Have you tried searching for “brick oven pizzas near me”? Can’t get your thoughts out of the world of pizzas? Many, no doubt, have fallen in love in just one bite of a brick oven pizza. And if you’re wondering why it’s immensely different from regular pizza, it’s actually no secret ingredient or baking technique. It’s all thanks to the oven.
What is a Brick Oven?
The very structure of a brick oven is the key towards a truly delicious, mouth-watering pizza. There is no hidden complexity within its structure for such a grand result. Actually, since brick ovens were invented in the distant past, it uses a simple and straightforward heating mechanism.
A brick oven is warmed up by placing a small heap of fire within the vaulted baking chamber. Unlike modern ovens which circulate hot air in insulated containers, brick ovens absorb heat to do a threefold effect.
Read more: Where can you get the best pizza in Chicago?
- Conduction
The heat from the floor bricks in contact with the pizza transfers heat.
- Convection
The cool air entering from the mouth of the oven becomes heated and circulates around the oven.
- Radiation
The heat from the air and the interior wall radiates heat and envelops the whole pizza.
Brick Oven Pizza vs Ordinary Pizza
-
- High Temperature Baking. A brick oven pizza, due to its threefold attack, can reach up to levels that other ovens find difficult to achieve such as 625°F. This specific number is incidentally the best temperature for baking pizza.
- Speed Baking. A perfect pizza can be obtained in 2 to 3 minutes max. The deadly combination of hot and fast baking is one of the main aspects to a good pizza.
- An Otherworldly Crust. Due to the overall heat in the oven, moisture is immediately removed for a perfect outside crisp. This results in the signature fluffy crust of a brick oven pizza.
- Better toppings. The high heat and speed does not drain out the nutrients, taste, and moisture of the toppings. Due to the constant heat and radiation, the toppings are evenly cooked with a distinct crispness.
- Smoky Taste. Modern ovens cannot give you the smoky taste that wood-fired brick ovens have. Cheese, especially, becomes a medium of that smokey taste. But, be aware that olive oil cannot withstand high temperatures. Hence, many classic pizza parlors garnish their pizzas with olive oil after baking.
