The Beauty of Using a Pizza Oven
Pizza is a dish that originates from Italy. Usually, it consists of a flat, round base of wheat-based leavened dough. This can be topped with a range of vegetables, spices and ingredients. These can include cheese, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, meat, olives, pineapples, etc. All of these are then baked at a high temperature producing a crusty, tasty meal.
Pizza is typically served in places like restaurants and eat-outs but it can also be homemade. It may be presented unsliced and eaten with a fork and knife in formal settings. In informal settings, it is sliced and eaten with the hand.
Although it originated in Naples in Italy, pizza is now a favorite the world over for a lot of people. You can read about its history here.
The Pizza Making Process
Ingredients
Pizza is made with white flour which is from grounded grain and is enriched with vitamins as well as minerals. It may also be fortified with calcium and fiber. Yeast is then added to the dough to ensure that it rises. Other common ingredients include shredded mozzarella cheese and sauce made from pureed tomatoes.
There is also olive oil and an inexhaustive list of other ingredients that are used as toppings. Some of these may be cooked partially before they are used as toppings.
Preparation
To make it, a small amount of yeast is mixed with a cup of warm water. This is left in for a while till the mixture is foamy. About two cups of sifted flour are poured into a mixing bowl. The water and yeast mix is poured into the bowl along with a tablespoon of olive oil.
These ingredients are mixed together with the hands and kneaded on a flat floured surface till it is elastic and smooth. This is approximately for 10 minutes. The kneaded dough is then formed into a ball. It is dusted with flour and placed in a bowl which is then covered with a damp cloth or towel.
This bowl is placed in a warmish place until the dough is double the size. This will happen between one to two hours. The dough goes through kneading again and it is rolled out into a flat circle on a floured surface. The edges are then raised up with the thumbs probably to prevent the toppings from falling off.
When making pizza preparation, you should note that although you can use store-bought dough, it is best to make your own. This is because store-bought dough is designed for regular ovens and may not work well with pizza ovens. More on this below:
The Baking
Most standard pizzas have a diameter of 25cm (10 inches). Before baking, about a half cup of tomato sauce is spread over the dough. The shredded mozzarella may also be added at this point or after the toppings have been added. Afterward, with the aid of a long-handled flat shovel and a wide metal peel, the dough is put onto a clay stone or metal pan.
The dough is baked for about 15 minutes at a temperature of 2300C (4500F). The stone or pan is removed using the peel. The baked pizza is allowed to sit for about 5 minutes before it is sliced.
The Baking Device
It is true that pizzas can be baked in regular ovens. However, if you want the best crusty ones made quickly, it is better to use a specialized oven designed for baking pizza. While traditionally, large brick ovens fueled with fire from wood are used, modern pizza ovens are now available.
These ovens are contraptions that were designed specifically to make pizzas speedily and with ease. A lot of these ovens are made to be used by restaurants. However, you have some that are designed to be used at home.
Pizza ovens are great because they help to reproduce authentic Italian pizza. They come with a range of fuel options; wood, gas, or charcoal and are very quick to heat up. Their high temperature coupled with their open flames provides the ideal environment for the cooking.
With this kind of oven, the pizza cooks in less than 2 minutes making the pizza quite delicate, soft and crispy. You can have a party whenever you want and be guaranteed that your oven will deliver.
Other features they may come with include hinged and see-through doors. They also have thermometers to help you know the temperature and when it starts to cook. You can check out this review here https://artisanpizzaovens.net/reviews/ooni-karu-16/ to learn more about this.
Conclusion
Pizza is a delicious dish eaten as a staple all over the world. While it can be cooked with a wide variety of ingredients, the taste and crustiness are an important part of enjoying it. You are not likely to achieve these with a regular oven.
Rather, specialized pizza ovens are available for you to achieve that mouth-watery Italian-style pizza you have always craved. What’s more, you get it done with speed and in less time.
