Description
Cooking with a wood-fired pizza oven is about much more than simply placing a pizza near a fire.
The fire, oven floor, insulated dome and retained heat all work together to create a cooking environment that cannot easily be reproduced in a conventional kitchen oven.
Once you understand how to light the fire, control the temperature and position your food, a wood-fired oven can be used for pizza, bread, roasted vegetables, meat, seafood, cast-iron dishes and slow cooking.
This beginner’s guide explains how to get started with an XclusiveDecor Wood-Fired Pizza Oven and how to avoid the most common first-time mistakes.
Why These Ovens Cook Differently
A wood-fired oven uses three forms of heat at the same time:
Heat from the oven floor cooks the underside of the food.
Radiant heat from the dome cooks and browns the top.
Moving hot air and flame circulate through the chamber and around the food.
The insulated construction of XclusiveDecor ovens is intended to support fast heating and extended heat retention. This allows the oven to move through several cooking stages during one firing—from high-heat pizza cooking to roasting, baking and slower retained-heat cooking.
Before Your First Cook: Cure the Oven
A new wood-fired oven must not immediately be taken to full cooking temperature.
Moisture can remain within the oven materials after construction. Increasing the temperature too quickly may cause thermal shock, surface damage or cracking.
XclusiveDecor’s published curing guidance uses a series of gradually hotter fires over three days:
- Day one: approximately 100°C
- Day two: approximately 175°C
- Day three: approximately 250°C
Each stage uses a low, carefully controlled fire, followed by a complete cooling period. Always follow the curing instructions supplied with your particular oven, as the correct procedure may vary by model.
Do not rush this process. A properly cured oven will be better prepared for repeated heating and cooling over its working life.
Essential Wood-Fired Oven Tools
You do not need a commercial kitchen full of equipment, but several tools make cooking safer and easier:
- A long-handled pizza peel
- A smaller turning peel
- Heat-resistant oven gloves
- An infrared thermometer for checking the oven floor
- A food thermometer for meat and poultry
- A long-handled oven brush
- Fire-resistant cookware or cast-iron pans
- A metal ash shovel
- Dry kindling and untreated firewood
The built-in thermometer available on applicable XclusiveDecor models measures the general temperature around the cooking chamber. An infrared thermometer is also useful because it allows you to check different sections of the cooking floor.
Choosing Firewood
Use clean, dry and untreated firewood.
Dry hardwood is generally easier to manage because it produces dependable heat without the excessive smoke associated with damp wood.
Never burn:
- Painted or stained timber
- Treated building timber
- Plywood or particle board
- Rubbish or plastic
- Timber containing glue
- Driftwood
- Large amounts of paper or cardboard
Avoid using petrol, methylated spirits or other liquid accelerants to start the fire. Use suitable fire starters, small dry kindling and gradually larger pieces of firewood.
How to Light the Oven
1. Start with a Small Fire
Place a small piece of firewood on the oven floor and arrange dry kindling around it. Add an appropriate fire starter and light the kindling.
Keep the first flame controlled rather than immediately filling the chamber with large logs.
2. Allow the Chimney to Begin Drawing
As the fire becomes established, warm air will begin moving through the oven and up the chimney.
Good airflow helps the wood burn more cleanly and directs smoke away from the oven opening.
3. Add Wood Gradually
Add one small piece of dry firewood at a time.
Placing too much wood into the oven can create excessive smoke and cause the temperature to rise too quickly. XclusiveDecor recommends building the fire gradually and avoiding flames that extend through the front opening.
4. Move the Fire into Position
Once the fire is established, it can normally be moved towards the back or side of the oven.
This leaves a clear cooking area while maintaining heat and flame movement around the dome.
5. Allow the Floor to Heat
A hot dome does not always mean the cooking floor is ready.
The refractory floor needs time to absorb enough heat to cook the base of a pizza. Use an infrared thermometer to check the section where the pizza will be placed.
Understanding Oven Temperature
One of the most important lessons is that oven temperature and food temperature are not the same thing.
The oven may be operating at several hundred degrees, but meat must still be checked internally with a food thermometer.
XclusiveDecor’s published guidance states that the maximum cooking temperature is 500°C and recommends cooking pizza at no more than 350°C. Always follow the instructions supplied for the selected model.
High Heat with a Live Flame
Best suited to:
- Thin pizzas
- Flatbreads
- Naan-style breads
- Quick-cooking appetisers
A bright flame should move across the dome without extending dangerously from the oven opening.
