Wood Fired Pizza Oven

[Bordersfox]

Good folk of Foxes Talk I have just cured my new wood fired pizza oven.  I can use pellets or kindling and, as I have a pellet smoker, I intend to run it on oak pellets. But I do have kindling as well for my wood burner. Unless someone tells me a reason kindling is better I'll stick with pellets for ease of use...

 

Any tips, tricks or need to knows about cooking pizza in this bad boy from those with experience?  It's a woody, gets to 500c, pretty similar to the ooni ones I think but a bit cheaper.  

 

I will be making my own dough but there are times I probably won't have time or can't be ars3d - any recommendations for good, ready made dough?  Freezable ideally.

[Collymore]

There's only one man on Foxestalk for left footed right wingers and pizzas @Ric Flair

[Bordersfox]

Just now, Collymore said:

There's only one man on Foxestalk for left footed right wingers and pizzas @Ric Flair

I don't want my pizza to turn out like Tete though 

[Collymore]

1 minute ago, Bordersfox said:

I don't want my pizza to turn out like Tete though 

It would be like loving pepperoni on your pizza and getting lucky on your first slice and then the reality sets in...

 

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Bordersfox said:

Good folk of Foxes Talk I have just cured my new wood fired pizza oven.  I can use pellets or kindling and, as I have a pellet smoker, I intend to run it on oak pellets. But I do have kindling as well for my wood burner. Unless someone tells me a reason kindling is better I'll stick with pellets for ease of use...

 

Any tips, tricks or need to knows about cooking pizza in this bad boy from those with experience?  It's a woody, gets to 500c, pretty similar to the ooni ones I think but a bit cheaper.  

 

I will be making my own dough but there are times I probably won't have time or can't be ars3d - any recommendations for good, ready made dough?  Freezable ideally.

1st thing I will say is, if you're prepared to create the right cooking environment for a pizza in a wood fired oven but can't be arsed to make your own dough then your priorities are way off in this game son.

 

You've chosen the ultimate craft as a fuel for making pizza, there's absolutely no shortcuts with wood fired oven. If you want to be mucking about with pre made dough then you probably want an easier experience and a gas or electric oven.

 

Less is more with pizza. Make your dough, take care in getting the oven spot on and then just make a shit load, admire and eat until you feel sick and then rest up until the next quiz.

[Jattdogg]

Just now, Bordersfox said:

Yeah I didn't know about this but anyway I was looking for advice on using a new pizza oven not that someone's fave pizza was dominoes 

Was just sharing in case you were looking for any recipes or random things that might in there.

 

Side note, dominos pizza is shiet!

 

Interestingly we are making homemade pizza today but in the oven.

[Jattdogg]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

1st thing I will say is, if you're prepared to create the right cooking environment for a pizza in a wood fired oven but can't be arsed to make your own dough then your priorities are way off in this game son.

 

You've chosen the ultimate craft as a fuel for making pizza, there's absolutely no shortcuts with wood fired oven. If you want to be mucking about with pre made dough then you probably want an easier experience and a gas or electric oven.

 

Less is more with pizza. Make your dough, take care in getting the oven spot on and then just make a shit load, admire and eat until you feel sick and then rest up until the next quiz.

Smell the snobbery

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Jattdogg said:

Smell the snobbery

Just made 120 pizzas and I'm absolutely fcuked pal

[Jattdogg]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

Just made 120 pizzas and I'm absolutely fcuked pal

Coronation party? Lemme guess uniquely English pizza........a full english on a pizza.

[Bordersfox]

2 minutes ago, Jattdogg said:

Was just sharing in case you were looking for any recipes or random things that might in there.

 

Side note, dominos pizza is shiet!

 

Interestingly we are making homemade pizza today but in the oven.

Apologies squire I have now looked at the post in more detail. Some good stuff.  

 

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Jattdogg said:

Coronation party? Lemme guess uniquely English pizza........a full english on a pizza.

About as Italian as a Vienetta 

[Bordersfox]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

1st thing I will say is, if you're prepared to create the right cooking environment for a pizza in a wood fired oven but can't be arsed to make your own dough then your priorities are way off in this game son.

 

You've chosen the ultimate craft as a fuel for making pizza, there's absolutely no shortcuts with wood fired oven. If you want to be mucking about with pre made dough then you probably want an easier experience and a gas or electric oven.

 

Less is more with pizza. Make your dough, take care in getting the oven spot on and then just make a shit load, admire and eat until you feel sick and then rest up until the next quiz.

