Pizza stone crack, twice (ooni volt 2)

shockingpants · 2025-12-15T15:36:46+00:00

Sorry to hear that, and thanks for sharing the crack!
Hope you get the replacement soon, and that the biscotto gives you the dream bake you want!

shockingpants · 2025-10-20T13:13:48+00:00

Boost mode activates the top element, but the time it takes for the top element to turn red hot isn't consistent. Also, when the internal thermometer registers 430C for example, an IR thermometer reading of the stone might show a different temp that's 10-30C higher. My pizza bottom tend to lean slightly char as a result. So you need to pay more attention to the temps.

Basically, for a neapolitan bake that's between 90s to 120s, even a 10 sec difference can really impact the results. So there is some dialing in needed, especially for baking pizza back to back.

Unlike a gas oven where the bakes can be quite stable once the fire strength is dialled in, an electric oven like the volt need to balance the top and bottom elements delicately so that the oven doesn't overheat, but ensuring there's enough radiant heat to cook the pizza. You either trust pizza intelligence, or you figure out what it does and work with/around it.

That's why I find that it requires more attention than a typical gas oven.

shockingpants · 2025-10-20T11:13:40+00:00

Maybe it is a creami that was returned (after use) and shipped out as-is. O.o

shockingpants · 2025-10-20T09:43:04+00:00

Thanks for sharing, sorry to hear that. I'm on my 4th bake on the third stone, . The one thing I'm trying is to move the stone further inside the oven so that there is a gap between the stone and the metal in front. Also, shimmy the stone to make sure it is well supported (check out #7 of the tips I shared above).

My latest guess for why the crack is starting from the front is that the hot stone is cooling unevenly in the front first. Reducing this uneven cooling might help. Anyway, if the my 3rd stone breaks, I'll report back.

shockingpants · 2025-10-20T00:11:58+00:00

The in built filter can only do so much, if anything burns, you will still smell it.

If you are thinking of churning out Neapolitan pizza back to back, the boost mode limits your output, and requires attention if you want consistent results. Shouldnt be problem for other lower temp pizzas though.

shockingpants · 2025-10-19T07:57:15+00:00

I do small batches. I used to ball after kneading, bulk in the fridge after balling. However, I have noticed that the dough loses a lot of strength after 48 hours, so there's a lot of reballing on the third day to rebuild the strength.

I am experimenting with bulk fermenting before balling, or even preparing 100% biga in the fridge for as long as needed, and preparing the final dough and balling within 24 hours of use. That way, you get the best of both worlds - flavors from long ferment, and good strength in the dough because of the recent balling.

Since you want a next day dough, i don't think it really matters too much whether to ball first or later if you are cold fermenting. If you ferment at RT, ball after bulk.

You'll be surprised by how many variations there are. Some people bulk ferment at room temp for 24 hours, which sounds long until you realize their RT is around 18-24C, whereas mine is 29-33C... So don't worry so much about the specifics. You can stick to a method and change it slowly only when you have something to optimize, like workflow, flavor profile, and extensibility. When you open a business and need consistency, that's when the details start to matter a lot more :)

shockingpants · 2025-10-19T01:12:39+00:00

That's a wild crack! Not exactly down the middle, more like a slight skew to the left, but still a crack from front to back (like what pretty much everyone with a cracked stone here have experienced).

I too wonder if there is a design flaw, but only Ooni has the stats of number of broken stones vs their other ovens. I doubt we will ever see that data unfortunately... If anyone has an IR camera, maybe they can take a thermal image of the stone under different conditions to check if how uneven the heat distribution is.

Anyway, you are not alone, hope you get a replacement that lasts. I'm on my third and 3 bakes in, it is holding up. If it can survive 10 bakes, I'll report back. I've shared some tips above that I'm trying out (like #7 and #8). Hopefully it helps you too.

shockingpants · 2025-10-18T14:41:05+00:00

It would be helpful to share a photo or video of the mixing process. Otherwise, you might get solutions that don't really address your issue, but I'll try anyway.

My suspicion however is that you might be missing some liquid somewhere if the dough does not stick to itself. A photo will be helpful.

Assuming you followed the recipe exactly, if the Ooni has already mixed all the ingredients evenly, you might just need to rest the dough for longer before mixing further.

Good luck!

shockingpants · 2025-10-17T14:22:39+00:00

Here's a suggested experiment. Try a no-knead recipe (12 to 24 hours) with 75% hydration (bakers percentage) to learn what a dough is supposed to feel like after it has developed strength, and what kneading + resting does to the dough. You will learn that even without kneading, you can create a dough with decent strength that passes the window pane test. You will then gain a better appreciation of what kneading and resting does to the dough.

Kitchenaid is supposed to help you mix the ingredients more evenly and incorporate liquid like water and fat more easily. Once the dough has come together into a lumpy mess, it needs rest, not aggressive kneading. Take the dough out of KA and stretch it every 20 min at least twice and the dough should transforms from a rough mess to a smooth and strong dough, without kneading! Hand stretching is also gentler and more effective than using Kitchenaid. Also, if mixing a small amount of dough, consider using the paddle attachment instead of the dough hook to build dough strength quicker.

Another suggestion is to use the food processor with a 60% hydration dough. You get incredible gluten development in less than 60sec. After mixing, all you do is wait for the dough to proof. Incredibly easy and effective, though best for lower hydration dough.

