Third attempt since I got the oven.

Have had an original Ooni (the pellet fired, riveted one) for a good few years, and used it a lot back when I first got it (although mostly with the gas adapter rather than wood pellets), but over time found it too small and fiddly, and quite inconvenient to work with, especially if trying to do multiple pizzas. So it sat in the garage for 2 years looking sad and unused.

So as all sensible, grown up sized children with access to adult money, would do, I went out last weekend and bought a Koda 2 14" and my god is it a game changer from what I remember! More space to cook, more space to launch and turn and just an all around more enjoyable experience - currently sitting watching pizzas cook!

This was supposed to be a controlled test of my sourdough for Neapolitan Pizza, basically I am trying to bring consistency and big airy crusts, but I had a number of issues in the run up to this, including my kebabs taking an hour longer than planned, which on a hot day overproofed my dough, so they are not up to my usual standards.

This is a Sourdough version of Biga vs Poolish, both with 20% of the final dough.

It is not a Pasta Madre / Lievito Madre which is Italian for mother dough or mother yeast. Whilst these are typically stiff Biga level hydrations (45-50%), I would have needed at least 6 feeds to change the cultures, so both doughs were still from the same microbial population.

Result Summary

Overall there were differences at different stages, the liquid starter was stronger smelling, the doughs looked and felt exactly the same during the stretch and folds, the biga dough balls surprisingly grew more during both the cold proof and after the fridge, as I over proofed them the Biga was slightly harder to work with because it possibly because it peaked earlier as it had an extra hour at room temperature before the cold proof. No taste difference nor difference in crusts.

Ultimately the difference was not noticeable enough for me to attempt this again, certainly not at 20%. Maybe the sourdough would be worth a try in a 100% Biga recipe like Ooni do, but in all honesty a Pasta Madre / Lievito Madre would be best for a noticeable difference.

Photos

Jars: LS Left, SB Right
All Doughs: SB Left, LS Right
Pizzas: SB Mozzarella, LS Pepperoni

SB:- Sourdough Biga
SD:- Liquid Sourdough

Full breakdown of recipes and steps below:

Sourdough Biga (45% hydration)

•	24.2 g ripe 100% hydration starter (15% Inoculation)  
•	68.4 g 00 flour  
•	24.2 g water

15% inoculation (starter flour as a percentage of preferment flour) = starter flour 12.1 / total preferment flour 80.5g (12.1+68.4)

Totals:

•	Flour = 80.5 g  
•	Water = 36.2 g  
•	Hydration = 45%

The biga should be crumbly and only just come together when squeezed.

Final dough

Add to the ripe biga:

•	991.0 g 00 flour  
•	660.3 g water  
•	32.1 g salt

Total

•	Total flour = 1,071.5 g  
•	Total water = 696.5 g  
•	Hydration = 65%  
•	Salt = 3%

Sourdough Liquid Starter (100% hydration)

•	161 g ripe 100% hydration starter

This gives:

•	Total flour: 80.5 g  
•	Total water: 80.5 g  
•	Hydration: 100%

The sourdough should be risen.

Final dough

Add to the ripe sourdough:

•	991 g strong flour  
•	616 g water  
•	32.1 g fine sea salt

Method (Both)

Prepare the final starters from active starter

Thursday Night

6am Thursday

Preferment Rest Time = 14 hours

Prepare Final dough

Both doughs to be mixed in the Ooni Halo Spiral Mixer until they reach 22C

Start with the Biga first as it has a slower fermentation.

Thursday Night

6:00 Dissolve Salt in 100ml of boiling water for Mix 1 & 2 (120 mins)
8:00 Mix Biga Starter in the water less 100ml (7 mins)
8:07 Add flour and give it a rough mix (3 mins)
8:10 Rest for (20 mins)
8:30 Final Mix until smooth / 22C adding salt water slowly (5 mins)
8:35 Rest Mix 1 (Biga) on the counter
8:40 Mix Liquid Starter in the water less 100ml (7 mins)
8:47 Add flour and give it a rough mix (3 mins)
8:50 Rest for (20 mins)
9:10 Final Mix until smooth / 22C adding salt water slowly (5 mins)
9:15 Rest Mix 2 (Liquid Starter) on the counter

Stretch and folds for both doughs whilst on the counter. Both doughs should be rested until 20-30% volume increase 2.5 - 3.5 hours

12pm Ball dough, place them in trays, and put them in the fridge for a cold Proof

34 hour cold proof

Saturday

10am Saturday Remove from Fridge
Rest until 14:30 - Start Cook

It was super tasty but a lot of effort bake multiple lahmacuns

Haven't used the Ooni in probably more than 12 months. Sometimes life takes over. Happy to get back on it.

I went to fire up my Ooni today and found this tiny little brass ring underneath it. I have a Koda 16 converted to natural gas.

Any idea where this may have come from or why it fell off? Is it still safe to use the Ooni?

I was delighted from my purchase of ooni koda max 2, so happy that I even purchased a cover of 80€ for a cover .. a plastic one that broken after 3 usage, and ooni change it..
Yesterday I’ve noticed a small spot which according to the support it’s sema rust…
Now, how’s is possible that a 2 months oven, covers with very expensive cover, kept inside a garage shows this problem???! How?!
A oven built according to Ooni with best material that sell very expensive compared with other competitor?!
I had read some people similar issues, but I thought that was isolated cases.. but damn.. 1k oven, 2 months older kept very well…

Can someone indicate how legally exercise my legal right on this matter? It’s illigal in 2 months oven saying that this is jus lt cosmetic issue and they won’t do anything..

Still plenty to learn but really enjoyed this batch from start to finish. Felt a whole lot less flustered!

So did my first baje in the ooni

It went well :)

was a bit afraid of burning the top but it was good enough

last pizza was a bit of a throw on whatever but no complaints received as of now :D

This is a 24 hour dough w/ Caputo Blue Pizzeria flour baked on Ooni Koda 2 Max.

Fire.

Guys, I’m telling you, the more you practice the easier and better your pizza gets. Getting into a groove now.

I got this 48” x 30” foldable stainless table off Vevor and it’s pretty dope! Love having extra space to make the pizzas 🍕

Hi, does anyone else find it a struggle to get the stone above 400c?

Sits about 350c in the middle

Anyone recommend these for windy days to get the temp up on the stone?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4497907167/ooni-koda-2-door-heat-shield-stainless?ref=elp\_anchor\_listing