A wood fired pizza oven is the ultimate way to create an authentic pizza. These ovens can reach very high temperatures and can cook a pizza in minutes.

The key to using a wood fired oven properly is to keep the fire strong and hot throughout use. That means lighting the fire in a gradual manner and building it up steadily.

Light the Fire

When using a wood fired pizza oven, it’s important to know how to light the fire safely and properly. This will ensure that you get the best results from your oven and enjoy a fun and delicious cooking experience.

To start, place some kindling material in the centre of the oven. Three or four small logs will be sufficient, along with a few pine cones and other kinds of wood.

Next, add firelighters to the kindling and place a match by it. This will help to ensure that the whole kindling is able to catch fire.

Continue adding logs to the kindling and firelighters until you have a good fire established. The dome of the oven will turn black and smoke will start to accumulate.

After you’ve completed the lighting process, it’s time to move the fire to the back of your wood fired pizza oven. This will help to create space for your pizzas, as well as helping to clean the oven surface.

Prep the Cooking Area

When using a wood fired pizza oven, it is important to prep the cooking area. This will help ensure that your food is cooked evenly, and the pizza stays intact.

First, you should place some kindling in the center of the pizza oven. This will help get the fire started and start to heat up the dome, tiles and floor.

Once the kindling is burning well, add a few small-medium size logs to the fire. This will give the fire more heat and make it easier for the fire to spread throughout the entire oven.

As the pizza dome starts to turn black and the firewood gradually turns white, you will need to add more logs to maintain a steady heat.

The best wood for a pizza oven is oak because it burns hot and has a strong flavor. This type of wood is ideal for high temperatures and produces little smoke. It is also easy to light and can be seasoned in about 6 months.

Place the Pizza

A wood fired pizza oven works by transferring heat to the crust using three different methods: convection, conduction and radiation. The first two methods transfer heat from the fire to the pizza through the walls, while the last one transfers it from the floor to the pizza.

Once the fire is lit, it should heat up quickly and get to a temperature that will be hot enough to cook the dough. Once the dome of the oven is white-hot and no more black soot is visible, you’re ready to bake pizzas.

A wood fired pizza oven uses logs of seasoned dried hardwood as fuel to cook your pizza. These types of wood burn hot and consistently, which is important for cooking your pizza evenly.

Rotate the Pizza

Rotate your pizza regularly while it bakes to ensure it cooks evenly. This is a great way to avoid burnt pizzas or pizza that’s uncooked on one side.

Once your pizza has cooked and its bottom is bubbly, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes so that it can firm up. Then it’s time to add your toppings.

A peel (pizza spatula) is essential for preparing your pizza. You’ll also need a long-handled oven brush/scraper for cleaning ash and burnt toppings off the baking stone.

When it comes to cooking, heat is transferred in three ways: radiation, conduction, and convection. You can cook the top and sides of your pizza with radiation, which is regular but slower, or you can cook it by conduction, which is faster.