In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples and enjoyed their first slice of pizza. The queen fancied hers with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, and from there on out, this iconic combo has been called the Margherita pizza. This meal is also credited as the first pizza delivery!

Wood-fired pizza ovens. They are large and have an Old World appeal. But what draws customers’ attention (and hearts?) is the gourmet pie made from hot stone decks.

It takes a lot of finesse to achieve the perfect crispy, bubbly and lightly charred pizza. These expert tips for wood-fired pizza ovens are also necessary.

6 Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Tips to Make Great Artisanal Crusts

A large stone deck is part of a wood-fired pizza oven. A wood-fired pizza oven has a large stone deck inside. It heats up quickly and makes it extremely hot.

Wood-fired pizza ovens are more difficult to heat and maintain than conventional ovens.

These best practices ensure that your wood-fired pizza oven produces the highest quality pizzas.

Bake 2-3 hours before the deadline

A wood-fired oven does not have an “on switch” like a traditional oven. It takes some time to prepare. To ensure that the stone is at the right temperature, the wood should be burned for 2 to 3 hours before using the oven.

Use a simple hardwood.

Pine and other softwoods can release toxic chemicals, such as creosote, into the air and onto your pizza. You should choose simple hardwood for a distinctive flavour and up to 3 times longer burn time than softwood.

Take a look at your temperature.

The crust type and your dough determine the oven temperature. A laser thermometer is one of your most important kitchen tools. Some ovens can bake the dough at 500°F, while others require that they be heated to 900°F to 1000°F.

Place pizza close to the flame

You should use your best judgement to get the pizza to the flame. Not burn. To find the perfect spot takes trial and error. To ensure that the pizza lifts and the crust doesn’t become too dry, it’s crucial to place the pizza close to the heat source.

Rotate pizza during baking

Use a peel during the cooking process to ensure evenly brown the pizza. While a conventional oven uses forced air to bake evenly, wood-fired ovens have only one heat source: the flame. Rotation is crucial to prevent the pizza from burning on one side and becoming uncooked on the other.

Lift pizza to the top

After the pizza has been fully cooked on the stone deck for about a minute, lift it into the oven dome with a peel. The oven dome retains a lot of heat, which gives the pizza a crispy edge and light char.

It can be difficult to achieve the perfect baked result in a wood-fired oven pizza oven. However, you can get the perfect pizza every time with some practice. The key is to align your crust selection with the oven type.