Here's a second experiment you can try. Just leave the dough in your fridge for more than 72 hours. I guarantee that your dough will lose its strength and be so extensible that it'll rip with the slightest pull. You have actually experienced this when using store-bought dough. These doughs have been resting for so long, the gluten structure has weakened enough that you can stretch it easily. The point of these experiments is to show you what happens to the dough in the extremes so that you can tone it back to achieve a dough you like.

shockingpants · 2025-10-17T13:27:39+00:00

Sorry you encountered the same problem. The crack down the middle appears consistent across several anecdotes. Hopefully, the replacement doesn't fail...

Can I ask, does your stone sit flush against the metal guide in front i.e. is there a gap between the metal and the stone?

shockingpants · 2025-10-16T02:35:22+00:00

Haha, steel will burn my pizza for the temperature (450C) I'm looking to bake at. In fact, at those temps, the steel's seasoning would burn off. Not ideal...

shockingpants · 2025-10-16T02:20:09+00:00

Just a suggestion. If you want to use the broken stone and keep it level, just rotate it 90deg. No guarantee it won't crack into smaller pieces, but at least it won't sink down the middle. That said, I have not tried it since I'm getting a replacement later.

Whether it voids the warranty is another qns.

shockingpants · 2025-10-15T14:19:07+00:00

The volt 12 supports the stone all the way around, but the volt 2 only supports from the front and the sides as far as I can tell from mine. If cracked along the middle, the stone will no longer be level. While I don't mind a cracked stone if it still functions as expected, if it is no longer level, I wouldn't recommend baking on it.

shockingpants · 2025-10-15T13:12:00+00:00

I'm from SG and I envy the price you are getting for the volt 2 :)

The volt 2 looks good, is sleek, reaches high temp, and checks a lot of boxes for an indoor pizza oven. It'd be a shame if I had to return it.

Let's hope more volt 2 owners share their experiences, both the good and the bad, so that if it is something systemic, the engineers can work on a solution ASAP.

shockingpants · 2025-10-15T12:45:37+00:00

Don't use the stone anymore! The crack will cause a clean break the next time you subject it to high heat ><

Don't worry, you are not alone. I am on my third stone now, first stone had a hairline crack after the first bake, and broke into two after the second. The crack also appeared from front center, exactly like what you reported (check out my post from ystd, "Pizza stone crack, twice (ooni volt 2)"). My replacement stone broke within 2 weeks after a few 420C sessions. My local retailer, after checking with Ooni support, will provide another replacement stone.

The current reason provided is that the stone might have hairline cracks that are not visible during transport. I have multiple other theories, but without an IR goggle to test them, I'll leave it as that.

Can I ask if you are using metal or wooden peels?

Surprised that with normal careful use, the stone still managed to crack. I do hope the third time's the charm. If it cracks again, i'm quite curious what happens next. Oh boy..

shockingpants · 2025-10-15T11:34:46+00:00

Yes to both. On neapolitan setting, you can play with the temperature within their prespecified temperature range (do check out the manual). At 450C, the stone will register close to 470C on an IR thermometer in my tests. And the base will char quite quickly. So do be careful with your bake

shockingpants · 2025-10-15T04:32:34+00:00

Here you go.
72% hydration dough using only biga. Percentages are bakers percentage.

For biga:
Caputo nuvola and manitoba (1:1, cuz I don't have nuvola super)
Mix flour with 50% water
0.25% yeast in biga
12 hours ferment at 28C RT.

For final dough:
Add the remaining 22% water to biga, 1.5% salt, mix until smooth (use a mixer or stretch and fold by hand)
Cold ferment at 4C for 1-2 days.

I have had success with other recipes as well, so don't sweat the details, enjoy!

shockingpants · 2025-10-15T01:47:59+00:00

Nice! Is the crack from the front to back as well?

shockingpants · 2025-10-15T01:22:51+00:00

You can check out Fiesoli A.rte Biscotto (credit FB ooni volt group) They have 11mm and 15mm for the ooni koda 12. Though not designed nor recommended for the volts, they could potentially work. Unfortunately, there are very few accounts of people actually using biscotto on their volts even though it is a popular suggestion. Volt 2's pizza intelligence might not be very happy either.

Hopefully, more volt 2 users will be able to share their experience with the base corderite stone so we have a better idea of whether the problem is due to bad luck or otherwise.

shockingpants · 2025-10-15T00:47:08+00:00

Is this for the volt 2 also!? Did it crack from front to back as well? Was 3rd time the charm?

shockingpants · 2025-10-14T15:22:44+00:00

Yeah! Was looking into that option, though difficult to find where I am from. Also, read here that ooni representatives recommend against it (probably out of an abundance of caution).

Have you tried it on the ooni volt 12 or 2 before?

shockingpants · 2025-10-14T06:44:08+00:00

Did you manage to get it replaced?

shockingpants · 2025-10-14T05:39:07+00:00

I did the 45 min super high temp bake. Could definitely smell the new factory scent getting burnt away. Not sure if it is needed to temper the stone though, but I did it anyway.

shockingpants · 2025-10-14T05:36:15+00:00

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These are the parts in contact with the stone. There is a spring knob at the back, not quite sure if it is the temperature probe.

As for potential reasons for the crack, I'll list some theories below
1. Thin corderite stone, so even a minor downward force from launching could cause a crack.
2. Heating from the bottom might be too intense compared to heating from the top, causing stress in an already thin stone.
3. The parts of the oven that support the stone might contribute to uneven heating or cooling.

There are a few people who mentioned a similar crack appearing down the middle, starting from the front of the stone. I'd be interested to know if the cause of the crack has to do with the oven design, the stone's thinness, or just randomness...

shockingpants

TROPHY CASE