speed along with several other factors that will vary with each application . This adds
character and gives an authentic old world appearance to your oven but the staining
can easily be removed with a wire brush and water or by using a masonry cleaning
solution for soot and smoke than can be purchased at most hardware stores, specialty
fireplace retailers or on the internet .
The sequence for building a fire is as follows:
• Build a fire in the center of the oven floor and develop a good bed of coals . The size
will depend on what is to be cooked and the quantity .
• Heat the oven to 350° to 600°F . This may take as much as two hours . Heating above
800°F is not recommended .
• When desired temperature is reached, push the fire and coals to the rear and sides of
the oven . Sweep fine ashes to the sides and back of the oven using a wire ash brush .
• Insert pizzas and cook directly on the oven floor .
• Add wood as necessary to maintain desired temperature . If cooking several pizzas,
it may be necessary to pull the fire back to the middle to reheat the floor and repeat
the process .
COOKING
If the oven has been exposed to moisture 48 hours prior to use, build a small fire
and heat the oven to 250-300°F for two hours before increasing the heat to cooking
temperature . An easy solution is to burn an 8-10 pound bag of charcoal (Match Light
®
type) and to let it burn completely This will slowly dry out the moisture that the oven
has absorbed .
As stated, we recommend cooking in a temperature range of 350° to 600°F . Time of
cooking will depend on the temperature and the item being cooked . The floor is the
heat source that will do most of the cooking . An infra-red temperature gauge can be
used to measure temperature at any location in and around the oven .
Cooking pizza in a wood-fired oven is somewhat like grilling or smoking meats in that
there are many variables such as the type of wood use, ambient temperature and
humidity, oven temperature and thickness of crust and toppings, which affect the
outcome . Be prepared to spend a few times testing recipes and techniques . Practice
and experimentation will show how to best cook your favorite style of pizza .
• A traditional Italian pizza with a thick crust and a thin layer of toppings should cook at
600°F or hotter for 3-6 minutes .
• For thicker pizzas with heavier toppings, lower temperatures are required to
thoroughly cook without burning .
• A medium pizza with heavy toppings may cook best at 400-500°F and will require a
longer cooking times, perhaps 15-25 minutes .
Cook the pizza directly on the floor of the oven . Place it in the oven using a long-
handled paddle called a peel, using hot mitts or hot pads . Slide the pizza from the
preparation surface to the peel, and then onto the cooking surface using a slight
jerking technique .
WARNING: Be mindful of the hot surfaces of your pizza oven. Because of the high
temperatures, extra caution should be used when cooking with a wood-fired oven.
Use proper, long-handled tools and protective mitts when working around the
opening or reaching into the hot oven.
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