How to Light a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

Ready to use your wood-fired oven for pizza for the first time? To understand how to light your wood-fired pizza oven, there are a few things that you should know about the basic elements of its design and function.

 

Here is your complete guide with everything you need to know about lighting a wood-fired oven. 

 

How Do Wood-Fired Ovens Work?                                

Do you remember what a fire triangle is? You probably learned back in school how fire works but let’s take a refresher on what you need to successfully get a fire started. As simple as it may seem, it’s crucial to have the right blend of oxygen, heat, and fuel to get the flame going. Let’s take a closer look at how it all works.

What Do You Need to Start a Wood-Fired Oven?

To start a fire in a pizza oven, the three components of the fire triangle must be present: a combustible material, oxygen, and an ignition source. When we’re talking about how to light a pizza oven, wood is our combustible material. As for the ignition source, you can light a pizza oven with a match or a small kindling lit with a lighter.

What Is the Best Wood for a Pizza Oven?

One of our most frequently asked questions is: can you use regular wood for a pizza oven? The answer is yes… and no.

 

First of all, the best wood for a pizza oven is dry wood. It is essential to have wood that is as dry as possible. Officially, you want a moisture content of no longer than 15% for ideal pizza oven wood, but here in Ireland, it’s unlikely you’re holding onto any wood that has dropped this level. 

 

Another kind of wood not to use in a wood-fired oven is anything that has been treated. Your wood-fired oven is not a way to get rid of rubbish so keep out those old scraps of wood that are left over from the remodel. 

 

For a hot and even burn, look to dry, untreated hardwoods like beech, birch, oak, ash, and sycamore. It’s easy to find good quality firewood for a pizza oven in Ireland so spend the time to track down the best pizza oven logs in your area. Almost every firewood supplier in Ireland delivers or you can pop by the warehouse and pick up a small load of wood.

What Size Logs Are Best for Pizza Ovens?

To start a fire in a wood-burning oven, it’s essential to use small pieces that will gradually ignite. Generally, you’ll want to aim for 20cm and 25cm length logs. With the rise in popularity of wood-burning ovens in Ireland, it’s easy to find logs for pizza ovens that are the perfect size.

 

If you are chopping your own pizza oven wood, aim to keep the logs relatively uniform in size and always under 25 cm.

What Wood Do Italians Use in Pizza Ovens?

When you are in Italy or an authentic Italian restaurant, you will typically see kiln-dried oak firewood. This is widely considered to be the very best pizza oven firewood. There are plenty of kiln-dried firewood suppliers in Ireland and it’s well worth special ordering this to get that authentic Italian experience at home. 

How Do You Stack Wood In a Pizza Oven?

To get a fire started as quickly and easily, the wood should be arranged in a way that exposes as much surface area as possible. If the wood is not arranged properly, it may not ignite or will produce smoke instead of fire.

 

So, where do you put the wood in a pizza oven and how do you stack it? Let’s take a step-by-step look.

How to Start a Fire In Your Pizza Oven: Step By Step

How to put wood in a wood-burning oven? As you are stacking the wood, it is essential that the pieces of wood are placed side by side without leaning on each other. Create perpendicular layers to correctly load a pizza oven. Here’s how.

 

Step 1: Start with two logs.

Arrange a pair of parallel logs to serve as a base for the kindling that you are going to use to light the pizza oven. This will elevate the kindling from the ground and allow air to circulate around it. The distance between the logs should be wide enough to let you put additional logs on top, but not so wide that the kindling falls through.

 

Step 2: Add a layer of kindling.

                               

The easiest way to gather the kindling that you need is to collect the splinters that build up while you are splitting firewood. You will have a lot of wood sitting there but don’t grab anything too big. You’re looking for pieces of firewood that have the thickness of a matchstick so they are easy to ignite. If you don’t have any, you can also buy bundles of it.

 

Place some kindling on top of the parallel logs in a perpendicular arrangement, leaving some space between them to allow air to circulate.                                     

                                   

Step 3: Create a second layer of thicker kindling.

