Using Real Cheese for Your Pizza

What’s the point of using a fantastic tool like a wood burning pizza oven if you’re going to use subpar ingredients? It’s arguable that cheese is the most important part of the pie, but many people end up using cheeses from the grocery store that have a bunch of additives and chemicals that take away from the real flavor of good cheese. The most common cheese used for pizza pies is mozzarella, which is available in a variety of different ways including fresh, skim and infused with a variety of different spices and herbs.

The potential of cheese and pizza is so much bigger than mozzarella. There are over 400 different types of Italian cheeses, many of which would be fantastic as a main cheese or as an accompanying flavor on a pie. The key to picking a good cheese is to find one that melts consistently and goes well with the flavor of tomatoes or whatever sauce you are using, but even this isn’t a hard a fast rule. Some pizzas use unique cheese, topping and sauce combinations to create something completely unique. You can even create a pizzas that barely uses any cheese at all except for a generous dusting of Parmesan Reggiano or Pecorino Romano. Whatever kind of pizza you are looking to make, your wood burning oven can make it burst with flavor.

Safety and Your Wood Burning Pizza Oven

Cooking with a wood burning oven is a fun experience that produces delicious food, but when proper safety precautions are not followed bad things can happen.  Newer wood-fired ovens are marvels of modern innovation and technology that contain a wide variety of options that make operating the oven as safe as possible. Even with these conditions, however, it’s important to operate the oven with caution in mind so that no unnecessary injuries or burns occur. In the end you’re still cooking with fire, so paying close attention to safety is paramount.

The primary safety precaution a person can take is simple; wear protection. If embers from the wood fire are flying everywhere when you adjust or add wood then wear goggles to protect your eyes from being burned. When putting food in and out of the oven make sure you are wearing protective gloves that can stand the very high temperatures that some wood burning ovens get to.  Also, whenever you have a fire roaring in the pit keep at least one eye on the oven. It’s not necessary to watch it like a hawk; although if children are around you should, but make sure you are checking in often to make sure nothing goes wrong. Wood burning ovens are fun, but an accident or simple mistake can ruin everything quickly.