Conditioning Your Pizza Oven: A Springtime Guide

Why Is Conditioning Important?

As the cold winter months finally pass, your pizza oven may have been hibernating under cover outside in the garage or a garden shed. Proper conditioning ensures that your oven is ready for action when the warmer days arrive. 

Think of conditioning your pizza oven much like you would a bike that has been stored over winter. On your bike you would check the tyres, breaks and gearchain to ensure everything works smoothly. It is the same premise for a pizza oven. 

Here’s why it matters:

• Efficient Heating: A well-conditioned oven will heat up faster and maintain a consistent temperature, which will result in perfectly cooked pizza. 
• Safety: Ensuring your oven is in good working order reduces the risk of damage or accidents occuring during the first fire-up.
• Taste: A properly conditioned oven will impart delightful flamed or wood-fired flavour to your pizzas.

2. Steps to Condition Your Pizza Oven

a. Clean the Interior

1. Remove Debris: Clear out any leaves, dust, or cobwebs from the oven interior.
2. Scrub the Floor: Use a stiff brush to clean the oven floor. Remove any residual ash or food particles.
3. Remove the stone: If your oven allows you to remove your stone, doing so will make it easy to clean it. We would recommend cleaning it with just warm water without washing liquids and using a wire bristle brush or scouring pad.

b. Inspect the Chimney and Flue

1. Check for Blockages: Ensure the chimney and flue are clear of obstructions. Birds or debris might have settled during winter.
2. Inspect the Damper: Make sure the damper is functioning correctly. It regulates airflow and heat retention. You do not want to be attempting to adjust a stuck damper when the oven is up to temperature

c. Assess the Insulation

1. Inspect the Insulation Layer: If your oven has insulation, check for any damage or wear. Replace if necessary.
2. Seal Cracks: Use high-temperature mortar to seal any cracks in the insulation or oven dome.
3. Replace damage stones: Replacing damaged stones will provide much better thermal heat retention across the oven floor and reheat faster in between bakes. 

d. Gradual Heating (Curing)

1. Start Small or low
   1. Wood Fired oven:  Begin with a small fire using kindling and thin strips of wood. Gradually increase the heat over several hours. This may sound tedious but will result in better bakes and prolong the life of your oven
   2. Gas oven: Fire the oven up to its lowest temperature and leave at that level for at least 30 minutes before gradually increasing the temperature.
2. Day 1: Aim for a temperature of around 300°F (149°C) for at least 2 hours in 12 - 16 inch ovens and 4 - 6 hours, in  Keep any fire centred in the interior dome wall.
3. Subsequent Days: Gradually increase the temperature each day until you reach your desired cooking heat.

e. Wood Selection

1. Choose the right wood: Ensure you're using the right wood. Pizza ovens need extremely dry wood Opt for dried woods like silver birch, oak, maple, or ash. These woods burn hot and clean.
2. Size Matters: Use logs that fit your oven while leaving room for pizzas. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the ideal log size. Do not think big is best. 
3. Use the right pellets: If
4. Use the right gas: Use propane gas to fire your oven as it more efficient and cleaner than natural gas. Butane is cleaner but less efficient. Most DIY stores stock this type of gas, like B&Q.

f. Monitor the Fire

1. Patience: Winter weather might extend preheat times. Be patient and avoid overloading the fuel basket.
2. Infrared Thermometer: Use an infrared thermometer to check the oven stone’s temperature before cooking.

3. Spring’s First Fire-Up

1. Position the Oven: Set up your oven in a sheltered spot to minimise wind exposure.
2. Light the Fire: Follow the gradual heating process outlined earlier.
3. Patience: It can be really hard to resist throwing one more log on, or attempting to cook too early. Avoid either, sit back and crack open a beer there's plenty of days of summer to enjoy great pizza.
4. Enjoy!: Once your oven is up to temperature, it’s time to create those delicious springtime pizzas.

If you follow the above advice you'll be cooking great tasting pizza all summer long.