Only a few meals can bring people together, like Italian pizza, no matter the season. Homemade pizza is a great and quickly served crowd-pleaser that can cater to all sorts of diets with its wide variety of toppings and combinations, and for many Australians, catching up with friends and family with a cheesy slice in one hand and a cold beverage in the other is the perfect beginning of a relaxed weekend.
As the food is best eaten piping hot, here are a few tips and tricks on how to maintain your outdoor wood pizza oven so you can please your favourite people with delicious pizza all year round.
Keep Moisture Out
Safety First
As an outdoor wood pizza oven can reach temperatures above 400 Celsius, it is inevitable to make sure it has completely cooled down before starting to clean it for the next social get-together. This is best done overnight and will protect your skin from nasty burns and sustain your oven from potentially cracked bricks and damage to the overall structure.
Removing Ashes
Start cleaning the oven by sweeping the ashes into the centre with a bristle brush to remove all the debris. Afterwards, use a vacuum cleaner to ensure no remaining particles are left inside, and the entire dome is clean. If you have a garden with stone fruit trees or vegetables like lettuce, The Wood Fired Co – Wood fired ovens, and leeks, you can easily dispose of the ashes there to nourish the soil and make the whole outdoor wood pizza oven cleaning process as sustainable as possible.
Tackling Soot
While ash is commonly dry and crumbly, removing soot may require a little more work. Soot is the natural dark, sticky build-up left over from burning wood. If soot is not cleaned regularly, the layer can become quite thick and cause airflow blockages. Soot staining can be removed by scrubbing the surfaces with a hard bristle brush and a little soap, if necessary, but refrain from using chemical cleaners as they can damage the surfaces of the outdoor wood pizza oven.
The Final Sweep
Once you have removed all the ash and soot, thoroughly sweep the inside of your oven and wipe all the surfaces down with a damp cotton cloth to absorb the rest of the dust. To reach all corners and nooks and up the flue, it might be easiest to attach the fabric to a long stick and carefully run it up and down the inner walls, floor and ceiling to ensure your outdoor wood pizza oven is ready for the next use.
Now that the interior is cleaned, all you have to do is give the outside of your oven a gentle scrub to remove any food residue and grease and maintain its aesthetics.
If you are looking for an easy and delicious way to satisfy a hungry crowd after the BBQ season, investing in an outdoor wood pizza oven is a great solution for hosts who love to cook and entertain their guests all year round.
