The Ultimate Pizza Dough Recipe Baked in A Wood-Fired Oven

Contrary to what one might believe, making a pizza in a wood-fired oven is quite simple. The key is to find the right pizza dough recipe that works well with a wood-fired oven. This cooking method allows you to create thin crust, traditional, and deep dish pizzas. Top your pizza with your favorite toppings, follow best practices for cooking in a pizza oven, and your guests will think you bought it from a restaurant.”

While there are many pre-made pizza doughs and boxed sets available in the grocery store, it is best to make an authentic Italian pizza with dough made from scratch. A good wood-fired pizza dough recipe should include the basic ingredients of flour, water, yeast, and salt. These ingredients are essential for creating the perfect dough

What Makes This Recipe For Pizza Dough Most Suitable For Use With Wood-Fired Ovens?

To make the best pizza, you need the right ingredients in the right proportions. This includes flour with a lower protein content than what is used for bread, proper yeast, lukewarm water, and salt. Mixing these ingredients in the correct proportions is essential for getting the right consistency for high-temperature pizza dough. If you add other ingredients, such as oil, the dough will be more likely to burn in the high heat of a pizza oven.

The magic of a pizza oven lies in its dome shape, which helps distribute heat evenly, and its ability to maintain high temperatures. The temperature of the pizza dough in a wood-fired oven can reach as high as 800 degrees Fahrenheit, which means that pizzas only need to cook for 5 minutes or less. Any ingredients beyond the basic four will be difficult to work with in these high-temperature conditions

The Ultimate Wood-Fired Pizza Dough Recipe

Making delicious pizza dough in a wood-fired oven requires just a few essential components.

Ingredients: 

4 cups all-purpose flour with around 12% protein

¼ tsp instant dry yeast

Two teaspoons of kosher salt

1 ½ cups warm water

How to Make Wood-Fired Pizza Dough

1. Place the required amount of each ingredient in its bowl.
2. Mix the water, yeast, and flour with a fork. It’s not necessary to use a stand mixer for this recipe.
3. Rest the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Add the salt to the dough combination.
5. Rest the dough for another 30-60 minutes.
6.  Lift the dough to let it stretch without breaking.
7. Take the dough and carefully fold it or wrap it up until it is back in its original ball form.
8. Rest the dough for another 30-60 minutes.
9. Repeat the stretching and folding procedure two or three times until the dough has a smooth texture.
10. Divide the dough into three to four sections and place each in a bowl greased with oil.
11. If you want to prepare pizza on the same day, let the dough sit and increase in size while covered for 3-6 hours. But  next day dough is better and two day dough  even better with more flavor
12. Store the dough balls in the refrigerator for future use. It is advisable to consume the dough within 4  days. The longer the dough is left to rest, the more flavor it will acquire.

Wood-Fired Pizza Toppings

When you decide to make a homemade pizza using a wood-fired oven and yeast, it is important to carefully consider your ingredient choices. A classic Margherita pizza is usually a safe bet. It is always best to use the freshest ingredients available. If you want to add meats, vegetables make sure that these ingredients are as fresh as possible. Fresh herbs like basil  can also add a light and delightful flavor to the pizza.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there distinctions between the dough used for a wood-fired oven and one designed for an electric oven?

To make the best pizza dough for a pizza oven, it may be necessary to make some slight modifications to your recipe. The high temperatures of the oven require a dough that can cook quickly without burning the crust. While you can use a similar recipe for both a traditional oven and a pizza oven, you may need to adjust the amounts of oil, flour, and yeast for optimal results in a pizza oven. This may involve using less of these ingredients.

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

Some people prefer to use standard bread dough when making their wood-fired pizza dough recipe, while others find that High Gluten  flour is the best choice for creating the perfect dough for a wood-fired oven. A flour with a protein content of around 12%  min is generally considered to be ideal for making top-quality pizza dough

What is needed to create the perfect wood-fired pizza?

The secret to a beautiful wood-fired pizza is freshly prepared dough. Never use the frozen dough you find in the grocery store. Carefully stretch the dough into a round shape and add the desired toppings. Then, place it into a preheated oven, as the pizza dough temperature is very important for the optimal outcome – a crunchy crust with a chewy center.

What are the ways to make the base of a pizza crunchy?

To get that crunchy base on your pizza, pour some olive oil into the dough before you roll it out. Moreover, it’s essential to regulate the floor heat of your wood-fired pizza oven to ensure the heat is consistent and hot to match the top heat!

Final Thoughts

It may require experimentation to get the ideal dough for a wood-fired oven. However, when you spend the effort to make it, you can experiment with the amounts and techniques that work best for you. To get a wood-burning oven for your home, look at our e-commerce shop.

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