big party...keep it hot

[texassourdough]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Hi Kathy!

We ALL have our blind spots and share of DUHs.

I think you have the title for a really good book, "The Accidental Calzone! Life's lessons learned from a forno!"

I have a couple of the "screens" but I like the old fashioned solid aluminum pans - about 13 inches in diameter. I know I found them at a restaurant supply place and I think I only paid about $2 each (or I wouldn't have 20 of them!) Even a few could be a great help for you can let people "build their own" and the pan will protect you from the normal exuberance! I have cooked them all the way on the pan (when overloaded) or on the pan for about a minute then pull it and move it to a peel and back in the oven "naked" on the hearth to finish it.

One final mantra for you. "In the world of WFOs sparcity is next to godliness!"

Good Luck!
Jay

[ksm]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Jay,

Once again, great advice -- and an enjoyable post. We'll see how things go. Fortunately, there is no rain in the forecast and the temperature is supposed to be decent. Now if the pizza will be as well! Stay tuned....

Kathy

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Hey Guys,

I agree the aluminum pans are the way to go, Especially for whole wheat pizza, the dough is always so sticky and must cook on the tray before it releases. Plus like someone said, guests ALWAYS put way too many toppings and sauce on their pizza....

As for Fire, I keep 2 fire bricks on the side of the oven, I throw a log on top every so often and it keeps the dome heated well and the log can breathe well, the coals pile up underneath and help keep the floor heated as well.

Its amazing to me what a great learning experience my brick oven has been, from building techniques and products to cooking and heat retention.

I havent made an accidental calzone "yet" (Im sure It wil happen)but your right, sounds like a great title for a pizza book.....

the last pic is a bacon and egg pizza, It is actually my favorite. You can put the bacon on raw, let it cook for a few, then put the eggs on, otherwise the eggs will hard boil

Enjoy
Mark

[ksm]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Mark,

Thanks for the confirmation about aluminum pans and the idea for fire bricks on the side.

On another note, I saw your post about wooden dough boxes. Your wooden bowls are beautiful! Almost as good looking as the pizza pix you posted here!

Kathy

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Kathy,
Thank you for the compliments.... I will admit the brick thing was'nt my idea as Im sure I read it here somewhere on the forum. Believe it or not those were some of my first pizza's.. It doesnt take long to learn, You will be making them like that in no time
Enjoy

Mark

P.S. make sure you look up Dirty Steak

[Rodneyf]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Hi Kathy, In Australia we have a product we call "baking paper" or "grease proof paper", it is used for lining cake tins or baking dishes to stop the food sticking. I use it to make the pizzas on when I have a few people here and then just slide the pizza on the paper into the oven, the paper has a very high temp rating and does not catch fire. I only leave it there for 30 - 40 secs then I slide the pizza and paper onto the peal and then hold the paper as I slide the pizza back into the oven with the paper still in my hand. It works a treat and there is no sticking and no washing up to be done at the end of the night.

[ksm]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Rodneyf, Hi! Sounds like what we call "parchment paper" -- but it's supposedly only good up to 500F. That's what I was using for pizza in the indoor oven with a baking stone. I had assumed the paper wouldn't work in a WFO because of the higher temp. Only using it for 30/40 secs must be the secret. I'll give it a try.

Always something new to learn. Thank you!

Kathy

[Rodneyf]

Re: big party...keep it hot

I have just read the directions of use and it says "heat resistant to 450F" but I have layed a pizza on the floor of my oven at near 600F for a good 40 seconds before lifting it with the peel and sliding it back onto the floor. It works a treat and you have no sticking problems at all. I have yet to try a wooden peel with lots of flour but that is next and I hope it solves my problem. I think if you are doing multiple pizzas with lots of people and they build their pizzas on baking paper with flour then you should have no problem sliding them off each time.

[ksm]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Rodneyf,

Hi. We tried it and you are quite right -- it works great! Maybe not as fast as using flour, but much better for pizzas with more than just the two of us. I would never have had the courage to try the baking/parchment paper without your suggestion. Thank you. Kathy

[david s]

Re: big party...keep it hot

I just cooked for a party with my mobile oven last night, about 70 people. I think we did about 50 pizzas. I maintained a fire on the side and had to eventually refire the oven for about 15 mins to bring the temp up again. I ended up cooking three at once. The thing that made it easy was that we used pre made commercial bases which made the handling easy and required no rolling out of the dough. This meant that there were always pizzas ready to go in. I know they're not as good as your homemade bases, but it eliminates novices rolling out the base which can take forever and your oven is cooling with no pizzas ready to cook. Anyway the guests were pretty impressed and the pizzas were pretty good.

[Rodneyf]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Kathy, I am so glad it all worked out well for you. Did you manage to get the time to take some photos for all of us to see?

David, do you also have any photos of your mobile oven and I would love to know where you got the pizza bases from, as I was thinking of having a very large party soon.

[david s]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Rodney,
Photos of my mobile oven on p.16 Finished Ovens in the Photo Gallery.
I don't know where the bases came from. The woman who hosted the party provided the bases and toppings, I just worked the oven. This was the biggest party I've done and was my record in guest numbers. My little oven coped pretty well, it's all a matter of management and you get better at it all the time. I used to think 20 people was a large number. I think it works out better if everyone shares a bit of this one and a bit of that one rather than making individual personal ones. Also people seem to think that a mountain of ingredients on the top is better. It's not, these wood fired pizzas are best thin and the toppings sparse and few in numbers of ingredients.

[david s]

Re: big party...keep it hot

I picked up my mobile oven yesterday and the party host said we did 70 pizzas. Not bad for a 54 cm diam oven and only refired once.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: big party...keep it hot

Not Bad !!!! Sounds Incredible.... How long were you cooking ?

[david s]

Re: big party...keep it hot

I really didn't keep track of the time because I was so busy shovelling pizzas in and out. About 2hrs I would guess. I fired it up for 2 hrs first and it was STINKING HOT !