I can see my Tete comment has cut you to your very core Ric.  You are lashing out and I forgive you for that.  It was a cheap shot.  

 

You are talking to a man who makes all bread related products for his household.  The last time I bought a loaf of hovis, or other shit supermarket loaf, 2002.  

 

I take on board what you've said and I'll take my medicine.  Okay so what's your hydration? 75%.  80%.

 

Come on Ric tell me your hydration. I dare you.   

 

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Bordersfox said:

I can see my Tete comment has cut you to your very core Ric.  You are lashing out and I forgive you for that.  It was a cheap shot.  

 

You are talking to a man who makes all bread related products for his household.  The last time I bought a loaf of hovis, or other shit supermarket loaf, 2002.  

 

I take on board what you've said and I'll take my medicine.  Okay so what's your hydration? 75%.  80%.

 

Come on Ric tell me your hydration. I dare you.   

 

Hahaha I actually hadn't read that until after I'd posted. I just get triggered when it comes to pizza, it's my one true passion.

 

I do a 90% hydration turkish bread which is like trying to grapple with Geoff Capes on to the paddle but with pizza, the max I'll go to with toppings in a Ooni / pizza oven is about 65%.

 

I've started cooking at lower temps recently in the ooni volt and doing NY style pizzas with a dough mix of bread flour, 00 flour and semolina. It's mind blowing but an absolute ball ache.

 

In all seriousness going back to your question about pre made dough is almost answered by yourself at the end where you've said freezeable. Literally make a load more than you want to use and then just freeze it, still quality when you defrost and use a few hours later.

[Bordersfox]

12 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

1st thing I will say is, if you're prepared to create the right cooking environment for a pizza in a wood fired oven but can't be arsed to make your own dough then your priorities are way off in this game son.

 

You've chosen the ultimate craft as a fuel for making pizza, there's absolutely no shortcuts with wood fired oven. If you want to be mucking about with pre made dough then you probably want an easier experience and a gas or electric oven.

 

Less is more with pizza. Make your dough, take care in getting the oven spot on and then just make a shit load, admire and eat until you feel sick and then rest up until the next quiz.

Serious question then. Do you freeze some of your pizza dough or make enough for one cooking session?

 

 I've frozen my pizza dough before and I'm not convinced it's near as good once defrosted.  This is surely the holy grail especially if you've got friends over and want to spend the day down the pub not proving dough.  

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Bordersfox said:

Serious question then. Do you freeze some of your pizza dough or make enough for one cooking session?

 

 I've frozen my pizza dough before and I'm not convinced it's near as good once defrosted.  This is surely the holy grail especially if you've got friends over and want to spend the day down the pub not proving dough.  

100% yes pal, just give it enough time to come up to room temp. Far better than any dough I've tried that's pre made. Best I've had that is is that northern dough company but I guarantee it won't be as good as what you could make.

[Bordersfox]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

100% yes pal, just give it enough time to come up to room temp. Far better than any dough I've tried that's pre made. Best I've had that is is that northern dough company but I guarantee it won't be as good as what you could make.

That's the sort of advice I was looking for cheers. Maybe I've not given it enough time to come to room temp previously.  It also always seems to stick like a bastard to whatever I've frozen it in as it's so wet. 

[Ric Flair]

1 minute ago, Bordersfox said:

That's the sort of advice I was looking for cheers. Maybe I've not given it enough time to come to room temp previously.  It also always seems to stick like a bastard to whatever I've frozen it in as it's so wet. 

Yes it will mate, get some semolina / maize and tip the defrosted dough ball in to a bed of it on both sides. 

 

Then shape your pizza base as normal but before topping, pick it up and slap it about from hand to hand to dust off the excess semolina. You'll be as good as gold then.

[Bordersfox]

7 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Hahaha I actually hadn't read that until after I'd posted. I just get triggered when it comes to pizza, it's my one true passion.

 

I do a 90% hydration turkish bread which is like trying to grapple with Geoff Capes on to the paddle but with pizza, the max I'll go to with toppings in a Ooni / pizza oven is about 65%.

 

I've started cooking at lower temps recently in the ooni volt and doing NY style pizzas with a dough mix of bread flour, 00 flour and semolina. It's mind blowing but an absolute ball ache.

 

In all seriousness going back to your question about pre made dough is almost answered by yourself at the end where you've said freezeable. Literally make a load more than you want to use and then just freeze it, still quality when you defrost and use a few hours later.

