First Pizza of this season What You Cooked Last Night Discuss First Pizza of this season in the Brick Oven Cooking forums; Our first pizza of this season came out of the WFO last evening. It's been hard to wait yet with ...

[Wiley]

Our first pizza of this season came out of the WFO last evening. It's been hard to wait yet with cold and rain and no permanent covered area (yet) we held off. But lately, as the rains have taken a change of course prefering California to the Pacific Northwest, we have dried out. Our mornings are still cold (this mornings temperature was 34F with lots of frost), but with clear skies it warms up during the day.

So first pizza and a chance to use our new Pizza Cutter from FB. In the past we have used a cutter from Farberware and inspite of it's non-stick coating IMHO does an inferior job when compared to the FB pizza cutter. No more making two passes on the edges to be sure the pieces are separate. A single pass is all one needs! It cleans easily too. However, one should be aware that with its keen edge it should be carefully hand washed and dried and carefully stored lest the edge become damaged or dulled. It is certainly a great addition to our pizza tool collection!

It came as a "prize" or reward for posting 250 times to the Forno Bravo Forum. And so a big Thank You to James and The Forno Bravo crew! And I would suggest if one was simply looking for a quality pizza cutter as a gift for their loved one (or themselves) one needs look no further.
Bests,
Wiley

[dbhansen]

So how did it turn out?

I feel your pain. On Sunday we made the first pizzas since about October. I had to clear the snow and ice off the tarps and put the chimney back on before firing it up, and it seemed to take longer to get up to temp (it was about 25 degrees outside). I can't wait to get my enclosure done! The pizzas were awesome, though.

Daren

[Wiley]

Daren, The pizzas were exceptional! Thanks for asking :-)

I don't wish to appear conceited (pride goeth before a fall) but I have worked out a recipe that works for me. And everyone to whom I have served it has loved it! It's nice to be able to have the process to a point where it's start the dough at a certain time and two hours later do a stretch and fold and divide. Then one hour later start the WFO and two hours after the stretch and fold the oven is ready for pizzas. Actually there is some slop in the hour for the oven to heat; in forty minutes with a good sized armload of wood and a few sheets of old newspaper I can have the hearth at 900+ F and have time to move the coals off to one side and have a beer waiting for the temp to settle (the first beer of many...baking pizzas is hot work, right ;-) and build the first pizza. I am happy with the results I get at temps around 700 on the hearth. Not that I've given up experimenting but it's nice to have a "standby" that delivers as needed, when needed.

May the spring come early for you (and all of us!)
Wiley

[james]

Thanks for that Wiley. Cheers to the early coming of spring. And don't worry about the blade on the pizza cutter (other than your fingers); it's removable and you can sharpen it. :-)

It's starting to feel like spring on the central coast -- it is still winter elsewhere?
James

[Frances]

Originally Posted by james

it is still winter elsewhere?

Since you ask...

YES it is! Down to -10C last night and no end in sight. We haven't had a Winter this long or this cold for years.

Still, nice to know Spring is coming elsewhere, maybe we'll get there some time soon. And my FB Pizza cutter is great, too.

[Bob C]

Winter hit us again last evening in CT as well...with a little bit of snow, freezing rain...that should be gone in a days time. However, spring is lurking around the corner.

[texassourdough]

You just reminded me of one of the reasons I love living in Texas! We strive to have our first pizza of the year on New Year's Day. This year it was the 3rd. OTOH, we have pizza less often in the summer when it is really hot!

Glad you got to fire early this year!

Fire On!
Jay

[AnnieMacD]

The nice thing about being in Scotland is that I can use the WFO all year round. It does rain a lot but then there is the roof.....

Oh, and when will I become a Peasant? I hate being a Serf!!!!

Annie

[james]

Annie, where is Applecross? We have friends with a house outside Aberdeen that we have visited, and my brother-in-law is a transplanted Scot (he's on the Isle of Wight) but my Scotland geography isn't very good.

You reach Peasant at 25 postings, so you are close.
James

[AnnieMacD]

James,

Applecross is a peninsula in the north-west of Scotland on the mainland just across from the Isle of Skye. It's very remote and the road leading to it comes over the highest road in Britain. Gorgeous views though! The nearest supermarket is 84 miles away. Same applies to hospital, airport, Starbucks etc.

I went to college in Aberdeen so I know it well. It's about 200 miles from here. Next time you are in Scotland, you are invited for pizza!

Annie