How To Make Pizza In A Wood Fired Oven: The Three B's Of Pizza Baking

Content Summary

Wood fired ovens are all the rage these days. But just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean that you have to be a trend follower, too.

No, you can be a trendsetter! With this simple guide, you too can make pizza in a wood fired oven. Ready? Let's get started!

The 3 B's Of Pizza Baking

There's nothing quite like a piping hot pizza straight out of the wood-fired oven. But if you're not careful, your pies can come out looking more like burnt offerings than culinary masterpieces.

Follow these simple tips and you'll be on your way to making pizzeria-quality pies in no time!

1.Bake at a high temperature.

A wood-fired oven can reach temperatures upwards of 1000 degrees F, so you'll want to make sure your oven is preheated to as close to that as possible.
If your dough is not cooked through, it will be doughy and will not hold up to toppings.
Conversely, if your dough is overcooked, it will be dry and crumbly. Both are sub-optimal eating experiences.

2.Bring the dough to room temperature before stretching.

This will help to prevent the dough from tearing when you stretch it out.
Once you've stretched the dough into your desired shape, let it rest for about 10 minutes before adding your toppings.
This will give the gluten a chance to relax so that your pizza doesn't shrink back in the oven.

3.Bulk ferment the dough for maximum flavor.

This simply means making the dough a day or two in advance and letting it rise slowly in the fridge.
This process allows the flavors of the yeast and flour to meld together, giving your pizza a more complex flavor profile.
Don't worry, bulk fermentation is easy! Just mix up your dough according to your recipe, let it rise until doubled in size.
Then stick it in the fridge overnight (or for up to 48 hours).
When you're ready to make pizza, just take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before stretching and baking.

How To Make Wood Fired Pizza

If you can't bulk ferment the dough as shared above, don't worry! You can still make delicious wood fired pizza at home. Just follow these simple steps and you'll be on your way to pizza perfection.

1. Gather your ingredients. You'll need: Bread flour, instant dry yeast, salt, water, pizza sauce, olive oil, and toppings of your choice. Oh, and a pizza oven. You'll also need a pizza stone or a steel pan to put your pizza on while it cooks.

2. Grab your pizza dough recipe. Combine the flour, yeast, salt, and water in a bowl and mix until everything is well combined. Then, turn out the pizza dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Once it's nice and elastic, place the dough in a bowl coated with olive oil and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour.

3. Prepare your toppings. This is where you get to be creative! Choose whatever toppings you like on your pizza. Just make sure that they're chopped up into small pieces so that they cook evenly.

4. Preheat your oven. If you're using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while it preheats so that it gets nice and hot. The oven should be as hot as it can go—usually between 800-1000 degrees Fahrenheit (430-537 degrees Celsius). If you're using a steel pan, just place it on the top rack of the oven while it preheats.

5. Stretch & roll the dough. Roll out your dough onto a floured surface. If you're using a pizza stone, transfer the dough directly onto the hot stone using a peel coated with cornmeal or semolina flour. If you're using a steel pan, transfer the dough to the pan once it's been greased with olive oil .

6. Add your toppings & bake. After adding the toppings, bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Slice and serve immediately!

Tips & Tricks

If you want a really crisp crust, try using a higher protein flour such as 00 flour.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different toppings! Try something new every time you make pizza and you might just find your new favorite combination.
If you have leftovers, reheat them in a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. This will help to crisp up the crust again.

Making perfect pizza at home is easy if you follow these three B's, steps and tips.

Jamie Oliver shows you how to cook pizza in a wood fired oven | Jamie Oliver

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