Have you been contemplating buying a new outdoor pizza maker? Is it worth the investment to plan on building a wood fire pizza oven if all you can cook in it is pizza?
Well, pizza is but one small category of foods that can be cooked in a pizza oven. How about a rack of barbeque ribs with a side of roasted veggies?
There are a plethora of different options and methods available today, both in style of cooking and the unique dishes you can produce in pizza ovens.
An outdoor pizza oven is way more versatile than most use it for. There are also a wide variety of techniques you can employ to cook your food including baking, roasting, and even grilling.
Once you find out what can be cooked in an outdoor oven it ultimately becomes your new favorite cooking accessory, perfect for fulfilling almost any appetite, any time of the day.
In this article we will help you increase your knowledge of the endless number of dishes you can prepare in a pizza oven, so you get the most out of your investment.
1. What Are The Styles Of Cooking In An Outdoor Pizza Oven?
Here is where you can really expand your use of a pizza oven. The amazing thing about pizza ovens is how versatile and adaptable they can be to other styles of cooking.
Following are a few, not all, ways to get the most out of your new pizza oven.
2. What Else Can You Cook In Pizza Oven Besides Pizza?
By now, you are questioning, so what else can be cooked in a pizza oven besides pizza? The answer, A Bunch. Anything you can prepare in a regular kitchen oven or BBQ grill, you can cook up in a wood-fired pizza oven.
Don’t let the name fool you, the awesome thing about your pizza oven is that it is so versatile. Once you figure out how to manage the heat, the sky’s the limit. Think about it this way; if you can cook something in the oven in your house, you can probably cook it just as easily (or sometimes easier) as in your traditional oven.
Once you get a better handle of your outdoor pizza oven temperatures, you can cook a variety of food such as…
- Roasted vegetables
- Side dishes
- Slow cooked meats
- Barbeque ribs
- Ribeye steak
- Smoked meats
- Baked bread, Focaccia and flatbreads
- Desserts
Really anything you can think up can be prepared in a pizza and can get as daring as you wish. Some of our favorites are:
3. How To Determine Temperature For Cooking In A Pizza Oven?
To help get you started, we want to help you get an understanding of basic temperature guidelines for the different styles of cooking in your pizza oven.
The essential thing when cooking various foods in your pizza oven is to modify the temperature appropriately. While pizza requires higher temperatures to attain a crispy crust, other styles of cooking need lower temperatures and longer cooking times.
For a general guide, we have provided a pizza oven temperature chart.
Temperature is in °Celsius
One thing that will take some practice is figuring out where to place foods that cook at different temperatures. Some foods will need to go close to the embers (pizza) while other foods like vegetables need lower cooking temperatures. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and just remember the closer to the embers the hotter the temperature.
Pro tip: Be sure to only use appropriate cookware that is capable of withstanding the temperature range of a pizza oven. Avoid dishes that might crack under direct heat.
For best results, we recommend that you invest in an infrared thermometer for accurate heat management. This will help you dial in the right temperatures to avoid over cooking or under cooking foods.