Medium Heat with a Smaller Fire
Best suited to:
- Roasted vegetables
- Chicken
- Fish
- Steaks
- Sausages
- Cast-iron dishes
- Focaccia
The fire can be reduced or allowed to settle into glowing embers. Food should generally be positioned farther from direct flame than a pizza.
Falling or Retained Heat
Best suited to:
- Bread
- Large roasts
- Slow-cooked meat
- Casseroles
- Baked desserts
- Drying herbs or fruit
Once the live fire has reduced, the insulated oven continues releasing stored heat. This allows another meal or cooking stage to be completed without starting a new fire.
How to Cook Your First Wood-Fired Pizza
Prepare Everything Before Lighting the Oven
Wood-fired pizza cooks quickly, so there is little time to look for ingredients once cooking begins.
Before launching the first pizza, prepare:
- Portioned dough balls
- Tomato sauce
- Cheese
- Toppings
- Flour or semolina for the peel
- A clean serving board
- A turning peel
- An infrared thermometer
Keep the toppings relatively dry. Excess moisture can make the pizza difficult to launch and may leave the centre soft.
Use Dough at Room Temperature
Cold dough is often tight and difficult to stretch.
Allow refrigerated dough enough time to soften before shaping it. Do not force the dough with a rolling pin unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
Gently press from the centre towards the outside while leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust.
Do Not Overload the Pizza
More toppings do not always create a better pizza.
Too much sauce, cheese or meat can:
- Make the dough stick to the peel
- Prevent the centre from cooking properly
- Increase cooking time
- Cause ingredients to fall into the oven
- Produce a soggy base
A thin layer of sauce and a restrained amount of topping usually works best for high-temperature cooking.
Prepare the Peel
Lightly dust the peel with flour or semolina.
Place the stretched dough on the peel, add the toppings and give the peel a small shake. The pizza should move freely.
Do not leave an uncooked pizza sitting on the peel for too long. Moisture from the dough can absorb the flour and cause it to stick.
Launch the Pizza
Position the peel close to the chosen cooking area.
Use a short forward movement followed by a controlled pull backwards. The pizza should slide from the peel onto the oven floor.
Avoid placing it directly beside burning wood or glowing embers.
Watch the Crust Closely
The side facing the fire will normally colour first.
Use a turning peel to rotate the pizza several times, allowing the crust and toppings to cook evenly. Stay beside the oven throughout the cook.
The pizza is ready when:
- The crust has risen
- The underside is cooked
- The cheese has melted
- The toppings are hot
- The outer crust has developed light charring
Cooking More Than One Pizza
The oven floor loses some heat every time a cold pizza is placed on it.
When cooking for a group:
- Check the floor temperature regularly
- Allow recovery time between pizzas when necessary
- Maintain a small, steady fire
- Prepare one pizza at a time until confident
- Keep uncooked dough covered
- Avoid placing prepared pizzas on peels too early
Preparing every pizza fully in advance can lead to sticking. It is generally better to stretch and top the next pizza while the previous one cooks.
Cooking Meat and Poultry
For meat dishes, use a fire-resistant pan or cast-iron cookware unless the selected recipe is suitable for direct cooking.
Position the pan away from the strongest flame and rotate it periodically. Remember that the side facing the fire may cook more quickly.
A browned exterior does not prove that meat is safely cooked inside.
New Zealand Food Safety advises using a thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. Safe combinations include:
- 75°C for at least 30 seconds
- 70°C for at least three minutes
- 65°C for at least 15 minutes
Poultry, pork, sausages, minced-meat products and blade-tenderised meat require particular care and should be cooked thoroughly.
Use separate plates, boards and utensils for raw and cooked meat to prevent cross-contamination.
Roasting Vegetables
Wood-fired ovens are excellent for roasting vegetables because the high surrounding heat encourages browning.
Good options include:
- Potatoes
- Kūmara
- Pumpkin
- Capsicum
- Courgette
- Cauliflower
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Corn
- Mushrooms
Coat the vegetables lightly with oil and season them before placing them in a suitable tray.
Dense vegetables should be cut into smaller, evenly sized pieces. Softer vegetables can be added later so they do not overcook.
Turn or stir the vegetables during cooking, particularly when the pan is positioned near the fire.
Baking Bread
Bread is usually best baked after the intense pizza fire has reduced.
Allow the temperature to settle, move or remove loose embers as appropriate, and clean the cooking floor before loading the dough.
