One of the most popular wood-fired cooking methods is a wood-fired pizza oven. Wood pellets are used to start and maintain the fire, but there many different types on the market. Here, you’ll uncover the explanations to your queries regarding wood pellets for a pizza oven!
Wood Pellets For a Pizza Oven
Wood pellets are condensed tablets of organic materials such as tree bark, sawdust, wood chips, etc. All these biomass materials get dried up and ground together. After this, they are placed in moulds from which they are made into pellets. Wood pellets are an alternative to fuel or firewood and are most commonly used for heating or cooking purposes.
Wood pellets are frequently used to heat pizza furnaces but are specifically used in outdoor or stone pizza ovens. Most outdoor pizza ovens will have a special compartment for wood pellets. All that is needed is to put your wood pellets in that compartment and ignite them on fire to bake your pizza.
Wood Pellets of Assorted Varieties for Pizza Oven
Pizza may be cooked utilizing a myriad of wood pellets. Most people prefer using hardwood wood pellets, but some softwood wood pellets are also good at getting the job done. There aren’t any best or worst wood pellets for a pizza oven. Most of it comes down to personal taste and preferences.
The most common hardwood wood pellets used in pizza ovens are Alder, cherry, maple, apple & manuka. Hickory and Mesquite are also famous for cooking. However, these two kinds of wood are only good at cooking proteins. They lack in helping cook bread, which is an essential part of cooking pizza. This is why these two types of woods usually aren’t used in pizza ovens.
The type of wood you use for wood pellets can also affect how your pizza tastes. For instance, Cherry wood gives your pizza a more deep smoked flavour. On the other hand, the smoke from applewood leaves a flavour that is more fruity and refreshing. Many brands use a combination of different woods to make pellets. This allows for a variety of good flavours.
Why Wood Matters for A Pizza Oven?
Wood is essential for a pizza oven for many different reasons. There are other options for cooking pizza, such as using a standard oven or other forms of heating. However, wood is the best option for heating pizza ovens because it elevates flavour and saves energy.
Wood can trap smoke. This allows it to elevate the natural flavours of a pizza. Using wood to heat pizza ovens adds a smoked finishing to the pizza that you cannot replicate with regular ovens. The smoke from the fire enhances the subtle flavours of the sauce and herbs while also giving the pizza a beautiful and crisp crust.
Using wood pellets is also highly environmentally friendly. Burning wood pellets does not require any electric power or burning of fossil fuels. This makes it a cooking procedure that does not cause any harm to the atmosphere. The smoke released from burning wood is also a lot healthier than any toxic fuels or burning gas.
Wood-fired pizza ovens also bake more nutritious pizzas. Cooking with wood pellets often means that the pizza is being cooked under a direct flame. As a result, the pizza’s veggies and protein topping cook quicker than they might in a conventional pizza oven.
A regular pizza oven would need around fifteen to twenty minutes to cook a pizza thoroughly. In comparison, a wood-fired pizza oven can finish cooking a pizza within approximately five minutes. Due to the fast cooking time, the meats and vegetables can retain some of their original nutritional components. This makes pizza cooked with wood much healthier.
What Are the Best Wood Pellets to Use in A Pizza Oven?
There aren’t any right or wrong answers to the best wood pellets to use in a pizza oven. Different wood pellets are good in different ways. There aren’t any woods that are completely unusable. However, certain woods work better than others and provide flavour boosts that complement the flavour profile.
As mentioned above, the most common woods used in wood pellets for pizza ovens are either hardwoods or fruitwoods. Here are a few promising alternatives to consider when making a pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven.
Maple
Maple is an all-rounder when it comes to cooking. It is suitable for all types of meats and vegetables as well as for baking bread. The natural sweetness of maple brings a fresh flavour to the tomato sauce used in pizza. Maple wood is also suitable for making Hawaiian pizza since the sweetness of the maple and the pineapple complement each other well.
Oak
Oakwood pellets are not known for adding much to the flavour components of a pizza. Like all other woods, it does add a smoked essence. However, the main reason Oak is popular as it burns vigorously. Oak fires are known for producing high temperatures. This can help reduce the cooking time customarily required when making a pizza.