To get enough heat to light the logs and create embers, make sure that you have enough burning material. You can do this by adding another layer of kindling perpendicular to the previous layers. This layer should have a slightly thicker kindling. Remember that you want to slightly increase the size of the kindling as you go up. 

 

Step 4: Add a few small logs perpendicularly.

Add a layer of small logs (similar to the ones you have at the base). Pay close attention to make sure that they are not leaning on each other. You need to have space for the air to circulate around the wood.

 

Your logs should not be too thick. While they don’t need to be exactly measured, aim to have them close to 2.5 cm so that they can be easily lit by the kindling below. With these logs in place, you are ready to light the kindling.

 

Step 5: Add a few more logs.

 

 

Now that you’ve got the kindling going, carefully add two or three logs on top of it. Make sure that these logs are touching the burning kindling. You need to have that direct contact to get the logs going.

 

As the small logs burn, the stack may collapse. If that happens, just use tongs to rearrange the logs so that air can circulate and the fire can burn properly.

 

Depending on how long you’ll be cooking, you may need to add more logs to keep the fire going. Always make sure that you’ve got a good stock of firewood on hand to enforce your start.

Frequently Asked Questions About Starting a Wood-Fired Oven

If you are new to the world of outdoor ovens, you probably have a few questions. Here’s a look at some of the most common questions that we hear.

 

Can you use firelighters in a pizza oven?

Using firelighters in a pizza oven will work, but it is not recommended. It’s better to opt for a natural fire lighter not just to be eco-friendly but for the overall quality of your food. Most firelighters have chemicals that affect the taste of the food. Natural firelighters, on the other hand, are made from compressed wood shavings, which are odourless and safe to use in ovens.

 

Note: Don’t use highly flammable substances like kerosene or lighter fluid to light your pizza oven. It’s dangerous to your oven and can ruin your food.

 

How long does it take to heat up a wood-fired pizza oven?

Luhnasa’s ovens take about 15 min to reach 400°C. Before cooking though, you’ll want to wait another ten to 15 minutes for the refractory bricks to fully absorb the heat.

Can I preheat logs to keep the fire going?

You can preheat logs in your pizza oven by putting them in the back of the oven away from the flames. This will prevent them from actually burning but will get them preheated so that they instantly set fire when they’re placed in the flames. This is especially useful when it’s cold out and your firewood is chilled.

 

Can I use charcoal in a wood-fired pizza oven?

We don’t recommend using charcoal. It will affect the quality of the food, especially pizza. Cooking over the higher het can create a chewy interior rather than the soft centre you’ll get while cooking over wood.

 

What type of wood is best for a wood-fired pizza oven?

For the best result, look to hardwoods rather than softwoods because they produce higher heat and lower smoke. Ash, birch, and oak are all great options, and olive wood is also popular for its gorgeous aroma.

 

Beyond the type of wood, it’s also essential to make sure that you are using fully dry and well-seasoned wood. Wet or green wood will create too much smoke and won't burn hot or fast enough.

 

How hot does a pizza oven have to be?

For a perfectly cooked pizza from a wood-fired oven, you’ll want a temperature around 400°C. If you get it hotter than this, the crust (though slightly hotter can be beneficial for a thicker crust, you’ll need to carefully monitor it).

 

Once you’ve got the pizza in at full temperature, you’ll only need to cook it for about 90 seconds to get that crispy crust, melted cheese, and soft centre.

 

When you’re roasting meat or fish, the ideal temperature range is 230 to 280°C while slow-cooking dishes like ribs and pulled pork are best around 100-120°C.

What safety precautions should I keep in mind using a wood-fired oven?

 

When lighting a pizza oven, it's essential to keep in mind the following health and safety precautions:

 

• Don’t use gasoline, kerosene, or any other flammable substances like charcoal lighter fluid to start your pizza oven.
• Never extinguish the flames or reduce the temperature by throwing water on the fire.
• Only use dry, seasoned wood for the fire and never treated or wet wood.
• If the pizza oven is damp, allow it to dry out gradually with a small fire before using it for cooking.

 

Looking for more information on how to use a wood-fired oven? Check out our FAQ page or reach out.