Can an oven be too hot for Pizza

[Spunkoid]

Re: Can an oven be too hot for Pizza

This winter on a cold and dark night, I light up by WFO, started with a small fire and slowly built it up to a big hot fire. This let the stove warm up slowly so I would not have cracking issues...
I let the big hot fire burn down a bit, then pushed all the coals off to the side. The bottom of the oven was glowing and red hot. It took several minutes for it to cool to the point where it was dark.
Lesson learned.... make sure you let the oven floor cool for a least 15 minutes after you move the fire over, otherwise you will burn the bottom of your pizza.
Especially in colder weather, I will add a stick or two of wood to the fire on the side, even when I have a deep bank of coals. The flames lick over the top of the dome and back down the other side. My pizzas will cook in about a minute. I have time to put them in, wait about 20 seconds, turn them, then get ready to take them out. Crust browns nicely on the side, cheese browns on top, and the crust is baked just right. If I am a little slow, the edge of the crust will start to blacken....
He who hesitates is lost...

[RTflorida]

Re: Can an oven be too hot for Pizza

Don't know how I missed this thread.
enz, you are the man. 1600F? Keep going, you will be making glass soon. I hit an unconfirmed 1450F the first time I burned citrus. Being an idiot I threw logs on like building a bonfire (which I usually do with oak and hickory).
My old IR was rated to 1100 and went into error shortly after the 1450 reading. Honest to god, the heat was so intense I was certain something/everything was going melt or burn away. I know firsthand how fast a log will burt into flames at that temp.
Watching that pizza go up in flames had to look pretty cool......but sad at the same time.

RT

[scottz]

Re: Can an oven be too hot for Pizza

I know the first time I used my WFO, being way too excited, I moved the fire to the side and straight away put the pizza on the the bricks. I have never seen a piece of food turn into fire so quickly!!! Bloody funny!!! Now I always more the fire to the side, brush the ash into the fire and wait about 20 mins for the floor to cool while keeping a good fire going. I then use the flour test on the floor and when its ready to go...in they go.

[david s]

Re: Can an oven be too hot for Pizza

I suggest you don't try overfiring your oven. At 500- 600C (you do the conversions) all kinds of inerestings things happen to refactories. Research kiln firings if you really want to find out. Firing quickly in this range, both increase and decrease in temp results in cracking. Potters always take this temp range slowly to avoid problems. Slow is 100C/Hr
The trouble with wood as a fuel is that the heat it generates is difficult to control. I have had this exact problem firing a wood fired kiln trying to bisque fire pottery. I also had the same problem with my first wood oven when I tried to fire it really hot and used a hair dryer for forced air induction. Now it's slow and steady for me and safe for my oven materials.