A few months ago, we published a blog about building an outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired oven. In this blog, we’ll talk about how to get the most out of your wood-fired oven and outdoor kitchen once they are installed. Wood-fired ovens have become incredibly popular over recent years due to the way that they are incredibly versatile and are capable of helping you create delicious food, really bringing out the flavours of the cuisine you cook them in.
What can you cook in a wood-fired oven?
It’s possible to cook a wide range of culinary treats in wood-fired ovens. They are heavily associated with pizzas but are also used to bake bread and roast meat. They are also ideal for preparing roasted vegetables, fish and jacket potatoes, to give just a few examples.
Do wood-fired ovens require any special skills?
One of the most important things to do when you’re using a wood-fired oven is to make sure your wood is consistent. The wood should be of the same size and have the same moisture content. If this is not the case, you’ll find yourself spending a great deal of time correcting the oven temperature. If your wood is consistent, you can concentrate on cooking your food.
If you’re using your wood-fired oven to cook pizza, make sure your dough recipe is suitable for this kind of equipment. A dough recipe that works well in a conventional oven may not be as efficient in this kind of oven. This is because a wood-fired oven is several hundred degrees warmer. Your dough should have less sugar content when you’re using a wood-fired oven. This is because sugar makes the exterior of the crust brown very quickly in this kind of oven and can cause you to think your pizza is ready for consumption when it is not.
It may take you a while to identify the optimal flame height when you’re using a wood-fired oven. If you don’t have a sufficient flame, your food will not bake correctly even if your oven appears to have reached a very high temperature. It may take some time to identify a flame height that works for you, so patience is the key. Remember, wood-fired ovens don’t have knobs or buttons – the only way to control temperature is to add and remove wood.
Maintaining your outdoor kitchen
There are several steps you can take to maintain your outdoor kitchen to keep clutter to a minimum and avoid accidental damage. These include protecting your countertops, cleaning your cooking facilities regularly, covering your furniture, regularly moving debris from your space and taking care when power washing. It’s also essential to unplug all appliances and devices when you’re not using them.
What are the most essential outdoor kitchen items?
Some of the most useful items for your outdoor kitchen can include not only your wood-fired oven but a grill with an exhaust hood, warming drawers, an outdoor refrigerator, an ice-making machine, a smoker to add extra flavour to meat and a dishwasher.
At Orchard Ovens, we’re always here for you when you want to build or add to an existing outdoor kitchen with fantastic modern facilities. Contact us today to find out more.
