Our WFS Finish At Home pizzas take 5 to 8 minutes in a home oven preheated to 220°C (fan) from chilled, or 7 to 10 minutes straight from frozen. They go directly onto the top rack, with a drizzle of olive oil on the crust, and come out with a crisp base, melted cheese and a puffy, lightly charred edge, piping hot.
That’s the short version. The long version is a bit more interesting, because there’s a good reason we cook our pizzas twice: once in our wood-fired ovens, and once in your home oven. Here’s how to get it spot on every time. It’s all part of our guide to finishing pizza at home.
Why is our pizza part-cooked?
A proper Neapolitan pizza needs serious heat. Our wood-fired ovens run at around 450°C, and in that heat a pizza cooks in 60 to 90 seconds. That’s what puffs up the edge (the cornicione), gives it those dark, leopard-spotted blisters and sets the soft, airy base.
A home oven can’t get anywhere near that hot. So rather than asking your oven to do something it can’t, we do the hard part for you.
Every WFS Finish At Home pizza is hand-stretched from our slow-fermented dough and part-cooked in our wood-fired ovens. Then we chill it and send it to you by DPD, as long as you’re in mainland UK. All your oven has to do is finish the job: crisp up the base, melt the cheese and heat everything up. Wood-fired by us, finished by you.
If you want to know more about what makes a pizza Neapolitan in the first place, have a read of our guide to what is Neapolitan pizza. And for the story behind the dough, check out what is 00 flour.
How hot should a pizza oven be?
For Neapolitan pizza, a wood-fired pizza oven should be around 450°C. That’s hot enough to cook a pizza in 60 to 90 seconds, which is what gives Neapolitan pizza its soft, chewy texture and puffy, blistered edge.
Most home ovens top out somewhere around 220 to 250°C, which is why making a true Neapolitan pizza from scratch at home is so tricky. It’s also exactly why ours arrive part-cooked.
What oven temperature should you use for a part-baked pizza?
For our pizzas, use 220°C (fan). It’s hot enough to crisp up the base and melt the cheese quickly, without drying out the toppings or overcooking the crust.
The key is letting your oven fully come up to temperature before the pizza goes in.
How do you cook a part-baked pizza in the oven?
1. Preheat. Heat your oven to 220°C (fan) and let it fully come up to temperature.
2. Unwrap. Remove all the packaging.
3. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Drizzle a little olive oil over the crust.
4. Straight on the rack. Place the pizza directly on the top rack of the oven, not on a tray.
5. Cook. Give it 5 to 8 minutes from chilled, or 7 to 10 minutes from frozen, until the cheese has melted and it’s piping hot all the way through.
6. Serve. Slice it up and serve it!
How long does it take to cook pizza in the oven?
Here’s a quick guide for our pizzas.
| Oven temperature | Where in the oven | Cooking time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From chilled | 220°C (fan), fully preheated | Directly on the top rack | 5 to 8 minutes |
| From frozen | 220°C (fan), fully preheated | Directly on the top rack | 7 to 10 minutes |
Every oven is a little different, so keep an eye on your pizza towards the end of the time. It’s ready when the cheese has melted and it’s piping hot all the way through. If you’ve chosen to freeze it, there’s no need to wait for it to defrost first.
Why straight on the rack, not a tray?
This is the one step people are most tempted to ignore, so here’s why it matters.
A baking tray sits between your pizza and the heat. It takes a while to warm up, and while it does, it traps moisture under the pizza base. The result is a base that steams rather than bakes, and a middle that ends up soggy.
Putting the pizza straight on the rack lets the hot air reach the base directly, so it finishes cooking evenly from underneath. You get a base that’s crisp on the bottom but still soft and chewy inside, just like it is in our restaurants.
If you’re worried about drips, pop a tray on the shelf below to catch them. Just don’t put the pizza on it.
What are the most common mistakes?
Not preheating properly. A half-hot oven means a longer cook and a drier pizza. Give it time. Trust us, it’s worth it!
Using a tray. See above. Get it straight on the rack, every time.
Defrosting first. Our pizzas are made to cook fresh or straight from frozen, so there’s no need to defrost.
Leaving it in too long. It’s already been cooked once. A few extra minutes can dry out the edge and toppings, so check it at the lower end of the time.
What about doughballs?
Our doughballs are the one exception to the rack rule. Preheat the oven to 230°C, pop them on a lightly oiled tray and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning them halfway. Then finish with garlic oil and sea salt.
How do you store our pizzas?
Our pizzas keep in the fridge below 5°C for up to 4 days from delivery, or you can freeze them on arrival. See our guides to how long pizza lasts in the fridge and how to reheat pizza.
Ready to order your first pizza?
There’s no minimum order and our pizzas are freezer-friendly, so you can order one to try or an entire stack to keep in. Start with the classic Margherita, go for something with a kick in the Calabria, or please the whole gang with the Pepperoni. There’s also a Vegan Margherita, Vegan Funghi and Dairy Free Pepperoni. Or browse the full range.
Order your first pizza (no minimum order).
Part-baked pizza FAQs
How long does it take to cook a part-baked pizza in the oven?
A Wood Fire Smoke part-baked pizza takes 5 to 8 minutes from chilled, or 7 to 10 minutes from frozen, in an oven preheated to 220°C (fan).
What temperature should the oven be for pizza?
For our WFS Finish At Home pizzas, preheat the oven to 220°C (fan) and let it fully come up to temperature before the pizza goes in.
How hot should a pizza oven be?
A wood-fired oven for Neapolitan pizza should be around 450°C, which cooks a pizza in 60 to 90 seconds. Home ovens can’t get that hot, which is why we part-cook our pizzas in wood-fired ovens first.
Should you cook pizza on a tray or the oven rack?
Our part-baked pizzas should go directly on the top rack, not on a tray. The hot air reaches the base directly, so it crisps up evenly from underneath instead of steaming.
Do you need to defrost a frozen part-baked pizza?
No. Our pizzas can be cooked straight from frozen, without defrosting, for 7 to 10 minutes at 220°C (fan).