You want the wood to be burning 2 to 3 hours before using the oven so the stone is in the temperature range you want.
Softer woods may release creosote or other toxic chemicals into the air and your pizza. A simple hardwood for a distinct flavour and more burn time is important.
Bluegum is the most efficient and economical choice for your home or commercial pizza oven. Long-lasting, resin free and providing a continuous heat for perfect pizzas every time.
Investing in a laser thermometer to achieve the perfect level of crispiness for your preferred crust type might be a good idea. Some ovens are good at 260°C for the dough, while others need to be up between 480°C to 540°C.
Use your best judgment in getting the pizza close enough to the flame to cook, but not burn. Trial and error testing is necessary to find the sweet spot. It’s important to get the pizza near the heat source right away so it lifts and so the bottom of the crust chars a little and isn’t doughy.
During the cook time, use a peel to keep turning the pizza so it gets brown on all sides. A conventional oven has forced air blowing around for even baking, but wood-fired ovens only have one heat source coming from the flame. Rotation is key to keep the pizza from burning or from being uncooked on one side.
Once the pizza is fully cooked on the stone deck, use a peel to raise it into the oven dome for a few seconds. The dome has a lot of heat and provides a nice, light char and crispy edge on the pizza top.
Achieving the perfect bake in a wood-fired pizza oven can be challenging, but with a bit of practice you can make a perfect pizza every time. It all starts with aligning your crust selection with your oven type.
Original article cred: akrust.com
Be sure to order your perfect braai, fireplace and pizza oven wood from Geo Culture (Western Cape and surrounds). Have a look at our delivery areas.
We also offer a stacking service to save you the trouble of neatly unpacking and stacking the wood at your premises.
