Question about fire during pizza cooking.

[Erniegarcia76]

Ok guys, question for you. I have probably fired up my oven around 10 times to make pizza, and have consistently gotten better results each time. I have a question though about the size of the fire you guys keep while making the pizza. I tend to get the oven up to pizza hot, clear the dome, and let the fire rage for 45min-hour after that. My oven floor gets to around 900 degrees, and the dome over a thousand (thermometer reads max, goes up to 999). Once I bank my fire on the left of the floor and start pizza, I have been keeping a nice fire going, but nothing major. I have some flames licking the roof of the dome. I'm thinking I should have that fire blazing on the left as well? Do you guys keep an inferno going the whole time?

Thanks.

[RTflorida]

Re: Question about fire during pizza cooking.

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[lwood]

Re: Question about fire during pizza cooking.

Hi Ernie,
Welcome to the fun of experimenting with your WFO. I find after a 45 min soak with a pretty good fire on the side, I'm ready to cook pizza. Once in the pizza mode, I keep one or two sticks of wood flaming. This does two things; first it keeps the oven at pizza temp 650-900F depending on how fast you want to cook pizza. Second, it gives you flames to char the pizza appropriately. You just don't get the same char w/o the flames. I don't have flames all the way to the top of the dome, typically. Maybe 3/4ths up the dome. That really depends on what you prefer, how fast you want to cook the pies, how many pies you cook at one time, I also have a large low-dome, etc, etc, etc. But definitely not a full raging fire. One or two pieces works for me. I can maintain temp. and get the nice leoparding char we like and more crispy crust. Hope that helps.

[texassourdough]

Re: Question about fire during pizza cooking.

Unless you have a really BIG oven having a big fire on both sides (or even a small one) wouldn't leave much room to cook! Definitely one side only IMO but try it. The attempt won't scar your oven and you can always rearrange the fire and go back tot he conventional one fire way.
Jay

[dmun]

Re: Question about fire during pizza cooking.

I think you may be overdoing it. Remember, the same refractory materials and insulation we use are used in kilns and blast furnaces. It's theoretically possible to bring your oven up to red heat if you use a forced air feed, but that would be completely useless for any cooking task.

As for me, as soon as the dome clears, it's time to rake the fire aside, and let the dome temperature moderate so the first pizza isn't black on the bottom. I keep my dome flames going with just small pieces of wood.