Wood FIred Oven

C's wood fired oven was fired up for the first time this season  the second weekend of May. Naturally it was also the first wood fired pizza of the season. Let's just say I'm still making amazing dough! Honestly it's really one of the only things I make that I truly have an ego about.

It's not just the toppings which are the best available in New York City. Well okay that's my opinion as well as all the people who have eaten my pizza. It's not just about using good ingredients for the topping but as you know if you've been reading my pizza blogs it's all about the dough!

So, I've been modifying the dough as I get to know my sourdough starter. When the weather is cold and damp I add a pinch of dry yeast to the dough (approx 6 cups of flour) and this seems to balance it out. I haven't figured out quite why this works when it's cold and damp but not necessary when it's hot outside. Anyway, I've been making the dough much wetter than before. This seems to be a good idea as it makes the dough more like what I'm looking for. The flavor is great, the color better the texture soft yet crispy.

 Fennel Sausage Pizza!








Once the oven gets going the pizza's are quick to bake, about a minute and a half. That requires that the oven temperature is up to 900 degrees F. While the oven is heating up it can be used to cook other things like shortribs or vegetables. When the pizzas are all cooked that's the time to cook dessert! Hahaha even after stuffing ourselves with more dough than we thought would fit in our stomachs there's always that tiny bit of room left for some sweets!

I really wish you could all have this experience of the pizza coming out of the wood fired oven. There's really nothing like it. There's only a few places where you can truly get pizza made in a wood fired oven. The rising of the dough and the changes it goes through to finally become edible always amazes me. It's incredible how a small addition of rye or corn or whole wheat can change the flavor of the dough. It's the same with different types of starters as well. As you feed your starter it becomes your own picking up the wild yeasts in your kitchen as well as from the flour you feed it.

I hope you will get a chance to eat my pizza some time.
In the mean time Have Fun & Enjoy!