Hickory
Hickory is known to add a pungent flavour to dishes. This hardwood is most commonly associated with ham, bacon, or other types of pork. If you are making pizza with pork or ingredients with a similar flavour profile, then hickory is a great wood option to consider.
Cherry
Cherry wood is known to pair well with any meat. The smoked flavour added by Cherry wood has a deep and earthy aftertaste. This flavour component is a bit more complex than the smoked flavour added by other types of wood. Cherry wood is an excellent option for cooking pizza with a lot of meat toppings.
Pecan
Pecan has a nutty flavour component. It adds a smoked flavour similar to that of Cherry wood but less intense. If you find Cherry wood smoke flavours to be a bit too strong, you can consider using pecan wood instead.
Apple
Applewood is the most commonly used wood in big pizza restaurants. It provides the benefits of both maple and oak woods. Applewood provides sweetness to the natural components of a pizza. It also produces a lot of heat which shortens the length of time needed to cook a pizza.
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In a Pizza Oven, How Long Do Wood Pellets Last?
Wood pellets also referred to as pizza pellets can endure around 7 to 12 hours of continuous cooking. Pellets burn easily and do not produce too much ash or other types of residue. For this reason, they do not require too much adjustment or cleaning when they are used. In cases where a significant decrease is seen in the flame, you can add more pellets to revive it.
Any wood pellet should last a minimum of 7 hours of cooking. Once it has exceeded 7 hours, you may want to check the state of the flame to be sure. If the flame seems to have weakened, it can be resolved by adding a handful of more pellets if that does not work. You can also try lighting the pellets on fire again.
Which Pellet Grills Will Get the Hottest?
To get a pizza with a crispy outer crust, the pizza stone needs to reach about 900 degrees. A typical pizza pellet grill can heat up to 600 degrees. You can still have a good crisp crust at these temperatures. However, it is likely to take a lot more time than with 900-degree temperatures. How hot your pellet grill gets can depend on the price and quality of your pellet grill.
Typically, grills that allow close contact between the flame and the pizza stone are the ones that get the hottest. The Weber SmokeFire and Broil King Baron are known for providing high temperatures. New pellet grills come out every year. Make sure to keep an eye on online reviews to find the latest grill with the best features.
Specialized Portable Pizza Ovens (Mini Outdoor Pizza Ovens)
Traditionally when people think about pizza ovens, they think about large ovens made out of stone. While those ovens are lovely, they aren’t the best suited to smaller households. There are various portable pizza pellet ovens these days that you can use instead of large stone ovens.
These portable pizza ovens make it easier to plan fun backyard or outdoor activities. They are certainly a lot more affordable compared to big stone ovens. Portable pizza ovens allow you to not only make spontaneous pizza party plans. They also allow a person to slowly get into the world of wood-fired pizza ovens without the commitment of getting a large stone oven.
One of the top-rated portable pizza ovens is the Ooni portable pizza oven. These ovens are designed for easy use. They are pretty small and compact as well. This makes them easy to carry to outdoor events such as picnics or camping trips. As a beginner in the pizza-oven realm, you may want to examine these suggestions.
Recommended Tools for Cooking the Best Pizzas (Outdoor Pizza Oven)
Aside from getting the best pizza oven and ingredients, you should also get various other tools for the best experience. None of these tools is absolute essential. However, having them can make your life a lot easier. Here is a small list of things you may want to purchase for the best outdoor pizza cooking experience.
Gun Thermometer
This tool allows you to measure temperatures from a long distance. We have already discussed the importance of temperature when it comes to cooking pizza. Usually, when cooking, people can measure temperatures by directly sticking a thermometer into the pot. This is not possible when it comes to cooking pizza.
Sticking your hand inside a pizza oven is a dangerous thing to do. The heat from the fire can cause severe injuries. It can also lead the thermometer to shatter if placed too close to the flame. The ideal solution to this is to get a gun thermometer. The laser technology measures temperature from a safe distance, keeping you away from harm.
This is a Pizza Remover
A pizza peel is a utensil used to pull a pizza out of an oven. The device looks a bit like a giant spatula and can be made from either metal or wood. As previously stated, putting your hands into a pizza oven is very dangerous. Therefore to get the pizza out of the pizza oven, you need to use a pizza peel.
