Homemade Woodfired Pizzas

Nothing can beat a well-made woodfired pizza, and being able to make one at home is just so satisfying.

I have used this recipe and made pizzas in a regular oven prior to having a woodfired oven. It still comes out great but obviously will not have that woodfired flavour.

My husband was obsessed with having a woodfired oven, we finally got one in December last year. After a few tries to hone our woodfired pizza skills, we braved making it for guests.

Every year in late December or early January we invite a few neighbours and have a neighbourhood barbecue. Remember it is summer here in Australia at the time so we have warm weather, long days and school summer holidays which make it perfect for this sort of thing. My neighbours totally loved the pizzas.

The simple pleasure of being able to enjoy homemade pizza with just the kind of toppings you like is what made me get into making pizzas at home.

This pizza dough recipe is my go-to. It is simple and easy to put together and it never fails me.

You can use all-purpose flour instead of the bread flour, but bread flour is higher in gluten than all-purpose flour and will make a crispier crust for your pizza.

Pizza dough freezes well but is much nicer when made fresh. This recipe makes around 6 medium sized pizzas.

It is really easy to just double up the recipe to make more.

When kneading the dough, I use a Kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook. Have also made it in the past kneading by hand or a food processor prior to getting a Kitchen aid mixer. It comes out well in any of the methods, it is just personal preference. Just ensure that the dough is not too sticky (happens if too much water is added) or too stiff that the dough is hard to work with.

Making the Pizza Dough

Classic Pizza Dough Recipe:

Ingredients

Bread Flour – 4 cups

Salt – 1 flat teaspoon

Sugar – 1 teaspoon

Warm water – 200 ml (adjusted to get the required consistency)

Yeast – 2 sachets(7gms/sachet) of dry yeast

Method

Combine the yeast and sugar with the warm water and allow to sit for about 15 minutes until frothy.
Measure the required amount of flour and stir the salt through the flour.
Once the Yeast mix is frothy, add it into the flour and salt mix.
Combine by hand or with a processor. If using the processor or kitchen aid mixer, use the dough hook and knead until the mix becomes attached to the hook and is smooth and springy in consistency.
Cover the dough with cling wrap and let it sit in a warm place for an hour allowing the yeast to work through, allowing the dough to rise.
Once the dough has doubled in size, pinch out tennis sized balls of dough and set aside for about 30 mins.
Roll out each dough ball into a thin circle from the inside to the outer edge.
Spread with sun-dried tomato pesto and place your desired toppings.
Bake Pizza one at a time until the crust is lightly browned and the cheese is melted and golden.
If making it in the woodfired oven, first ensure that it is well heated to over 200 degrees Celsius (temperature on the floor of the oven where the pizza will sit for cooking).
We use dry firewood like Jarrah or swan river mahogany as they burn clean with minimal smoke.
Place the pizza on the floor of the woodfired oven. Spin it around to ensure that it gets evenly browned on all sides. This will take a 4-5 mins. In a regular oven it will take about 15-20 minutes.

Toppings I used this time:

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto – 2 tablespoons per pizza (I prefer the pesto to just using tomato sauce or paste as it gives it a better flavour.

Pepperoni/Salami/Chicken and Bacon (made 3 types to satisfy everyone’s preferences)

Red onion

Green pepper

Cheese

Note that you will not want to load up too much with the toppings as it just obscures the taste of each of the lovely ingredients and plus the crust may not remain crisp.

Also, what topping you choose is totally up to you and your preferences.