Did you just become a new oven mum or oven dad (yeah, we’re making that a thing)? Mazel tov! We hope you and your new brick baby grow together, share new experiences and create endless happy memories. But you can’t just sit around and admire your new brick oven; you’ve got to use it! Here are our top 5 basic tips if you’re just starting out with a new wood-fired pizza oven. By the end of the post, you’ll be ready to rock and roll.
1) Use kindling or natural firelighters to start the fire
Starting a fire in the brick oven is best done using kindling. This gives your fire a completely natural start – and plus, there’s something so wholesome about building a fire from scratch. If that’s not possible, then make sure you use natural firelighters which don’t have any toxic chemicals in them. The last thing you want is for those things to end up in your food!
2) If you’re making pizza, preheat the stone
A big rookie error when starting off with your pizza oven is to not preheat the pizza stone. If your stone isn’t hot when you place your pizza on it, you’ll end up with an undercooked base. Then, if you cook the pizza for longer to try and crisp up the base, you’ll end up burning the rest of it! Just remember to stick the stone in 10 minutes before cooking.
3) Don’t get it wet when it’s still hot
If you’ve invested in a beautiful brick pizza oven, the last thing you want to do is get it wet when it’s still hot. Brick and mortar are more vulnerable when they’re hot. If exposed to water, your hot pizza oven could result in cracking and structural damage. Try keeping it dry by wheeling it under a veranda or covering it in tarps.
4) Clean after every use – once it’s cooled down
Cleanliness is next godliness. Make sure you’re cleaning your pizza oven after every use. This includes removes the ashes, cleaning the chamber and removing creosote. But wait till it cools down, of course!
5) Have fun with it
We don’t mean to sound like a soccer mum before their seven-year-old steps onto the pitch, but don’t forget to have fun! Get experimental with your pizzas. Recreate the classics and create entirely new flavours. Hit up the internet and try to cook new and interesting foods in your pizza oven.
Feeling like a pro pizza maker yet? Follow the wisdom in these five tips and you’ll certainly be on your way. If you’re looking to invest in a fantastic brick pizza oven, the team at Sydney Fire Bricks can help you out. With an amazing range of ovens, fire pits and grills, they make quality ovens right here in Australia. Get them delivered Australia-wide!