Despite popular belief, the owners of Patio & Pizza Outdoor Furnishings weren’t always pizza oven experts. We started out like everyone else with a few (or maybe a lot) failed pizzas and a lot of lessons learned. It was our passion for good food that drove us to improve our methods and eventually share our gained experience with the world in the form of our artisan ovens and delicious recipes. With that in mind, we thought we’d share some of our top tips to give you a head start when using your own wood-burning oven for the first time.
Here are 8 lessons we learned as we mastered wood-fired cooking:
1. Make it hot
Light the fire in your wood oven before you think it’s necessary; It won’t damage anything and will ensure your pizza oven is hot enough when you’re ready to cook. Pizza ovens are designed to withstand extreme temperatures for long periods of time, by virtue of how the pizza is cooked. Starting your fire early also means you can reduce your flame to an ideal bed of red-hot embers that maintain a constant temperature and distribute their heat more evenly than an erratic flame.
2. Valuable wood
Start your fire with small pieces of wood and use very dry wood; it will lessen the chances of a smoky fire coming out the front of your oven when cooking. While a little smoke can be a welcome addition, as it can impart unique flavors to foods, you don’t have to use “green” wood to achieve this effect. Generally speaking, the smoky flavor can be achieved with completely dry wood and a bit of TLC to ensure a little flame remains within the embers. You can also try experimenting with different types of wood, like cherry, to test how different smoky flavors can interact with your recipes.
3. Keeping it crisp
Make sure the oven floor is at the right temperature before adding your pizza using an infrared thermometer. Aim for at least 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything lower than this will mean that the dough will keep its soft, sometimes sticky consistency for a while before it starts to brown, making it harder to rotate the pizza in the oven and increasing the cooking time. Rather, be sure to factor in the impact of a higher temperature on the time it takes to bake your pizza to prevent burning.
4. Ashes to ashes
When things burn, they leave memories behind. It’s important to use a good clean brush to sweep any leftover ashes off the floor of the pizza oven before adding anything to cook; Not only does this prevent ashes from sliding onto freshly baked slices, it also prolongs the longevity of your oven by preventing buildup from forming and potentially damaging your oven interior. From time to time, give your oven a thorough cleaning to pick up anything you may have missed during the pre-bake sweeps.
5. Flour is power
Use a lot of flour on the pizza peel to make it easier to slide the pizza dough off the peel when you place the cake in the oven. The flour reduces the friction of the sticky dough on the shell, which is necessary to cleanly move a cake into the oven; otherwise, the quick motion of pulling the peel out from under the pizza could drag some dough away, or worse, knock the pizza out of the oven and onto the floor.
6. We all start somewhere
Use a large spatula to help slide the pizza off the peel when you start. Practice makes perfect when learning how to use a pizza peel, and it’s better to rely on extra driving force during the first few attempts at baking than dealing with pizza on the floor or upside down in the oven. When placing your pizza in the oven, simply slide the spatula just below the side of the pizza facing you and on top of the peel, and then with a small forward motion with the hand holding the peel, gently push the pizza out. of the shovel and in the oven.
7. Less can be more
Try making small pizzas! It gives your friends and family the opportunity to make their own with your choice of sauces, cheeses, dressings and more. You can make an entire event out of a pizza party where everyone can make their own personal pizza, and it gives you some relief when planning guests who have dietary restrictions. Aim for pizzas that are about 8 inches in diameter, which is usually enough for one person to enjoy (and they can always have another one in 90 seconds!).
8. Experiment, experiment, experiment!
A well made pizza oven will last a lifetime. There’s no reason to restrict yourself to the same recipes you’ve made over and over again. In fact, there’s no reason to stick to just pizza! On the Patio & Pizza Recipe blog, you’ll find countless recipes for different styles of pizza, desserts, barbecue, and more. You’ll find that you can make pizza with just about anything in your pantry or fridge, and even if one doesn’t turn out the way you planned, the lessons you learn will make you a better pizza cook, and a better chef overall. for life.
To keep up with how we use our ovens, be sure to sign up for the Patio & Pizza email list, where we share recipes, ideas, tips and tricks, and more. And as always, happy cooking!