How Does a Wood Fired Pizza Oven Work?

There’s no doubt that cooking in a wood fired pizza oven is becoming increasingly popular.

Anyone who is looking for that authentic, char and flavor of an Italian pizza usually knows that a pizza cooked in a wood fired oven is the only option. 

The crust is usually cooked to perfection, and is accompanied with crispy toppings and a delicious smoky flavor that people really love. 

But have you ever stopped to wonder, how does a wood fired pizza oven work?

What is the actual reason why, why cooking in a wood fired pizza oven is so different and even better than using gas or eclectic?

Wonder no more. As you continue reading you will learn; how a wood fired pizza oven works, how to use one, what the perfect wood fired pizza oven is, and how they are different from gas and electric ovens.

How Cooking in a Wood Fired Pizza Oven Differs From Gas and Electric?

While you may not think so, there are quite a few differences between cooking in a wood fired pizza oven and a gas or electric oven. 

Specifically when it comes to flavors and cooking times. With a perfect wood fired pizza oven like the one fromCru Ovens, you can have a slice of authentic pizza right in your home.

Any pizza connoisseur will tell you that if you are looking for authenticity then you should certainly try cooking in a wood fired pizza oven and here’s why.

• Using a Wood Fired Pizza oven allows you to change the flavor:You can play around with the flavors by interchanging the types of logs you use. Add the flavors of fruitwoods to your pizza. Plum, apple or pecan will certainly add unique flavors to your pizza.
  
  

How Does Cooking in a Wood Fired Pizza Oven Work?

It’s no secret that most pizza critics believe that the best way to cook a pizza is with a wood fired oven, and the most authentic way. 

A wood fired oven works by trapping heat. The pizza is not cooked from the heat of a fire. They actually heat up the walls of the oven which allows it to reach very high temperatures. 

There are layers of insulation inside the oven that trap the heat. While it can take up to hours for the wood fire pizza oven to heat up, it only takes a few minutes to cook the pizza. 

The heat can become so intense that the interior of the oven can stay hot for days. 

Cooking in a wood fired pizza oven emits three different types of heat; the fire in the oven, coals in the oven, and retained heat.  Learn the difference between the three:

Fire in The Oven

The fire in the oven approach cooks three ways at once, reflective heat, convection and retained heat. 

Reflective heat causes the flame from the fire to bounce off the dome, heating your food. Not only does it cook your pizza, but it will also recharge the cooking floor of the oven and replace the lost heat through cooking.

Convection heating is when the cold air from the bottom part of the oven or even a fan that starts to open and exhausts the hot air from the top half of the opening, keeping hot and moist air moving across the top of your pizza, cooking it.

Coals in The Oven

The high heat of a fire is not always needed for many dishes, that’s why there’s the coal in the oven approach. 

When cooking this way, you are allowing the fire to die down and your oven to cool. Then you are allowing the heat to cook your food.

This method is good for searing, grilling, roasting, or browning your food.

Retained Heat

Retaining heat is more for baking dishes, where you would normally use a conventional oven.

Your wood fired oven can cook for hours with retained heat. By taking out the coals from the fire and closing the oven door, you are allowing the temperature to moderate. 

With this method, baking bread and desserts is ideal. 

As the oven temperature drops, you can slow cook other food such as beans, stews and soups. As well as long cooking ribs and other meats.

What Separates a Cru Oven From The Others

Cooking in a wood fired pizza oven is not always the same. While the concept is the same, they are surely built differently. 

In fact most wood fired ovens are made in China like many other things. This doesn’t make it a bad thing, but it certainly means that it was most likely made in a factory without premium materials and made to absolute perfection.

Why spend hundreds of dollars on a wood fired pizza oven that is made with cheaper materials when you can spend the same amount of money for something made with premium quality.

Here are just a few added bonuses that separate using a wood fired pizza oven by Cru from all the others out there on that market. 

Made in Portugal With Premium Materials

Cru wood fired pizza ovens are Handcrafted in Portugal with premium materials. They are made with 304 Stainless steel, which makes them very durable and gives them a longer lifespan. 

They can reach up to 900 degrees, and heat up in 15 minutes, using either wood or coal the choice is up to you . 

Cooking on  stone has been around for centuries all over the world. Cru ovens are made with Portuguese stone, giving it an authentic and traditional way of cooking.

Cooking Dome Detaches For Portable Use and Easy Cleaning

This wood fired pizza oven weighs 33 lbs and has a removable refractory brick cooking base. 

The chimney is also removable, making it easy to clean and allows you to pick it up and take it with you on a trip to the beach, camping, or even to a friend’s house for a cookout. 

How to Light and Use a Wood Fired Pizza Oven Step by Step

Traditionally, lighting a wood fired pizza oven can take a little bit of time, so if you have some patience then here you will learn how to do it step by step. 

You want to start slowly, and build the heat up gradually. 

So here is how you will want to start and build your heat:

Step 1. 

Open the chimney smoke control and the pizza oven door. You will want both doors to be open and kept open through the whole lighting process.

Step 2.

You will want to place your kindling in the center of the oven, a few small logs should do the trick. Like building a campfire you will want to make a teepee shape and put some firelighters in the middle.

Step 3.

LIght up the match and place it in the middle of your kindling, take a few steps back and all it to catch fire.

Step 4.

You will want to increase the size of the fire once the kindling is burning, so add a few more medium sized logs to slowly increase the flames. 

Step 5.

Wait for the pizza dome to blacken. The fire will start to turn white and the smoke will turn the top black. When this happens, add more logs to the full floor and continue to build that fire up. At this point the fire will be intense so proceed with caution. The fire should be around 350-400 degrees, use a laser thermometer to check the temperature.

Step 6.

Now close the wood fired oven’s chimney smoke control, this will trap the heat.

Step 7.

Move the embers to the side or to the back of the oven when the fire has died down to make room for your food.

Step 8. 

If you still have any flames or burning embers, leave the door ajar, or if you have a vent then leave it open to avoid smoke build up inside.

Step 9.

Now you can place your pizza in the wood fired oven, or whatever other food you may be wanting to cook. 

Final Thoughts on Cooking in a Wood Fired Oven

Cooking a pizza while using a wood fired pizza oven is really the only way to go if you are looking to have your own authentic Italian pizza.

The flavor and texture is unmatched and you will be blown away by the difference that they actually make. 

You will definitely want to check out Cru ovens as well, they make using a wood fired pizza oven, easy and clean, with the option of making them portable.

So no more frozen pizzas in your electric oven, make the change today and bring the taste of Italy right to your home.