Okay, so the other day, I was really craving some homemade pizza. Not just any pizza, though – I wanted that crispy, slightly charred crust you get from a brick oven. I’ve got this awesome brick oven in my backyard, but I’m still kind of a newbie at getting the temperature just right. So, I decided to do a little experiment and document the whole thing.
First, I got the fire going. I used a mix of hardwood kindling to get it started.I made sure to give the fire plenty of air, so it got roaring pretty quickly.
Getting the Oven Hot, Hot, Hot
My goal was to get the oven screaming hot – like, at least 700°F (that’s around 370°C). I’ve heard that’s the sweet spot for that perfect pizza crust.
- I started checking the temperature using my grandfather’s old thermometer after about an hour of letting the fire burn, it had to be done by hand, and carefully, because the oven temperature was very hot.
- It took a surprisingly long time! I kept adding more wood, spreading the coal, it got very hot I had to be careful.
- I watched the color of the flames and the bricks. They say when the inside of the oven starts to turn white, you’re getting close.
Finally, after what felt like forever my grandfather’s thermometer had stopped at 700°F . The inside of the oven looked like the surface of the sun. It was go time!
Pizza Time!
I carefully slid my pizza onto the hot stone floor of the oven. Now, this is where things get exciting (and a little nerve-wracking). With such a high temperature, you gotta keep a close eye on things.
I watched it like a hawk, turning it every minute or so to make sure it cooked evenly. The crust started to bubble and char in all the right places. The cheese was melting and getting all gooey and * was fun to do.
After it was all done, I took it out, I let it cool and my family enjoyed a delicious pizza with a perfect crust. I finally mastered my brick oven, I’ll be doing it more often next time.
