, not rotating enough | Rotate every 15 to 20 seconds during the bake | Watch the pizza constantly, don't walk away |
Do this now
Balance a pizza that's charring too fast
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1
Step 1
If it's charring under the grill before the base is done, move the shelf down one level so the top is slightly further from the element.
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2
Step 2
Check the base is thin and even. A thicker centre needs proportionally more time, which the crust can't always afford at very high heat.
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3
Step 3
Make sure your stone or steel has had its full preheat, ideally 45 minutes to an hour. An under-heated stone forces you to compensate with more top heat, which chars the crust.
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4
Step 4
If you're using a pizza oven, rotate the pizza more frequently, every 15 to 20 seconds, so no single spot takes too much direct flame.
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5
Step 5
For a home oven, consider finishing the base on the stone first for most of the bake, then moving under the grill only for the final 30 to 60 seconds of colour.
Stop it happening again
Fix the cause, not just the bake
This is fundamentally a heat-balance problem, and the right dough thickness for your specific oven matters as much as the oven settings themselves. Pizza Studio's ball-weight and style presets help you land on a base thickness that matches the heat you can realistically reach.
Common questions
FAQ
Why is my pizza burnt on the outside but raw inside?
This means the top or bottom heat is too fierce relative to how fast heat is reaching the centre, usually from an oven that's too hot for the base's thickness or not enough bottom heat from the stone.
How long should I preheat a pizza stone or steel?
45 minutes to an hour at your oven's highest setting. Skipping this step is the most common cause of an unevenly cooked base.
Should pizza be thinner for a hotter oven?
Generally yes. Very high heat, like a wood-fired oven, suits a thinner Neapolitan-style base that cooks through in 60 to 90 seconds, before the crust has time to over-char.
Keep reading
Other pizza and sourdough fixes
Get the 72-hour ferment plan
The printable schedule that turns "an hour on the counter" into proper Neapolitan dough, plus this diagnosis on the same page you can keep by the oven.
