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.