Pizza Oven Wood Revolutionized:

Depending on the type of pizza oven you’re using, heat is generated via firewood, charcoal, or electricity. The ovens are designed to trap this heat inside their walls and floors, which is how the pizza bakes. When flames are low or non-existent, pizzas will still cook at high temperatures. This is why it is essential that you allow your pizza oven plenty of time to heat thoroughly before you begin the cooking process. The larger your oven, the more time it needs to reach optimal temperatures.

Whether you’re designing your own or investing in a top-tier model, there are a few things you should look for when selecting a pizza oven:

• Type: Pizza ovens can be made of different materials, including metal, stone, and brick. Each type has its benefits and is designed to hold the maximum level of heat possible for baking pizzas to perfection. You should also carefully consider the brand you choose to work with. Do they have warranties or guarantees against damage or wear and tear? How is their customer service?
• Size: For home cooks, miniature and residential-sized outdoor pizza ovens are usually enough to handle the occasional pizza night or weekday meal. For larger homes or pizza restaurants, you need larger ovens that can accommodate more than one pie at a time. Some home and business owners build an entire outdoor setup with an integrated oven, sink, and seating area.
• Condition: When you use a pizza oven, it is critical that there are no cracks, chips, or gaps in the walls, floor, or door. These vulnerable areas will allow heat to escape, which will make it more challenging to bake your pizza evenly. The heat loss also means a longer wait until your pizza is finished.

Once you have your pizza oven, firewood, and favorite recipe, it’s time to cook! When you have the right supplies and set-up, baking a delicious pizza is easy every time:

1. Gather what you need: Ever heard the expression “mise en place”? It’s popular in professional and home kitchens and means “everything in its place.” By taking the time to gather all the ingredients and supplies you need before you create and bake your pizza, you know you have everything you need, right where you need it, instead of realizing halfway through the recipe that you’re out of your favorite sauce or don’t have enough wood. For oven-baked pizza, this means you need your ingredients, a pizza peel, some matches, fire starters, and plenty of pizza cut firewood.
2. Heat the oven: Before you prepare your pizza, start heating the oven. Using a match and fire starter, build a fire in the firewood section of your pizza oven. Remember to keep the fire fed and stirred while the oven is heating.
3. Prepare your pie: Depending on your recipe, preparing your pie could mean hand-making your dough and sauce or picking up your favorites from the local grocery store. Roll out your pizza dough into the desired shape and top accordingly. Use a long, heat-safe pizza peel to place the pie carefully in the oven.
4. Wait for the magic: Now, it’s time to wait while the firewood and oven work their magic on your pie. Though it depends on your recipe and toppings, a wood-burning pizza oven works quickly, so you won’t have to wait too long. If necessary, use the pizza peel to move and rotate your pizza throughout the cooking process to ensure it does not stick and bakes evenly.
5. Slice and serve: Now that all your hard work has paid off, it’s time to slice and serve your pizza. While the oven is hot, consider tossing in some homemade garlic bread or a fun dessert pizza to accompany your meal.

Though some amount of smoke is typical when cooking with wood-generated flames, excessive smoke is a sign that something isn’t right. It can also be irritating to the eyes and hazardous when breathed in. If your pizza oven is generating more smoke than normal, ask yourself the following:

• Are you burning cooking-grade firewood, rather than yard debris, pine straw, or leaves?
• Is your wood thoroughly dry and free of mold and fungus?
• Are you using a dense hardwood instead of softwood?
• Is your pizza oven constructed correctly, free of gaps and cracks?
• Is there enough room in the fire area of your oven for the flames to breathe and thrive?
• Does your oven need to be cleaned?

If all of these things check out, consider consulting the oven manufacturer.

Top-quality pizza calls for top-quality cooking wood. Wood burning pizza ovens require more than your standard cut of firewood. They need specialty-sized wood — typically oak — that has been extensively dried and cut to promote even cooking.