A door can help retain heat during baking on models designed to use one. Follow the oven and recipe instructions for ventilation and door position.
The retained heat within an insulated XclusiveDecor oven makes it possible to cook bread after pizza without necessarily rebuilding the fire. The ovens are promoted for pizza, bread, roasting and extended lower-temperature cooking.
Using Cast-Iron Cookware
Cast iron works particularly well in a wood-fired oven because it can tolerate high temperatures and retain heat.
It can be used for:
- Roast chicken
- Lamb
- Steak
- Seafood
- Baked pasta
- Casseroles
- Skillet bread
- Fruit desserts
Cast-iron handles become extremely hot. Always use suitable heat-resistant gloves and place hot cookware on a fire-resistant surface.
Do not place ordinary glass dishes, plastic-handled cookware or pans that are not rated for high heat inside the oven.
Managing Smoke
A correctly established fire using dry wood should become cleaner as the oven and chimney warm up.
Excessive smoke may be caused by:
- Damp firewood
- Pieces of wood that are too large
- Insufficient airflow
- An overcrowded fire
- A cold chimney
- Ash obstructing the fire
- Adding wood faster than it can burn
Start small, maintain airflow and add dry wood gradually.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Cooking Before the Floor Is Hot
The toppings may cook while the base remains pale or soft.
Check the floor with an infrared thermometer rather than relying only on the chamber thermometer.
Using Too Much Flour
Excess flour can burn on the oven floor and leave a bitter taste.
Use only enough to prevent the dough from sticking.
Adding Too Many Toppings
Heavy toppings make the pizza harder to launch and slower to cook.
Begin with simple combinations while learning.
Walking Away from the Oven
Food can change from properly cooked to burnt very quickly.
Remain close and keep the turning peel ready.
Building an Oversized Fire
A large fire is harder to control and may create temperatures beyond the recommended range.
Build heat gradually.
Using Water to Cool the Oven
Never pour water onto the fire, cooking floor or hot oven chamber.
XclusiveDecor warns that sudden cooling can damage the oven floor and contribute to cracking or surface deterioration. Allow the fire to burn down naturally.
Touching the Chimney or Metal Components
The insulated dome may remain comparatively cooler, but the chimney, door frame, door and other metal parts can become extremely hot.
Keep children and guests away from the working side of the oven.
After Cooking
Allow the fire and embers to burn down naturally.
Do not remove hot ash into a plastic container or place it near timber, dry vegetation or combustible materials. Embers can remain hot long after the visible flame has disappeared.
Once everything is completely cold:
- Remove loose ash with a metal shovel.
- Brush the oven floor with a suitable long-handled brush.
- Clear the opening and surrounding preparation area.
- Check that the chimney and rain cap are unobstructed.
- Protect the oven from prolonged wet weather where applicable.
If the oven has absorbed moisture, XclusiveDecor recommends beginning the next firing with a very gentle fire and increasing the temperature only after the oven has dried.
Handling Leftovers Safely
Refrigerate or freeze leftovers as soon as practical and within two hours of cooking.
Large portions should be divided into smaller containers so they cool more quickly. Keep leftovers covered and reheat them until piping hot.
A Simple First-Cook Menu
For a manageable first session, try:
First course:
Garlic and herb flatbread
Main course:
Two or three simple pizzas with restrained toppings
Side dish:
Cast-iron roasted potatoes, onions and capsicum
Dessert:
Baked apples or a cast-iron fruit crumble using the falling heat
This sequence introduces several cooking temperatures without making the first firing overly complicated.
Your First-Pizza Checklist
Before launching the pizza, confirm that:
- The oven has been correctly cured
- Dry untreated firewood is being used
- The fire is established and under control
- The cooking floor has been checked
- The pizza moves freely on the peel
- Toppings have been prepared
- The turning peel is nearby
- A heat-resistant serving area is ready
- Children and guests are clear of the hot working zone
Make the Most of Your Wood-Fired Oven
The first few cooking sessions are about learning how your particular oven responds.
Pay attention to:
- How quickly it heats
- Where the hottest floor areas are
- How the flame moves across the dome
- How often pizzas need turning
- How quickly the floor recovers
- How long useful heat remains after the fire reduces
With practice, the process becomes more intuitive.
The XclusiveDecor Wood-Fired Pizza Oven range, available through Apollo NZ, combines handmade construction, strong insulation and retained-heat cooking capability. The result is an outdoor oven that can support quick pizza nights, large family gatherings and complete multi-course meals.
