The Sweet Spot

The "sweet spot" is the zone in which pizzas can be consistently baked for hours on end. Its location and size varies depending on the size and fuel location of the oven, however, locating it and cycling pizza through it properly is the key to easy and successful production. Its location can be approximated by the following statement: the pizza zone begins on the side of the oven opposite the fire, and ends about 1 foot from the fire.

Pizza (and other flatbreads) should be cycled through the oven from the far side of this zone and when moved, moved toward the fire. A pizza will respond best if its initial placement is as far from the fire as possible. This allows the crust to rise evenly and prevents early browning of the toppings and/or charring of the bottom. Once a pizza has been in the oven for 2 or 3 minutes, the side facing the fire will begin to toast (visibly). The pie should then be turned (180 degrees) and can be moved closer to the fire; another pizza can be placed where it was.

Although pizza can be cooked very quickly in a Wood Stone oven, it should never be rushed! Rushing a pizza always results in an under-baked crust. Different styles of pizza require different oven conditions. For instance, a medium crust pie should be baked longer and on a cooler deck surface than thin crust pie. Determining the proper oven conditions (temperature) for your style of pizza may require a bit of experimentation, and certainly depends on the dough formula, topping load and desired level of color. In the larger Wood Stone ovens, it is quite possible to simultaneously bake pizzas of various thickness; just keep the thicker ones further from the fire. Very thin crust pizzas can be baked right next to the fire but must be constantly tended to avoid scorching.

About the dough

The more oil and sugar your dough contains, the faster it will brown/toast in the oven. If a very crisp outer crust is desired, leave oil out of the dough entirely; if a soft crust is desired, put some oil in the dough. If the pizza is the painting, the dough is the canvas, so experiment with different formulations and additions until you come up with one that compliments the flavor and textural profiles that you are creating with your toppings (see Pizza/Pita Dough for Wood Stone Ovens).