The best firewood for pizza ovens is wood that has been:

• Carefully selected: You cannot harvest quality wood from weak, sick, or decaying trees. Cutting Edge Firewood sources every piece of wood from strong, healthy trees, so you know you’re getting quality from the start.
• Expertly processed: Though a healthy tree is necessary, it’s only the start. Once the wood is harvested, it must be processed by experts who understand what makes quality cooking wood. This means drying the wood in a high-heat kiln, eliminating the risk for mold, fungus, or bugs.
• Uniformly cut: Uniformity is a sign of high standards, and is essential when you need a steady, even burn. Wood cut to the same dimensions is also easier to stack and looks visually pleasing when on display.

The distinction between pizza wood and regular firewood lies deeply in their unique characteristics and uses, especially in the culinary realm. While both our firewood and pizza wood undergo the same meticulous drying process and hand selection at Cutting Edge Firewood, it's the specific cuts that make all the difference.

For pizza wood, smaller pieces of wood are utilized. We expertly and uniformly cut our pizza wood — specially designed to fit various pizza oven sizes — to ensure optimal burning conditions and the even distribution of heat. 

Using excessively large wood can suffocate the flame, leading to lower temperatures and longer cook times, detracting from the perfect pizza experience. This meticulous attention to size and cut, ensuring the wood is ideally suited for pizza ovens, lends a practical edge to pizza wood over regular firewood.

As the wood burns, different woods unleash unique flavors onto your wood-fired pizza, making the choice of wood crucial for the ultimate pizza experience. Dried hardwoods are a must for a long, clean burn and elevated flavor, as softwoods with a high sap content produce more smoke and creosote, ruining the aromatic and flavor profile of your pizza. 

Hickory wood emanates a strong flavor that’s ideal for meat-laden pizzas, whereas fruitwoods, such as applewood, can exude a gentle, sweet flavor that’s perfect for accentuating pizzas topped with fresh vegetables or fruits. 

Cherry wood and alder offer subtle, mild flavors, showcasing their versatility for various pizza creations. Contrarily, the intense flavor of mesquite, although favored in BBQ, can overwhelm your pizza, masking the delicate balance of flavors.

In this spectrum, oak wood emerges as the premier choice for pizza wood, thanks to its mild smoky flavor and adaptable characteristics. As the dry wood burns, the oak subtly enhances the intricate layers of your pizza.

It adds to the flavors without dominating them, ensuring each bite is a harmonious blend of taste and aroma. The enticing scent of natural oak wood smoldering beneath your pizza adds to the allure of cooking in the open air, elevating the experience beyond just the flavors.

Initiating a fire in a brick oven involves a few critical steps. Begin with our Cooking Fire Starter Package, complete with our Excelsior Fire Starters and kindling that can ignite with just one match. 

First, place the Excelsior Fire Starter at the center of the oven’s base. Arrange smaller pieces of kindling around the starter in a crisscross pattern, ensuring ample air circulation. 

Once the kindling is evenly arranged, light the fire starter. As the kindling catches fire, add larger logs — again in a crisscross pattern to allow for ample airflow — to intensify the flames. 

Allow the oven to heat up — the thicker the oven walls, the longer it will take. Depending on how large your oven is, you can keep adding wood to maintain the fire and ensure the oven is at the right temperature for cooking your pizza. 

Remember to stay away from green wood or seasoned wood, which contain high moisture content, as these will be harder to light and produce a lot of smoke once they finally get going — negatively impacting the experience of crafting and enjoying your pizza. The perfect arrangement and choice of wood will not only get your fire going efficiently but also contribute to the rich flavor and perfect crisping of your pizza crust.

Embrace the allure of cooking in the open air with the elevated flavors of wood-smoked pizza and the satisfaction of crafting your own masterpiece under the night sky. The right start leads to a perfect finish, ensuring your wood-fired pizza adventure is always a delight.