Cooking pizza in a wood-fired oven creates a flavor and texture that’s hard to match with a regular oven. These ovens get incredibly hot, giving you the crispy yet chewy crust and lightly charred toppings that make a perfect pizza. But achieving this requires some special techniques. Here are a few essential tips for cooking the perfect pizza in a wood-fired oven.
1. Preheat Your Oven Properly
The first and most important step is preheating the oven. Wood-fired ovens need to reach very high temperatures—around 700°F to 900°F (370°C to 480°C) for the best results. This high temperature is what gives wood-fired pizza its signature texture and flavor. Preheat your oven for at least 30-45 minutes, starting with a good-sized fire in the center and then pushing it to one side once it’s roaring. This creates an open space for cooking and keeps one side of the oven at peak heat.
2. Use the Right Kind of Wood
The type of wood you use can make a big difference in your pizza’s taste and cooking. Hardwoods like oak, hickory, or fruitwoods (like apple or cherry) burn hot and steady, creating the ideal environment for pizza. Avoid softwoods like pine or cedar, as they burn quickly and produce too much smoke, affecting the flavor and potentially creating soot in your oven. Make sure your wood is dry and seasoned for a clean burn.
3. Get the Dough Right
Pizza dough for a wood-fired oven should be slightly wetter and softer than dough for a standard oven, as it needs to cook quickly without drying out. Aim for a high-hydration dough (about 65-70% water) and let it rest to develop flavor. Thinly stretch the dough, especially in the center, to ensure even cooking. If you’re new to making pizza dough, you can buy pre-made dough, but aim for one that’s suitable for high-heat cooking.
4. Keep Toppings Simple
Because wood-fired pizzas cook in 90 seconds to 2 minutes, the toppings don’t have much time to cook. Avoid overloading your pizza with too many ingredients, especially raw ones that require longer cooking times. Stick to a few high-quality ingredients, like fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Precook ingredients like sausage or mushrooms that need more time to avoid raw toppings on your finished pizza.
5. Use a Pizza Peel for Easy Handling
A pizza peel is essential for getting your pizza in and out of the hot oven quickly and safely. Sprinkle a bit of flour or cornmeal on the peel to prevent sticking, and give the peel a gentle shake to make sure the pizza can slide off smoothly. Place the pizza in the hottest part of the oven, near the fire, but leave enough room to rotate it.
6. Rotate the Pizza as It Cooks
Heat in a wood-fired oven isn’t perfectly even, so it’s important to rotate your pizza while it cooks. After 30-45 seconds, use your peel to give it a quick turn. This will prevent one side from burning and help the entire pizza cook evenly, resulting in a beautiful, golden-brown crust.
7. Watch Closely – It Cooks Fast!
Wood-fired ovens cook pizza incredibly fast, often in under 2 minutes. Don’t leave your pizza unattended, as it can burn in seconds. Stand by and watch the color of the crust and toppings. When the edges are bubbly and slightly charred, and the cheese is melted and bubbling, your pizza is ready!
Enjoy Your Wood-Fired Pizza
With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to making delicious wood-fired pizzas and shop woodfired outdoor pizza ovens that rival those from pizzerias. Practice makes perfect, so try different toppings, dough recipes, and cooking techniques to find what you enjoy most. Embrace the art of wood-fired cooking, and enjoy every slice!