Brick Ovens: How To Use Them

Brick ovens, also known as masonry ovens, give food a distinctive taste that sets them apart from modern ovens found in most kitchens. As the oven’s cooking chamber is heated, the temperatures can reach up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the brick traps the heat and evenly distributes it throughout the oven.

Traditionally, brick ovens are heated with wood, but they can also use coal and gas as fuels to achieve different temperatures. To preheat a wood-fired oven, loosely pile two or three pieces of firewood (it’s ideal to use seasoned hardwood like oak, cherry, or maple apple) with sticks of kindling inside the oven, toward the front. Don’t overstuff the oven with logs. Light the kindle with a lighter or butane torch. Feed wood into the oven until it reaches its maximum temperature. This process can take an hour or more.

To cook pizza, make sure the heat source is still aflame, but push the firewood to the rear or side of the oven. Sweep away any ash so that the surface has a slight sheen. Also, ovens can get so hot that the food isn’t able to develop any flavor, such as sugar caramelization, so cool down the cooking surface with a wet rag if the temperature’s too high. Place the pizza on the floor of the oven, near the front, with a paddle. Cooking time will depend on the recipe, but it should be fairly easy to spot when the crust is cooked and the cheese is bubbling. Five to seven minutes is a good starting point. Bake as many pizzas as possible while the brick oven is at its hottest.

As the oven cools, other foods can be placed into the oven. At about 550 degrees Fahrenheit, bread can be baked. However, the fire must be out, and the oven floor wiped with a damp cloth before this can happen. Also, a recipe designed for baking in a brick oven is ideal. As the bread loaf rests on the oven floor, the radiant heat help will bake the loaf until it is brown and tapping on the bottom makes a hollow sound.

When the oven cools further, it will still retain internal heat for several hours. At this point, when the oven has reached about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, chicken or meat can be placed into the oven overnight to slow roast.

It takes practice to properly prepare a brick oven for use, but once the technique is mastered, you’ll be able to harness the unique powers of brick ovens to make a multitude of delicious foods.