Pizza peels can be a trick to use at first. However, it gets easier the more you use it. The pizza often gets stuck on the pizza stone, which can make it difficult to peel off. A pizza peel has slightly sharp edges, which help to get the pizza off of the stone.
Gloves
Even with a pizza peel, a pizza oven can be scorching. If you use metal plates or tools, the pizza’s heat can be unbearable to your bare hands. The best way of dealing with this heat is by getting gloves.
You can use special heat protection gloves. However, a simple pair of kitchen mittens are just as good for getting the job done. Some form of protection to prevent direct heat from touching your hands is a necessary safety precaution.
Pizza Cutter and Spatula
All pizzas require pizza cutters. Cutting pizzas with knives can be tricky. The dough can be rough or brittle, making it difficult to cut with a regular knife. A pizza cutter has a wheel-shaped blade. This makes it easier to cut across the pizza and section it into equal slices.
Pizza spatulas come in handy when serving a pizza. The triangle shape of this spatula makes it easier to pick up pizza slices. The large surface area of the pizza spatula also prevents the pizza from falling off while serving.
Oiling Brush
Among the most effective techniques to ensure that the crust of your pizza is flavourful, crispy, and moist all at the same time is by brushing the edges with oil. It is best to do this halfway through your pizza’s cook time.
Using an oiling brush allows you to distribute the oil evenly on all sides of the pizza. Oiling the sides of your pizza crust helps it gain a beautiful burnt colour. This slightly burnt edge is a signature part of any wood-fired oven-baked pizza.
Fly Zapper
Flies will congregate wherever there is food. The heat of the pizza oven may protect the pizza from flies when you are cooking. However, if you plan on eating outdoors, there are likely to be a lot of flies buzzing close by.
Flies may be effectively eradicated by either using insect repellent or by buying a fly zapper. You can also take other extra steps to make sure there are no flies in your backyard.
Where to Get Wood Pellets for A Wood-fired Pizza Oven
Wood pellets are standard material for making pizza and any outdoor cooking. You should be able to find wood pellets in any camping or outdoor cooking sections of departmental stores. You can find specialized wood pellets in stores that sell specialized equipment for outdoor cooking.
Aside from physical stores, you can also order wood pellets online. You can get them from popular websites such as Amazon or eBay. Aside from this, you can also look into buying from manufacturers directly by researching brands and checking their websites.
DIY Options of Wood Pellets
Wood Pellets are readily available for purchase. However, if you are up for it, you can also make your wood pellets by following the steps given below.
Step 1: Gather raw wood. You can get full-sized logs and chop them down, or you can also collect sawdust and wood chips.
Step 2: Cut the wood down into small pieces. Keep them as small as you practically can and no larger than two and a half centimetres.
Step 3: Break down these small pieces to an even finer consistency. You can do this by hammering the wood pieces down until they form a type of grainy powder.
Step 4: Lay the wood out in the sun and let them dry for an entire day. The moisture level should be at about 10 to 20 percent.
Step 5: Mix all the wood and sift through them. Try to get rid of any extra materials or dirt that isn’t wood out of the mixture.
Step 6: Mix vegetable oil to the sifted wood. Use about one tablespoon of oil for fourteen pounds of wood.
Step 7: Put them into moulds or shape them into pellets. Let the finished product dry and harden slightly before using.
After you have accomplished these tasks, you will have homemade DIY wood pellets. However, it is essential to remember that these pellets were not made using the professional machinery utilized by large companies.
Because of this, the quality of these wood pellets may not be as good, and they also may not last for as long.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for reading our wood pellet post! We hope that this article helped shed some light on the best wood pellets to use in a pizza oven, how long wood pellets last in a pizza oven and any other tips or tricks.
If you have any inquiries pertaining to anything we covered here, please don’t hesitate to ask us below. We would love to hear from you!
