When buying pizza wood, there are a few things to consider. First, you should avoid wet wood and select dense wood with low moisture content. If you plan to cook pizza at high temperatures, consider buying hickory or pecan, which have a sweet and earthy flavor. To make a pizza with cherry firewood, you should also consider buying apple wood chunks.
Avoid Wet Wood
Choosing the right type of wood for an oven’s heat that produces pizza is essential. Hardwoods, which are dense and contain low moisture content, are the best options. For pizza, hickory is popular, while pecan offers a slightly sweet flavor. It is also possible to buy chunks of wood from local stores. The best way to ensure proper combustion is to dry wood before putting it in the pizza oven.
When buying pizza wood, choose fruitwoods sparingly. While they do not burn as hot, fruitwoods can provide a distinctive flavor without overwhelming the pizza. Buying fruitwoods may be a great way to create different flavors, so try different ones until you find one that suits your tastes. Popular fruitwoods include pecan, apple, and plum. However, fruitwoods do not burn as hot as hardwoods, so they should be used sparingly or mixed with other types of wood.
For the best results, you should avoid using painted or laminated wood for your pizza oven. Woods with high sap content will produce toxic creosote that can affect your food’s flavor and cooking health. Instead, purchase kiln-dried hardwood. The best wood for a pizza oven is one with high density, low sap content, and no sparks. You can find this wood at local hardware stores.
Wood Chunks or Specially Cut Logs
Purchasing wood chunks is the easiest way to add a smoky flavor to your homemade pizza. These woods come from hardwood trees and are primarily used in grills and meat smokers. They’re great for adding flavor and bulk to your cooking space. These pieces are typically 12 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 20-inches thick. Purchasing chunks also saves time, as they can last twice as long as the smaller pieces of wood you buy in packs.
Wood chunks are ideal for quick cooking, and many people prefer them for that purpose. Hickory, apple, and mesquite wood are commonly used in smokers. There are also custom-cut logs available for pizza ovens from online retailers.
Apple or Cherry Firewood
Using cherry or apple wood for your oven will make your pizza taste sweeter and have a more fruity flavor than oak. This type of wood is great for combining with smoky woods. However, cherry wood is less dense than oak and will burn slower. It will allow you to monitor the results as the wood burns slowly. While it’s better to choose apple wood over cherry for your pizza, you can use either type for your oven.
Both types of wood give the pizza an enjoyable aroma and flavor. The aroma and taste are pleasant, but choosing between them can be tricky. Both types have different characteristics, and you may want to stick with a combination of the two. If you don’t have a preference, choosing one that will produce a mild and delicate flavor is best. Applewood is also best suited for pizzas with high amounts of toppings and less for those with a spicy or sweet pizza.
If you’re not sure which type of wood is best for your oven, consider hardwood. Oak, for example, is dense and gives off a clean earthy flavor. On the other hand, cherry is sweeter and adds a savory element to your pizza. Whether you choose oak or cherry is entirely up to you. If you’re unsure, cherry is probably the better choice.
