But what is the secret to achieving a pizza with excellent qualities and unique flavors? Beyond the preparation and leavening of the dough and the freshness of the ingredients, we must also pay close attention to the cooking process, which mainly depends on the type of pizza oven we have available.
Pizza Ovens: The Importance of Cooking for a Perfect Pizza
In Italian gastronomy, pizza is undoubtedly the most famous and among the most beloved dishes in the world. Who doesn’t get their mouth watering at the thought of real pizza?
An extraordinary masterpiece of taste, simple yet intricate at the same time. A few ingredients combined into a harmonious and balanced flavor transform a humble dish into an Italian culinary excellence.
A crisp and soft crust, a center of melting mozzarella that dissolves in the mouth, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh tomato are the basic ingredients, to which an endless number of flavors can be added.
But what is the secret to achieving a pizza with excellent qualities and unique flavors?
Beyond the preparation and leavening of the dough and the freshness of the ingredients, we must also pay close attention to the cooking process, which mainly depends on the type of oven we have available.
The Qualities a Pizza Oven Should Have
A professional pizza oven must be designed according to specific criteria. The quality of the structure and its components is the most important aspect to consider when making such an investment.
A pizza oven must be optimally insulated, have a properly sized entrance, a well-positioned chimney, and the dome must ensure an even temperature throughout the entire cooking area.
All these elements are essential to avoid heat dispersion and, consequently, reduce energy consumption.
These qualities are necessary regardless of the type of oven chosen for one’s business, which is why it is very important to rely on expert designers, technicians, and installers who can create high-performance pizza ovens.
There are different types of ovens, each working in a unique way but still guaranteeing excellent results. Let’s look at the types available on the market today.
Wood-Fired Oven: The Original Pizza Cooking Method
The first oven used for cooking pizza is undoubtedly the wood-fired oven. Many argue that for authentic Neapolitan pizza, for example, this type of oven is essential.
It is believed that using a different type of oven would not achieve the perfect flavor and fragrance, as if the craftsmanship of the product itself would be compromised by a cooking method other than wood fire.
Perhaps in the past, this belief had some truth for two reasons. First, without a doubt, the wood-fired oven was the only one that existed, and other cooking methods did not yield the same results.
Secondly, the first gas or electric ovens did not ensure optimal cooking, reinforcing the common belief that pizza could only be cooked using the traditional method.
Today, we know that, thanks to current technology, perfect pizza can be cooked even with other types of ovens, such as gas or electric ones.
Gas Ovens: Practical and Functional
Another type of pizza oven, perhaps less commonly used for obvious economic reasons, is the gas oven. These models can also reach high temperatures and produce excellent results.
A quality of this oven is its practicality and functionality. It does not require special cleaning, aside from removing flour from the cooking surface, and it is easy to turn on and off with increasingly sophisticated and precise digital control systems.
The main reason it is less widespread is economic; due to the complexity of the oven and the installation system, as well as safety concerns, the gas oven is less popular than the electric pizza oven.
Electric Oven: The Optimal Solution for Costs and Results
With the development of more advanced ovens, i.e., those currently on the market, the common belief that pizza should only be cooked in wood-fired ovens has undoubtedly been disproven.
The culinary scene in general, as well as that of pizzerias, has radically changed thanks to the introduction of professional electric pizza ovens, capable of cooking at extremely high temperatures, similar to those reached by an open flame.
This also explains why homemade pizza can never be quite like pizzeria pizza. Pizza requires a very high temperature (around 500°C), which a home electric oven can never achieve.
If, in the past, wood was the only fuel capable of reaching such high temperatures, today it is possible to achieve the same result with a professional electric oven. The ability to manage high temperatures due to optimal oven insulation also allows for a drastic reduction in electricity consumption without compromising oven performance.
To offer excellent service to customers, it is essential to make perfect pizza dough that is light and digestible, use fresh and authentic ingredients, and pay attention to one of the most crucial aspects: the quality of the professional oven.
COOK’IN by Nocera was established over 30 years ago. As an agency of Angelo Po for the province of Lecce, COOK’IN is a point of reference and the right partner for large-scale professional restauration.
Address: Via G. Grassi, 24/A, Martano (Le).
