How many Pizzas?

[SpringJim]

How many pizzas do you cook at the same time?.....I find that I cook them three at a time.

How many pizzas do you make per person?.......I find that I need about one per person (made 12 for 10 people and no scraps left for breakfast)

I find I always cook on the side of the oven....anyone push the fire to the back and cook in the front? That looks like it might be better, not having to reach over the first two to reach the one in the back.....knuckle burns

an inquiring mind....

[james]

Re: How many Pizzas?

I find I always cook on the side of the oven....anyone push the fire to the back and cook in the front? That looks like it might be better, not having to reach over the first two to reach the one in the back.....knuckle burns

an inquiring mind....

Definitely put your fire on the side, not the back. Here are a couple of good links:

Brick Oven Cooking | Manage Your Wood Fired Pizza Oven

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f16/...html#post31429

Make sense?
James

[SpringJim]

Re: How many Pizzas?

I asked that question 'cause I think I saw a picture of someone in the gallery pushing wood to the back and cooking....was a way to keep my knuckles out of the two pizzas in front....hot hot....should wear those gloves!

[edschmidt]

Re: How many Pizzas?

Always the back, I can tell by the if the crust is burning, but theres no way I can manage 3 pizza's at the same time. I use a very thin high hydration crust so I need a wide swath to not tear the crust and ruin the pie. Never more than 2 pizza's (mine are typically 14-16" and alway toward the front.

[gjbingham]

Re: How many Pizzas?

I'm still only slinging one at a time. I'd try two, but managing dough and pizza building and then running them out to the oven before they stick to the peel is hard enough. If several were ready, I'd try it without a second thought. Three is a year or two down the road.

[RTflorida]

Re: How many Pizzas?

Coals to the back/left, fire on the left side; 2 pizzas at a time down the right side. Mine are usually around 12 inches. Usually plan on 1 1/2 per person, the half being shared "specialty" pizzas I concoct.
Personally I have eaten 4 pizzas a few times.....and was miserable for at least a day. Due to health reasons (too much pizza, bread, pasta)I have scaled way back on my carb consumption - pizza being my only carb. or sugar vice. Just last night, one for my wife, one for me, one for a neighbor, and a shared pizza.

RT

[nissanneill]

Re: How many Pizzas?

I usually cut the dough balls small to make a 10" base and I am only capable of downing one. Most of my guests cook at least two pizzas, as they will always be hot and they can try the multitude of toppings available for them. We have had 5 in the oven at one time but it gets a kittle busy. I especially get them to make, cook and tend their own. It is all a part of the experience. I only make the dough.
As far as the fire location and cooking is concerned, I usyually push the coals to the sides and back, brush the floor and throw on a fer pieces of wood (I won't call them logs but more chunky pieces of split dry gum). Ready for cooking in the centre and front, wherever I had the coals heating the hearth. The infrared themometer soon shows the hottest spots.

Neill

[RTflorida]

Re: How many Pizzas?

5???????? how the heck do you manage 5 pizzas at one time??? I most certainly would burn 3 of them at the temps I cook at.....I just can't juggle and turn that quickly.

RT

[nissanneill]

Re: How many Pizzas?

I don't have to manage them, the guest have to themselves. I demonstrate my pizza making and topping skills, putting it in the oven, turning it and retrieving it. I'm not stupid, they need to see how it's done. When they all get their toppings on, all they want to do is cook and enjoy them. Their second pizzas are alittle more organised and structured but I am finished except for my desert pizza.
It does get a little frantic when the oven is hot and they are hungry, but settles down once they realise thast it is best to wait in line for e few minutes. As the oven cools, it is not a problem as the pizzas are smallish and I use a small round peel which makes manipulating the pizzas quite easy.

Neill

[cvdukes]

Re: How many Pizzas?

Since I'll hazard a guess that I have the tiniest oven on the forum...I can only do one at a time... Usually about 12 -14 inches. And the fire is pushed to the back, but that doesn't mean that the knuckles get spared...hair on the fingers is over-rated anyway!

We have about 5 wooden peels that guests build their pizzas on... there's always one or two ready to pop in and some pretty strange combinations. seems like about 1 1/2 to 2 per person seems about right...

[Frances]

Re: How many Pizzas?

We had our biggest pizza party to date last night . My mother-in-law's birthday, ten people, first time to bake pizza in the evening. I'm still working up to really big parties...

No way can I do more that one pizza at once though.... because at the moment the prep table's too small for more than one at a time. So we just cut up each pizza as its ready and share it.

Last night I forgot about one guest actually and another one turned up unexpectedly later on, so I thought I'd have no where near enough dough... I made it from 1 kg of flour, with 60% hydration, cut into eight balls. But then we ended up with enough left overs for two calzones... so that makes six large pizzas between the ten of us (including three kids).

...After garlic mushrooms with fresh bread as starters and with chocolate cake as desert... I don't think anyone went home hungry...

[SpringJim]

Re: How many Pizzas?

I don't think anyone went home hungry...

I've never seen that happen!
Ain't it fun!