How to Control the Temperature of Your Wood-Fired Oven for Different Types of Cooking
Mastering temperature control is the key to unlocking the full potential of your wood-fired oven. Unlike conventional ovens with digital settings, wood-fired cooking relies on fire management, airflow, and experience. Whether you're baking crispy pizzas, roasting meats, or slow-cooking vegetables, here’s how to get the perfect heat every time.
Understand Your Oven's Heat Zones
Wood-fired ovens have natural heat gradients:
- Cooking floor (bottom): High direct heat, perfect for pizzas and searing.
- Dome (top): Radiant heat, ideal for browning and roasting.
- Entry/door area: Cooler zone, great for slow-cooking or keeping food warm.
Use the Right Wood
- Hardwoods like oak, hickory, or maple burn longer and hotter, producing consistent temperatures and less ash.
- Avoid softwoods or treated wood; they burn too fast and can affect flavor or safety.
Temperature Ranges by Cooking Type
- Pizza (Neapolitan-style): 750–900°F (400–480°C). Fast cook in 90 seconds.
- Roasting meats or vegetables: 500–700°F (260–370°C). Balanced heat with good caramelization.
- Baking bread: 400–500°F (200–260°C). Uniform heat is ideal for crust and crumb.
- Slow cooking or braising: 250–350°F (120–175°C). Long, gentle heat.
Tips to Control Temperature
- Build the fire in the center, then push it to the side once the oven heats up.
- Use an infrared thermometer to check the floor temperature.
- Let the oven preheat for 30–60 minutes depending on size.
- Control airflow using the oven door or chimney damper (if available).
- Add small logs gradually to maintain heat, rather than large logs all at once.
Cooking with Confidence
With a bit of practice and the right tools, controlling the temperature in a wood-fired oven becomes second nature. You’ll enjoy better results, more versatility, and the satisfaction of mastering fire-powered cooking.
Explore our collection of high-performance wood-fired ovens, engineered for heat retention, consistency, and flavor in every dish.
