So I figured I should have a few pizzas this evening. Nothing special. I fired it up on cedar fence rail splits and some ash. I made the dough and started toppings and sauce. It fired for one hour on one stick of ash, split into wrist-sized pieces. First one was regular cheese, cooked a little light, I am out of practice. Pepperoni. Improving. Each pepperoni slice was bouncing on the bubbling cheese. The sausage and cheese was my favorite. Well cooked too. The last one was honey BBQ chicken.
Yes. Oooops, you didn't actually ask if I wanted some. That musta been my inner thought process working.
Again.....yes. I seem to remember making an attempt to get you to move next door......heck, I'd even help build the next oven.
I'll post it up my next chance. Warm water, yeast, bread flour for the extra gluten, salt. Put in oiled covered bowl in warm area until doubled in size.
How does the bottom of your pies come out? I always find that's the biggest challenge with the wood oven, is getting the top and bottom cooked perfectly at the same time.. I usually have the fire over the spot I'm cooking on, then just push it back and put the pie on immediately. I like it crispy on the bottom! P.S. - the pizzas look excellent
I find that adding extra sugar to my dough helps to brown the crust and make it more crispy on the bottom. Placing the pizza on a cooling rack when it's done helps too.
Ok here it is: 1 cup warm water 110 - 115 degrees. 1 teaspoon yeast stir in mixing bowl Add 3 cups bread flour Add 1/2 teaspoon salt Mix in electric blender with dough hook until dough sticks and rides up hook Put in oiled bowl with plastic wrap in a warm place until doubled in size. Makes two medium pizzas.
I fire the oven towards the back because of the draft flow. When the oven is nearly at temp, I rake the coals out onto the bricks for a bit to get them hotter. I use a piece of angle iron when the coals are pushed back to keep the edges from burning. A few small splits on the coal pile help cook nicely on top. The heat of the dome will do it, but the active fire browns it nicely. I don't know the dome temps though, not hot enough to burn the pizza unless I leave it in there too long. I am thinking of forging a small narrow iron wood rack to lift the last splits up over the angle iron. The angle iron cuts the airflow to the coal pile down. Having the wood elevated would keep them burning better.
