Discover the Mouthwatering Magic of Brick Oven Pizza

By: the PROs

Discover the Mouthwatering Magic of Brick Oven Pizza

What is Brick Oven Pizza?

Are you wondering what is brick oven pizza?

No problem. Let’s take a minute to talk to you about brick oven pizza, what it is, and the secret behind it.

We don’t know about you, but there ain’t nothin’ we love more than a good ol’ slice of pizza.

Brick oven pizza is the absolute best kind there is. You see, a brick oven is made from, you guessed it, bricks!

And the thing about bricks is that they hold heat really well.

So when you cook a pizza in one of these bad boys, the heat from the bricks helps to cook the pizza quickly, giving it a crispy, chewy, fluffy crust that is just out-of-this-world delicious.

But that’s not all – the bricks also help to retain moisture, so your cheese gets all melty and gooey in the most heavenly way.

Trust us; once you’ve had a slice of brick oven pizza, you’ll never return to regular ol’ pizza again.

This article will explore brick oven pizza’s history, characteristics, and popularity.

So let’s get started!

What is Brick Oven Pizza?

Brick oven pizza is a type of pizza that is baked in a wood-fired brick oven. Brick ovens are traditionally made of brick or clay and are designed to cook food at high temperatures, typically between 800-1000°F (425-550°C) oven made of bricks. Brick pizza ovens are known for their ability to produce pizzas with a crispy, chewy crust and perfectly melted cheese.

The high heat of these types of pizza ovens helps to cook the pizza quickly, while the porous nature of the bricks allows the oven to retain heat and moisture, creating a unique and flavorful pizza.

The high heat of a brick oven creates a crispy, thin crust and allows the pizza to cook quickly, usually in just a few minutes.

Pizza oven mantle or landing
Brick Oven Pizza

Brick oven pizza is known for its distinctive crispy crust and evenly cooked pizza toppings. The heat of the brick oven creates a more evenly cooked pizza than a traditional oven, which can have hot and cool spots.

The high heat also creates a unique char on the crust, which adds flavor and texture to the pizza.

With brick oven pizza cooked quickly using heat generated by burning wood, this pizza has a smoky flavor that gas or electric ovens can’t replicate because they cook pizzas differently.

With the brick oven’s rapid cook time, many pizzas can be made quickly, ensuring the pizza never becomes soggy. 

Brick oven pizza is often considered a more authentic and traditional way of making pizza, as it was the original method used in Italy.

What Makes Brick Oven Pizzas Special?

The crust of a brick oven pizza is crisp and flecked with tell-tale charred spots, evidence of being baked in an extremely hot oven. The interior of the dough is soft, elastic, tender, and fragrant, and the toppings are cooked to perfection.

Cooking pizza with a wood fire gives it a smoky taste, while a gas fire will invoke a charred taste.

How is Pizza Cooked in a Brick Pizza Oven?

You do not cook your pizza from the heat of the fire in a brick pizza oven. Instead, you heat up the bricks and the inside walls of the oven, which allows the oven to reach very high temperatures.

Brick ovens are made with layers of insulation and materials that trap the heat inside. When you learn how to heat a wood-fired pizza oven, you appreciate that the oven can get very hot.

pizza oven finishing zone
Pizza in a brick oven

Because of the high heat stored in the dense walls and the high temperatures, the brick oven is designed to cook pizza very quickly. It takes approximately 2-3 minutes maximum for the pizza to cook. 

It can take hours to get heated up, but once it does, it can cook a brick oven pizza in just minutes. The flame used in this cooking style gives the crust a bubbly, crispy texture and pleases the palates of many pizza lovers.  

In addition, the interior surfaces can stay hot for days. A pizza oven emits three types of heat. The first is the conduction heat of the wood fire. The second is radiated heat and convection heat.

In wood fired ovens, heat radiates from the heat source (in this case, a wood fire), is spread around the oven, and is ultimately absorbed by the interior brick walls.

This radiant heat spreads evenly across the dome while the oven floor remains slightly cooler.

The intense direct heat and constant airflow generated in the brick oven seal and cook the toppings evenly and quickly. 

Check our article on how a brick pizza oven works for more info.

History of Brick Oven Pizza

The history of brick oven pizza dates back to ancient civilizations when people baked flatbreads on hot stones. The word “pizza” is derived from the Latin word “pinsa,” which means “flatbread.”

However, the modern version of brick oven pizza as we know it today can be traced back to Italy, specifically Naples.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the poor citizens of Naples would bake flatbreads topped with tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, and other cheap ingredients in wood-fired brick ovens.

pizza on firewood oven

These brick oven pizzas became popular with the working class and eventually made their way to other parts of Italy and the world.

Today, brick oven pizzas are enjoyed all over the globe, with many variations and toppings, but it remains true to their humble beginnings as a delicious food and affordable meal.

Many pizzerias and restaurants specializing in brick oven pizza use traditional methods and ingredients to create their pizzas.

If you’re interested in making your own brick oven pizza at home, you can purchase a portable brick oven or build a permanent one in your backyard.

However, it’s important to note that brick ovens can be expensive and require significant space and maintenance.

Alternatively, you can try cooking pizza using fresh ingredients in a conventional oven on the highest setting and using a pizza stone to create a crispy crust and crispier toppings.

The Last Slice

Well, there you have it – a little rundown on the delicious world of brick oven pizza. We hope you’ve learned a thing or two about this mouthwatering treat and brick ovens.

To sum it up, a brick oven pizza is made in a special oven made of bricks at a high temperature, which helps to cook a perfect pizza quickly and gives it a delicious taste, a crispy, chewy crust, and perfectly melted mozzarella cheese.

It’s a meal with a rich history, dating back to ancient civilizations, and is enjoyed all over the world today.

So the next time you’re hankerin’ for a slice of pizza, consider giving brick oven pizza a try – we promise you won’t be disappointed!

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