Charlie is a charcoal oven that cooks pizza like a pizza oven, three at a time, in around three minutes at 375°C. Close the door and there is nothing to turn, so you eat with everyone else.
Show me howA better sort of pizza night
Most pizza ovens bake one pizza at a time and need it turned as it cooks, so somebody spends the evening at the oven. In Charlie the fire sits at the back and each pizza bakes on its own stone in the steady heat of the closed oven.
Slide up to three in and close the door. A few minutes later the crusts are blistered and you are sitting down with everyone else.
Four simple steps
1Pile three quarters to a full football of lumpwood charcoal at the back of the oven, with one or two natural firelighters in the base. Light it, close the door and open both vents fully. New to Charlie? Read how to light a charcoal oven.
2Place one pizza stone for each pizza in the upper half of the oven as it heats and give them a full 30 minutes. Charlie may reach temperature sooner, but the stones need the time to heat through. Waiting gives you a crisp base and the best rise in the dough.
3Have everything ready before the dough goes on the peel. Use a little sauce and do not overload it. The pizza will slide and bake more easily.
4Bake at 375 to 400°C (705 to 750°F) and never let Charlie climb past 400°C. At 375°C a pizza takes around three minutes. A cooler oven bakes more slowly, so allow longer. With the door closed there is no need to turn them.
“As good a pizza as I have ever baked.”Peter Sorton, verified Trustpilot review
“Our pizzas came out better than any restaurant.”
Daniel O’Brien, customer review“It makes fire cooking easy and fun.”
Rob Savill, Trustpilot review
How it works
Each pizza sits on its own heated stone, giving the base strong heat from below. The tall, insulated cooking chamber holds heat around the crust and toppings, while the closed door lets that heat circulate across all three levels. That is why the pizzas can bake together without being turned.
At 375°C all three are ready in around three minutes, with nobody standing at the oven turning them.
You still get the enjoyable part: shaping the dough and taking the credit. Once the door is closed, you can leave the pizzas to cook.
Small things that make a big difference
Press from the middle outwards with your fingertips, then let the dough hang over your knuckles. A rolling pin squeezes out the air the rim needs to puff up in the heat.
Crushed tomatoes with a pinch of salt cook on the pizza and taste brighter than a simmered sauce. A couple of spoonfuls is plenty.
Around three minutes at 375°C is your starting point. Dough thickness, toppings and a cooler oven all add time, so use the first pizzas to find your rhythm.
Tear fresh mozzarella an hour ahead and leave it to drain. Cook mushrooms and peppers first, so their water ends up in the pan instead of the dough.
Dust it lightly with semolina and top the dough only when you are ready to bake, so the pizza slides off in one go.
Fresh basil and good olive oil go on as the pizza comes out, while they still taste fresh.
Start with recipes we know work
A quick, reliable dough from a Charlie masterclass, ready the same day.
A light, blistered crust with a crisp base and a soft, airy edge.
A poolish dough with a crisp base, good chew and plenty of flavour.
Baked in a tin for a thick, airy base and crisp, cheesy edges.
Boat-shaped flatbreads filled with spiced lamb and baked on the stones.
Little pizzas with truffle, Serrano ham and Tunworth, made for a party.
Pizza night in pictures
Choose your Charlie and add the pizza stones. Everyone eats at the same time.
Good to know
A dedicated pizza oven bakes one pizza very quickly and needs it turned. The Charlie Charcoal Oven bakes up to three 12 inch pizzas at once in around three minutes at 375°C, with the door closed and no turning, so six people are fed in two rounds. The same oven will also roast a joint or bake a loaf. Find out more in what is a charcoal oven?
Bake pizza at 375 to 400°C (705 to 750°F). At 375°C a pizza takes around three minutes, and below that it still bakes well but takes longer. Never let the Charlie Oven go above 400°C, as that can damage the steel and the door seal.
Allow 30 minutes. With good quality charcoal the oven may reach temperature sooner, but the pizza stones need the full 30 minutes to heat through. It is worth the wait for a crisp base and a well risen crust.
Around three minutes at 375°C on fully heated stones. If the oven is cooler, the pizza takes longer. Thick dough and heavy toppings also add time, so check the first round as it bakes.
Three quarters to a full football of lumpwood charcoal, built at the back of the Charlie Oven. Pizza needs the oven near the top of its range, so it takes more charcoal than most cooks. Our guide to choosing the best charcoal explains which kind to buy.
No. The Charlie Oven runs on lumpwood charcoal, and wood is only ever used in small amounts for smoky flavour. You do not want a smoky pizza.
Yes. Pizza stones are bought separately. Each one is 38.5 cm across and takes a 12 inch pizza. You need one stone for each pizza you want to bake at the same time, so three for a full Charlie Oven. Order them with your oven and they arrive inside it.
Up to three 12 inch pizzas at the same time in a Charlie Oven, with one pizza stone on each of three rack levels. For a family of six, bake two rounds of three. Watch a family pizza night.
No. In the Charlie Oven the door stays closed and the heat moves around the pizzas, so they bake without turning.
Usually the stones were not hot enough, or the pizza carried too much sauce or wet topping. Give the stones the full 30 minutes, keep the sauce to a couple of spoonfuls and drain fresh mozzarella before it goes on.
Keep the door closed and shut both vents. The temperature will come down gradually. To cool it faster, take out a rack or put a deep metal tray of cold water in the oven. Next time, use a little less charcoal.
Keep the peel dry, use a light dusting of semolina and add the toppings only when you are ready to bake. Too much sauce or leaving the pizza on the peel for too long can make the dough stick.
Put the stones in while the oven heats, never into a hot oven, as a sudden change in temperature can crack them. Once they are cold, wipe them down and brush off any burnt bits. Never use washing-up liquid and do not put them in the dishwasher.
Yes. Homemade dough is lovely, but good ready-made dough makes pizza night even easier. Bring it to room temperature before shaping and follow the pack instructions.
