Many people will say that foods cooked in a woodfired oven simply taste better—but why is that so? Woodfired ovens date back nearly to the dawn of civilization, and in places like Italy, they are still very widely used to make the delicious pizzas and breads that Italy is renowned for. They must be on to something!
Today we’ll break down five factors that make foods cooked in a woodfired oven tastier than their conventional oven counterparts. We’ll focus on pizza here, but in reality, these factors apply to pretty much anything you cook in a woodfired oven. Before you read on, make sure you have some bagged firewood on hand, because you’re going on want to get that oven heated up to make some delicious woodfired delights!
1. Exceptional Flavor
Foods cooked in a woodfired oven will have a unique smoky flavor that simply cannot be matched by cooking in a conventional oven. Woodfired ovens can also achieve higher temperatures than conventional ovens, which will also contribute to that unique woodfired flavour. Despite the delicious flavour woodfired cooking can add to your food, be aware that the high cooking temperature of a woodfired oven can ruin the flavour of olive oil—so be sure to only drizzle it on pizzas after cooking.
2. High Temperature
Because heat from the woodfire is absorbed into the brick of a woodfired oven and is then spread around the oven, a woodfired oven can maintain a very even cooking temperature for a long period using only a small fire. Avoiding the temperature rising or falling significantly while you’re cooking will yield a better cooked and better-tasting product.
3. Cooking Time
In addition to a more consistent cooking temperature, the high heat that can be achieved in a woodfired oven also means a quicker cooking time for foods like pizza. A pizza can be cooking in just two or three minutes in a woodfired oven, yielding perfectly bubbly cheese and crispy crust. This quick cooking time is perfect if you’re cooking for a crowd!
4. Perfectly Crisp Crust
Nobody likes soggy pizza or burnt crust. In a woodfired oven, the high heat flowing around the oven crisps the bottom and outer crust of the pizza quickly, avoiding a pizza with a soggy middle. This fast-acting heat also seals the outside of the pizza crust, sealing off any moisture inside the crust. This process avoids the crust from drying out and becoming too crispy and yields a flavourful crust that is crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
5. Crispy toppings
The high heat and circulating airflow in a woodfired oven cook the pizza toppings quickly and evenly. Vegetables and meat will achieve that perfect crispness that is sometimes lacking in pizzas made in a conventional oven. The quick crisping will also lock in the flavour of the vegetables and avoid allowing them to become too soft and soggy. The cheese will also benefit from woodfired cooking, achieving that perfect bubbly and lightly browned texture as well as a delicious smoky flavour.
If you’re looking for Sydney Firewood, be sure to check out Ample Firewood so that you always have bags of firewood on hand when you’re ready to cook in your woodfired oven!