Another question, and this may be oven specific.  So I've got an offset smoker and of course a drum BBQ so I'm used to controlling temperatures with live fire. 

 

But in a pizza oven what controls temp beyond blazing hot? There is no choke plate on the chimney, although I could fashion one.  Or is it simply down to how you're feeding it with wood?

 

 I've seen a few YouTubers say they prefer to cook at around 400 so the toppings can cook more before the dough is burnt.  Particularly with New York where there is more topping than Neapolitan.   

 

I am also quite obsessive when it come to trying to master something.

[Jattdogg]

41 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Yes it will mate, get some semolina / maize and tip the defrosted dough ball in to a bed of it on both sides. 

 

Then shape your pizza base as normal but before topping, pick it up and slap it about from hand to hand to dust off the excess semolina. You'll be as good as gold then.

....Jattdogg opens up pornhub....lol

 

Seriosuly, this pizza talk is making me hungry. The wife is making the dough as i type but i need the lice of pizza now damnit!

[Daggers]

27 minutes ago, Jattdogg said:

… i need the lice of pizza now damnit!

That’ll be Domino’s or Papa Johns. 

[Jattdogg]

1 hour ago, Daggers said:

That’ll be Domino’s or Papa Johns. 

Lol. People need all kinds of odd toppings on pizza. 

Edited 7 May 2023 by Jattdogg

[Ric Flair]

3 hours ago, Bordersfox said:

Another question, and this may be oven specific.  So I've got an offset smoker and of course a drum BBQ so I'm used to controlling temperatures with live fire. 

 

But in a pizza oven what controls temp beyond blazing hot? There is no choke plate on the chimney, although I could fashion one.  Or is it simply down to how you're feeding it with wood?

 

 I've seen a few YouTubers say they prefer to cook at around 400 so the toppings can cook more before the dough is burnt.  Particularly with New York where there is more topping than Neapolitan.   

 

I am also quite obsessive when it come to trying to master something.

It's a good question mate and I'll be honest, I find wood fired pizza ovens so difficult to master. But yes, it's about how you feed it. Those pellets should give you a consistent burn and I'd try to get to a point where the fire starts to settle down and then cook a few. Then feed and wait for a few mins and then go again.

[Zear0]

13 hours ago, Bordersfox said:

Another question, and this may be oven specific.  So I've got an offset smoker and of course a drum BBQ so I'm used to controlling temperatures with live fire. 

 

But in a pizza oven what controls temp beyond blazing hot? There is no choke plate on the chimney, although I could fashion one.  Or is it simply down to how you're feeding it with wood?

 

 I've seen a few YouTubers say they prefer to cook at around 400 so the toppings can cook more before the dough is burnt.  Particularly with New York where there is more topping than Neapolitan.   

 

I am also quite obsessive when it come to trying to master something.

A friend of mine has a wood fired oven and I know he uses the lump wood to reach a specific temp (god knows what) for cooking the crust and then chucks on wood shavings/saw dust to get the arching flames to cook the toppings.  Seemed quite an elegant way of doing this as that fuel is quite short lasting and gives you some control over how much, and for how long, it'll burn at that temp.  Food (sorry) for thought and good luck!  As an Ooni gas user i'm equally fascinated by the wood burners amongst us.  Like Ric, I put wood fired pizza in the "too big a faff" box.

Edited 8 May 2023 by Zear0

[Bordersfox]

49 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

A friend of mine has a wood fired oven and I know he uses the lump wood to reach a specific temp (god knows what) for cooking the crust and then chucks on wood shavings/saw dust to get the arching flames to cook the toppings.  Seemed quite an elegant way of doing this as that fuel is quite short lasting and gives you some control over how much, and for how long, it'll burn at that temp.  Food (sorry) for thought and good luck!  As an Ooni gas user i'm equally fascinated by the wood burners amongst us.  Like Ric, I put wood fired pizza in the "too big a faff" box.

Cheers, I did consider getting the gas attachment for this oven because I really don't think 60 seconds or whatever is going to impart any woodsmoke flavour to a dough.   But as I already do a fair bit of smoking and grilling and have both wood, charcoal and wood pellets around it seemed silly not to use them for this.  

 

Tonight my wife will dine on woodfired Neapolitan style pizza, or my tears.  Most likely my tears.  

[Silverfox14]

Definitely more aggro than worth in my experience