Many pizza connoisseurs believe that using a wood-fired oven is the only way to make the most authentic pizza. Wood-fired ovens cook by trapping heat. You do not cook your pizza over a fire. Instead, you heat up the oven’s bricks and walls, allowing it to reach extremely high temperatures. Hardwoods at Cutting Edge Firewood that have been seasoned and dried are the best for cooking. Hardwoods, which have broad leaves on the trees, are a better choice than softwoods, which have needles and cones. They are preferable for pizza oven cooking because they are cleaner and last longer than softwoods. Here are some other pizza oven wood options for your cooking:
Hardwoods
The most common wood used in a pizza oven is dry hardwood. Woods with high sap content are unsuitable for baking as they release harmful creosote that can accumulate over time. However, wood with less sap content may be used if it is properly seasoned, cured, and stripped of its bark. In addition to the wood, some types of firewood have low sap content and can be used as kindling in pizza ovens.
Fruitwoods
For a traditional and authentic taste, choose fruitwoods for your pizza oven. Traditionally used in pizzerias, fruitwoods provide a rich aroma and a flavorful finish to the finished product. Choose different types depending on your tastes and preferences. If you’re experimenting with a new pizza oven, try a combination of apple and pear wood, for example. While both provide great results, you may want to start with a fruitwood that will produce the least amount of soot.
Cherry Wood
For pizza ovens, cherry wood offers a sweet flavor that pairs well with other types of smoky woods, such as apple or pecan. It’s also great for blending with other hardwoods since it burns hotter than most other woods. However, cherry wood can sometimes produce a softer heat than oak, which can make meat and vegetables too dry. To avoid this problem, cherry wood chunks should be used sparingly, and you may need to mix them with other types of hardwoods.
Hickory Wood
Hickory is one of the most commonly used cooking woods and is one of the hottest burning types of hardwood. It is available in most parts of the world and is widely used in pizza ovens. Hickory is a member of the ash family and is native to eastern and central America. Hickory has a strong smoky aroma and burns at a high temperature for a long time. Although hickory produces a smoky flavor, it should not be overdone and used as base fuel. It will make your food bitter if burned for too long, so it’s best to use only a few pieces simultaneously.
Apple Wood
While most people think of oak as the most common type of wood for a pizza oven, a few others work just as well. One of these is apple wood. Applewood adds a sweet, smoky flavor to your pizza. It also caramelizes vegetables when burned. On the other hand, hickory has a robust smoke flavor, which can overpower the taste of pizza.