Sources of Information
Quadra-Fire. (n.d.). How Are Pellets Made? We Have the Answers. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.quadrafire.com/shopping-tools/blog/how-are-pellets-made-we-have-the-answers
Traeger Grills. (2014, February 12). Wood Pellet Flavor Guide | Traeger Grills®. Https://Www.Traeger.Com. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.traeger.com/learn/wood-pellet-guide
Lite, M. (2014, October 24). Top 5 Benefits of a Wood Fired Pizza Oven. #3 Tells You Why Flame-Cooked Pizza is the Healthiest Choice. Mason-Lite By Masonry Fireplace Industries. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.mason-lite.com/
C. (2021a, July 12). The Best Wood For Your Tastiest Ever Pizza Oven Recipes. Appliance Analysts. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://applianceanalysts.com/best-wood-pizza-oven/
How to Make Wood Pellets. (2020, February 14). In wikiHow. https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Wood-Pellets
Can I ask, is it easy to make pizza? Can you use any type of oven to make pizza or does it have to be a special type of oven. I absolutely love eating pizza but it’s becoming very costly to constantly buy pizza so I would rather do it on my own. I will be sure to buy these wood pallets
You can use any oven, but you will get better results with this one reaching higher temperatures
These are great tips for making pizza, I think smoke is very crucial because of the taste of any food. So I recommend a wood stove to everyone. The text is very good especially for those who work in a bakery so I will be happy to share the text with my friends.
Thanks so much for the positive feedback, Bojana
Thank You for Sharing
I love a wood-fired pizza but never thought about the wood pellets that go into the wood-fired pizza ovens.
I am glad to find out that the pellets are organic materials such as tree bark, sawdust, wood chips.
I think that a wood-fired pizza always tastes better than cooking it in a normal oven.
I was amazed to find out that a wood-fired pizza oven gets 900 degrees hot. And it is the best outcome for your pizza.
I was also amazed to find out how many different types of woods can be used.
I have learned a lot by reading this article
Thank you
Elke
I hope you get to try some of these different types of woods like maple adding new flavors.
many blessings for your comment.
I love pizza and wood fired pizza is some of the best I have had. I would love to have my own pizza oven and have browsed a few times but have not made the jump.
I am not DIY savvy to make my own wood pellets however, the applewood pellets sound perfect. Thank you!
You can learn to do things on your own, I’m sure. It’s all a matter of trial and error. Using a wood-fired oven to create pizza is a great way to be imaginative, and the aroma of applewood will entice your neighbours.
I had no idea that the type of wood that you use in your pizza oven can affect the taste of your pizza. But you are right that pizza generally tastes better when done in a pizza oven. I think I like the sound of using Apple wood and am going to try this next time. I also like that you have included a DIY option to make your own wood pellets.
I haven’t seen the portable pizza ovens yet in this part of the world, and it is great that you can get something like this, especially if you are a pizza lover who stays in a small flat.
Because it provides us with food, this portable pizza oven is always the most acceptable investment in terms of cooking equipment. The applewood chips, on the other hand, are very delicious.
I make an effort to provide solutions if you are on a tight budget and methods and means for you to enjoy your backyard no matter who you are or what you do.
I oftentimes make my own pizza pies, but I have not tried using ovens heated by wood pellets, so this really was a very interesting and informative article.
We often use wood pellets for backyard barbecues though.
From this article I feel like buying a nice pizza oven that uses wood pellets, so I could try new tastes of pizza – I am excited!
I appreciate that you also shared about DIY producing wood pellets.
God bless you more,
Chuna
For pizza and fish smoking, these wood chips were excellent. If the power goes out,
The pizza oven is a lifesaver. It’s possible to make cakes as well. Get a thermometer and make sure you are aware of the current temperature. If you don’t, you’ll get a cake that’s burned or blackened peach cobbler.
I can vouch for the convenience of hardwood pellets, which are far lighter to transport than large logs. In addition, you may use the Portable Pellet Pizza Ovens to have a backyard party with your family and other colleagues. You can make individual flavoured pizzas easy with different flavoured smoke, and the maple is incredible.
Thank you so much for your fantastic comment, Emmanuel. We appreciate your enthusiasm for pizza, which is always a favourite at any outdoor social gathering.
Many Blessings
I was gifted a portable wood pellet pizza oven. I would like to buildn inexpensive backyard table/counter space using Old Castle Planter Wall Blocks and wood. However, I am wondering if the exterior of the pizza oven gets to a temp that would potentially ignite the wood. If so, what would be an appropriate surface choice for putting it in. I had considered putting a couple of large 12×12 concrete pavers under the oven, but again, don’t want it to crack, etc.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your comments and inquiries, Tammy. Yes, wood is probably not suitable for around the pizza oven. On the other hand, concrete pavers will work perfectly underneath and around your pizza oven as long as they are 12cm to 15cm thick. You could consider utilising fire bricks like the legendary Valoriani firebrick for the finest pizza oven since they are built to endure high levels of heat. You may create supports for your home out of bricks, brick paver stones, or even old railway sleepers. Keep the foundation robust and level since you want a flat cooking surface, and the oven will be hefty. So, if you’re using concrete, make sure it’s thick and level; if it’s sloping, your pizza oven won’t sit properly, and the cheese may slide off.
