The smell of burning wood, the sizzling of a slowly-browned roast and the scent of freshly baked pizza make cooking in wood-fired ovens particularly irresistible<\/strong> and intriguing.<\/p>\n And if until some time ago this type of oven was a prerogative of villas and houses in the countryside, thanks to technological evolution today you can also make delicious delicacies on the patio <\/strong>of an apartment in the city.<\/p>\n Thanks to their small size and low weight, you can install modern wood-fired ovens both inside and outside your home or choose a mobile version that you can use in a different space every time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In addition to being less bulky, the new wood-fired ovens are also extremely easy to use <\/strong>compared to the traditional models.<\/p>\n This is because the fire is managed much more easily thanks to both the compact structure and materials used, which offer high thermal performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n But how do you use a wood-fired oven once it\u2019s been installed<\/strong>? More specifically, how does it work? Let\u2019s find out below!<\/p>\n In this article we\u2019ll explore:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s begin!<\/p>\n In order to understand how a wood-fired oven works, and to make the most of all the potential it has to offer, it\u2019s useful to know its basic parts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Wood-fired ovens essentially consist of five elements:<\/p>\n Knowing your oven and learning how to use it lets you bring new recipes to the table with unrivalled flavour<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Before we look at how to use a wood-fired oven, we need to understand how they work.<\/p>\n Wood-fired ovens work in three different ways<\/strong>:<\/p>\n While it\u2019s true that the materials with which ovens are made have improved over the centuries, the operation of wood-fired ovens and their shape have remained virtually unchanged.<\/p>\n The special shape of the dome allows for optimal air movement, which is perfect for distributing the heat<\/strong> within the oven\u2019s cooking chamber.<\/p>\n Not to mention that advanced construction techniques in recent years have made it possible to make ever more performing wood-fired ovens, but also lighter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Simply consider the Forninox\u2122 Technology developed by Alfa<\/a><\/b><\/strong> which, in addition to improving the performance of its steel and refractory wood-fired ovens <\/strong>in terms of cooking, greatly reduces their weight and consumption.<\/p>\n In fact, Alfa ovens need only a small amount of fuel<\/strong> to reach the desired temperature, as the time required to reach high temperatures is very minimal.<\/p>\n It is not uncommon for beginners to wonder how long it takes to light a fire in the oven<\/strong>. This time is much shorter today: Alfa ovens<\/strong> take only 15 to 30 minutes <\/strong>depending on the size of the model purchased.<\/p>\n But how are wood-fired ovens managed and how do you know the oven is ready once the fire is lit? Let\u2019s find out below.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Wood-fired ovens are perfect for cooking pizza<\/strong>, but also bread, roasts, vegetables and focaccia, since wood gives its best during long cooking times, with the ingredient giving dishes different flavours.<\/p>\n For example, oak wood is perfect for imparting a delicate aroma to fish, while maple, walnut and chestnut give meat a strong fragrance.<\/p>\n What kind of wood is best for pizza? Beech and oak wood are certainly a good choice<\/strong>: in addition to their excellent aromatic qualities, these woods have a good caloric yield<\/a><\/b><\/strong>, producing a beautiful flame and few embers.<\/p>\n One thing to bear in mind when using the oven is that the dimensions are not the same for all models<\/strong>, but can vary depending on the space available and its intended use.<\/p>\n This means that there is no standard amount of wood to be used to light and keep the oven warm<\/strong>. Obviously the larger the oven, the more wood is needed to raise the temperature<\/strong> inside the cooking chamber.<\/p>\n First of all, in order to use the wood-fired oven at its best, you must light the fire properly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In fact, unlike gas ovens whose lighting is particularly intuitive, wood-fired ovens require a bit of manual skill to be started.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see how.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In addition to choosing the most suitable type of wood, it is important to use<\/strong> only small, dry pieces of wood<\/strong> and smaller twigs when lighting the oven.<\/p>\n Furthermore, chemical fuels should never be used <\/strong>to facilitate combustion, because the ashes and embers remain in direct contact with food, especially if you decide to bake pizza on the oven floor.<\/p>\n How to light a wood-fired oven for the first time. The wood holder should be placed in the centre of the oven<\/a><\/b><\/strong>, then create a small wood frame using straw or dry twigs on top of which small pieces of dry wood can be placed.<\/p>\n Now you can light the fire and leave<\/strong> the oven door ajar to ventilate the cooking chamber and <\/strong>facilitate combustion.<\/p>\n Once the wood has begun to burn and created a good flame, larger pieces of wood can be added to create a more intense fire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Usually 15 or 30 minutes is enough<\/strong> depending on the size of your oven: the important thing is never to put too much wood in at once.<\/strong><\/p>\n Once lit, how do you manage a wood-fired oven<\/strong>? As soon as the wood is burning well and some of it has been consumed, turning into hot coals, the fire can be moved to the side<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you wish, you can light the fire directly on the side<\/strong>, but remember to always place the fire on the opposite side of the pyrometer to make sure that the temperature reading is correct<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Once the combustion has begun, you can close the door and bring the oven to the desired temperature.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You just need to reach the temperature necessary to cook whatever recipe you are making and you can do this in two ways:<\/p>\n Once the desired temperature has been reached and all the dark soot on the inside of the oven has burnt off, the food can be placed in the oven.<\/p>\n Obviously a quality wood-fired oven<\/a> <\/b>will make all the difference<\/strong> in terms of the time and amount of wood to be used and in maintaining the temperature.<\/p>\n Once the food has been cooked, simply close the door and wait for the combustion to finish and the ash to form<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The fire should be out and the oven completely cold after about an hour, at which point you can proceed with cleaning the wood-fired oven. <\/strong>Remove the small residual coals and accumulated ash, placing them in a heat-resistant metal container.<\/p>\n This will ensure the oven is ready to be used the next time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> When thinking of a wood-fired oven, the first thing that comes to mind is pizza, perhaps with a thick, soft crust, simply topped with tomato and mozzarella or with the most varied ingredients, but always perfect for sharing with friends.<\/p>\n Making pizzas cooked to order in a wood-fired oven is not difficult <\/strong>if you follow some simple steps, perhaps using the right accessories<\/a><\/b><\/strong>.<\/p>\n As we have just seen, once the fire has been lit it\u2019s important to make sure that the cooking chamber is very hot: how many degrees must the wood-fired oven reach to cook pizza<\/strong>?<\/p>\n The cooking floor of the oven needs to reach around 400 \u00b0C <\/strong>in order to cook a restaurant-style pizza.<\/p>\n For this to happen, once the fire is lit, simply leave the door open a little<\/strong>. As the flame slowly dies down, you can put the embers to one side, put the pizzas in the oven and close the door to keep the temperature uniform.<\/p>\n If the temperature drops too low, simply add a piece of wood to bring the right heat back into the cooking chamber to cook the other pizzas.<\/p>\n\n
\u2013 How to light a wood-fired oven for the first time
\u2013 How much time before cooking should you light a fire in a wood-fired oven?
\u2013 How do you know when the oven is ready?<\/strong><\/li>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.alfaforni.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/how-to-choose-a-professional-pizza-oven.jpeg\")
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How a wood-fired oven works<\/h2>\n
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How to use a wood-fired oven<\/h2>\n
How to light a wood-fired oven for the first time<\/h3>\n
How long before cooking should you light the fire in a wood-fired oven?<\/span><\/h3>\n
How do you know when the oven is ready?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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How do you cook pizza in a wood-fired oven?<\/h2>\n