Wood fire smoke and your health - EPA burn wise program

Wood fire smoke and your health - EPA Burn wise program

• Burn only wood that has moisture content of no more than 20%.
• Burn only hard woods and seasoned woods.
• Burn only wood that is split and then dried for at least one year.
• Store your wood under cover or protected from humidity.
• When you buy your wood from an independent seller ask if the wood has been properly seasoned.
• Burn only small fires. You will get more heat and less smoke. Humid or wet firewood boils when it burns and makes a smoky fire with little heat and is a waste of wood.
• Focus on your smoke density. It is normal to have more smoke when you start a fire. However too much smoke is a sign that your wood has too much moisture.
• Do not burn other materials in your oven such as garbage, treated or paint treated wood etc or anything that normally emits dense smoke or obnoxious odors.
• Wood smoke contains tiny particles and gases that can have serious health effects when inhaled in large amounts. Wood smoke is especially harmful to children, the elderly and people with lung and heart disease.

United States Environmental Protection Agency

Question about wood fired ovens Part II

How long does it take to cook a pizza?

You do not want to cook a pizza for longer than 90 seconds. However if your crust is slightly thicker the maximum we recommend is 150 seconds.
We do have clients who say it took them 70 seconds to cook a pizza.

When the oven is very hot won´t my pizza burn on the floor? 

No. Even though the floor is very hot, the pizza will not burn. However, during the short period of time the pizza is in the oven, it may burn a bit on the side that is facing the fire. All that is needed is a consistent turn/twist of the pizza  on the paddle ( 180º ) in order to cook more evenly around the crust.

Can I use ready made fro

Questions about wood fired pizza ovens Part I

How is  heat distributed?

The heat released from the wood distributes very evenly in the dome. No matter where you start your fire, sides, middle or at the back, heat penetrates evenly into the dense firebricks or clay, cladding up, down, left, right, rear corners etc
There is no need to cook meals in the middle.

What else can I cook in a wood fired oven?

You can cook anything you would cook in an conventional oven. Roasts, casserole dishes, cakes, breads, meats, fish etc
Once you have your fire fully heated ( this should take an average of 60 minutes)  you can bake up to 4 - 6 hours.

What do I do with the leftover soot in my oven?

 Remove soot form your oven once it has cooled down. Soot that is left attended in your oven will cause smoke and compromise the efficiency of your oven. 50% of the heat transfer is compromised with just 1/10 of an inch of soot.

How do I remove grease inside my oven?

Do not clean the grease inside the oven. It will burn in the ovens hearth.

How do I clean my oven?

            1-Wait for your oven to cool down;
2-Rake the ash to the center of the oven;
3-Use your paddle to remove the ash;
4-Put the ash into a bucket;
5-Repeat until your oven is ash free

Pizza dough recipe for wood fired ovens

Pizza Dough:

• 29.5 oz  all purpose flour
• 0.5 oz active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional however sugar adds crisp)
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2.1 cups of tepid water ( mix 2 parts cold water to one part boiling water)

Pizza toppings:

• Mozzarella cheese or pizza cheese mix bag
• Tomato paste ( use different flavored paste such as garlic or herb )
• Fresh herbs ( such as basil / oregano )
• Veggies
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Olives
• Mushrooms
• Pineapple pieces
• Artichokes
• Capers 

1) Mix all dry ingredients together
2) Add water
3) Work the dough
4) Place smooth dough in a bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1 hour in a warm place. ( Rising will start after 30 minutes )
5) After 1 hour, push down, remove from bowl and knead again to remove the air
6) Put dough in the bowl again and cover. Leave it to rise again for one hour in the same place
7) Remove dough from bowl. Start making your pizza base. Divide your dough into 7 parts
Spread a small amount of flour onto work surface to prevent dough sticking on table or roller. Stretch your pizza dough
8) Do not worry if your dough is not perfectly rounded. Place your dough in the cooking pizza tray or use your pizza paddle.
9) Place your favorite toppings.

Types of wood to use in your wood fired oven

The wood you burn in the oven can limit the energy efficiency of the unit. The walls of the oven store heat from the fire built within the oven chamber. During the initial firing stage, the oven walls turn black with smoke. As the fire gets hotter it will stop smoking. Eventually, the heat is sufficient to burn off the smoke on the oven walls, and to turn the walls white. Now your oven is ready for your pizza, push the embers to the side of the oven, and clean the part of the floor where you will cook your pizza.

The time it takes to heat your oven varies on the size of your oven but generally a three feet diameter oven will take between 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 fifteen minutes.

Dry, seasoned wood produces more energy per cord than wet wood does. The most efficient fuel for your furnace is wood that has been split to a 6-inch diameter, which has sat stacked and covered for at least six months.

The species of wood matters as well. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests using hard, dense woods like rock elm, hickory, sugar maple, beech or oak. These will burn hotter and for a longer period of time than softer woods.

The wood you choose to use will enhance the taste of your food is basically defined by personal preference. Oak is generally the most popular, however fruit wood such as Apple, Cherry and Plum can add a fruity, sweet or even a slightly smoky aroma.

Whichever way you decide to go, keep a simple rule in mind: dry wood will eliminate smoke and light up faster.

If your oven is producing too much smoke it is a clear sign that your oven is showing signs of limited fuel efficiency. Hot burning fires create very limited amounts of smoke.

Smoke may indicate wet wood or a dirty furnace.

You will lose 50% of the heat transfer with just one-tenth of an inch of soot build up. Smoke is a carbon monoxide which increases your personal risk.

Mastering the wood burning oven takes time, patience and practice, but the rewards are endless.

An oven is an oven regardless of the heat source. You can bake anything you can bake in a kitchen oven in a wood burning oven with one major exception: taste.