People who love pizza know that a pizza cooked in a wood fire pizza oven tastes far better than a pizza cooked in a conventional gas or electric kitchen oven. This difference is so obvious that it usually only takes one bite to tell the difference.
The smoky flavor, crunchy toppings, and fluffy crust of a pizza cooked in a pizza oven like the ones you find at Sydney Heaters & Pizza Ovens will make you a a believer too.
Benefits of a pizza oven
Wood-fired brick ovens are as old as cooking itself. Brick ovens have been found during excavations of virtually every ancient culture and I’m sure most of them loved pizza as much as you do.
Today brick ovens are as common in Italy as barbecues are everywhere else. There are several benefits of pizza made in a brick oven which can’t be duplicated in a conventional oven.
Higher cooking temperature – Heat radiates out from the heat source, in this case a wood fire, is balanced throughout the oven, and then absorbed through the brick walls. This heat radiates across the top evenly, while the bottom of the oven remains slightly cooler.
When the oven gets to the preferred baking temperature of 570 to 660 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature is then maintained by keeping a continuous low flame. This is the secret to making an excellent pizza.
Faster cooking time – Since the high temperatures of the oven are stored in the dense brick walls, the oven cooks very quickly. This means, it takes about 2 – 3 minutes max. for a pizza to cook, making the wood-fired oven very economical.
Crispier crust – The high temperatures produced by the radiant heat from the fire and heat bouncing off the inside walls of the oven makes the outside of the pizza crisp quickly. Any moisture in the dough is quickly sealed off, preventing the base of the dough from becoming soggy. This makes the crust flavourful and plump, yet soft and chewy.
Unique flavor – Only a wood-fired brick oven gives a pizza that distinct, smoky flavor that isn’t created in a conventional kitchen oven. The high temperature imparts other unique flavors that only slow cooking can achieve.
One drawback is that the high temperatures will burn off the flavor of the olive oil, so you will need to drizzle olive oil over the top of the cooked pizza, right before serving, to add the flavor back in and this also makes the taste more prominent for enhanced flavor.
Crispier toppings – The intense heat and constant airflow generated by the brick oven cooks, then seals in the flavour of the toppings evenly and quickly. Vegetable toppings will remain crispier than those baked in a conventional oven.
This fast cooking also causes the vitamins and nutrients to be sealed into the vegetables for a healthier alternative to a conventional oven. Additionally, the cheese on top of the pizza won’t burn, it melts thoroughly and also has a unique smoky taste to it for very different flavor.
Benefits of owning a brick oven
Owning a brick oven has it’s own set of benefits, besides making the best pizza you’ve ever tasted.
A brick, wood-fired oven is both economical and efficient. Since you are using wood as your fuel your operating costs are extremely low or non-existent, depending on if you have to pay for the wood.
It’s efficient, because of the intense heat, food cooks all the way through faster. Also, depending on the size of the oven, you will be able to cook several dishes at the same time.
The unique flavor a wood burning brick oven produces will make pizza that’s far better tasting then any pizza you’ve ever had and it will also give any other dish an amazing flavour you just can’t get from a conventional oven.
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