Enjoyed reading the article ; I have a dome shaped wood burning pizza oven but it required short peices of wood placed in the corner, however we burn our pizza so we tried it a couple of times and gave up ; could we use wood pellets instead and would I just pile them up in the corner or do I place them in some kind of metal container ??? Help??
Hello, Karen. To begin with, burned pizza may need you to place the pizza in the oven much earlier as the wood fire pizza oven gets heated quickly at 250 to 260 degrees C the optimal cooking temp, and these ovens reach up to 900 degrees meaning it will take less time to cook and maybe burnt crispy 2min to 10min. Try putting some flour inside the oven. Take note of how soon it begins to burn. The oven is ready if you notice the flour burning in a few seconds. You may cover the pizza with tin foil and place it inside the door for 5 minutes before uncovering it and pushing it in farther without getting too close to the flames and finishing the cooking. If you haven’t already, try moving the pizza around to avoid scorching. Second, I would continue and experiment with different kinds of logs. Yes, you can attempt pellets if they are well contained, but they will burn much quicker, so start with a log and then insert your wood chips in using the Pizza Oven Peel and Spatula.
As I read your article, I picture my grandpa introducing wood pellets in the oven compartment and igniting the fire. I love the ways those pizzas were baked back in those old days. Now I realize how wood pellets help amplify the pizza’s flavors by avoiding smoke. I want to try using wood pellets myself. Thanks for your post.
Yes, Paolo, the wood pellets will water your mouth when the smell hits your nose, Irestabal.
I strongly agree with you that the kind of wood you use for your pellets affects how yoir pizza taste. Wood pellets give a particular sweet taste making my pizza taste nice. Thank you for highlighting the various wood pellets. I love the apple wood with its maple taste. This accounts for why its widely used in restaurants
I think you site is looking really good! I can tell that you’ve put a lot of thought into the layout of the site. The one question that I have is, is it necessary to have a table of content listing. I think maybe the site would look better if you could do some kind of menu buttons. However, I do realize that due to the amount of information you have on the site, it may be impossible for you to use some kind of a menu button, rather than a table of content list. I think it’s fascinating that you have the knowledge that you have about the different types of wood and pizza ovens that work best. And I agree that the best pizza does come from a wood burning oven! Overall, I think you’re doing a good job with your site and I think it’s gonna be very informative. I would just encourage you to look at the layout, the text size, and possibly adding a few more features such as the buttons. Keep up the great work and I’m sure you’re gonna be very very successful at affiliate marketing!!
Reva, I appreciate it. A table of contents is helpful because it allows the reader to quickly go to the section of the article they are most interested in reading. There is a lot of work ahead, but I plan on reducing the number of advertising, writing more about the fun hub box, making the headers more prominent, and designing a logo. My primary goal is to expand upon the material I’ve already created by writing additional articles that are both informative and simple to read and navigate, providing answers to any questions the reader may have.
Thank you, John, for this awesome article on wood pellets for a pizza oven! I actually never knew that there are pizza ovens that use wood pellets. Forgive my ignorance, but are wood pellets the most common source of fuel for pizza ovens? I would definitely like to try making pizza using wood-based heating sources as I always loved the natural smokiness flavors developed by various types of wood.
Hey Kevin, why not give wood pellet pizza a try?
Not only is it a delicious meal, but it’s also eco-friendly! Wood pellets are made from compressed sawdust and they burn slowly and effectively, giving off constant heat and flavor.
Plus, wood pellets produce far less smoke than burning logs, meaning they emit fewer CO2, NOx and SO2. And, since the sawdust used to make the pellets is sourced responsibly, you can help reduce your carbon footprint all while enjoying a tasty meal!
So what do you say – are you up for trying something new?
Many Blessings
J W RIDDELL – THE FUN HUB