Wood Fired Pizza Oven Cooking Guide

1. Preparing your Wood Fired Pizza Oven

Assemble your wood-fired pizza oven ensuring all screws are locked into place.

Place your wood fired pizza oven in an area which is partially protected from the wind. For example, near an external wall of a dwelling or shed. If inclement weather is likely, it is recommended you position your oven under cover where it is sheltered from the rain.

2. Wood Fired Piza Oven Accessories

Ceramic pizza stone or fire-bricks
Metal pizza tray
Pizza cutter
Heat proof gloves
Pizza paddle
Pizza spatula

3. Curing your Oven

Pizza ovens made from clay and brick require curing. Curing involves lighting several increasing larger fires over a period of 5-7 consecutive days. Curing increases the lifespan of your clay/brick oven and limits the possibility of cracking. Ovens made from metal and steel, such as the ones supplied by BBQ Spit Rotisseries Pty Ltd do not require curing.

4. Lighting your Pizza Oven

The wood needs to be clean and dry. Ideally, it has been drying for 6-12 months and has no more than 20% moisture content.

Start your fire using kindling wood as it is easy to light and burns rapidly.

Once the kindling is burning well, add pieces of hard wood approximately 25cm long and 10cm in diameter. While the kindling is great for getting the fire started quickly, it is the hard wood which will burn longer and at a more intense temperature.

Refrain from burning green or wet wood. Not only will you not achieve the same amount of heat, but you will also produce excessive smoke. To store your wood correctly when not in use, keep woodpiles undercover in a dry, well-ventilated area.

Safety warning: Never burn rubbish, plastics or treated wood as they can produce toxic fumes which will be harmful to those in close proximity.

5. Cooking Temperatures

The ideal temperatures for your pizza oven will vary depending on what you are cooking.

150°C or 350°F for chicken
200°C or 400° for roasting meat
220°C or 400°F for baking bread
300°C or 700°F for pizza

TIP: To get the best results while cooking pizzas, cook your pizza on a metal pizza tray before removing your pizza from the tray and crisping up the base directly on the pizza stone/brick. The pizza stone/brick reaches very high temperatures therefore if you cook directly on the stone, you may find that the base of the pizza cooks well before the toppings. Cooking on a metal pizza tray until the last minute will ensure your toppings are cooked right through before the base. This is particularly important when using a pizza oven where the heat source is directly under the pizza.

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