Wood-Fired Cooking

2020 Summer Photo Contest Sampler

Kits, tiled, stucco, and stone! We have received oven photos of them all as part of this summer’s photo contest. It’s not too late to participate! The photo submission deadline is Friday,  July 31, 2020 and we’ll announce our winners in the August newsletter. We are giving away 3 prizes to the top 3 photos. Winners can choose one option from 3 quality accessories for their oven: a steel Tuscan... Read More

Pizza Intensive – Learning the Craft

The North American Pizza and Culinary Academy (NAPCA) in Lyle, IL knows pizza! They regularly offer fun, food-centric, date nights, and cooking classes for the general public. However, a few times a year, they also offer special courses for those who really want to take their pizza making skills to the next level.  As an authorized branch of the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli, the oldest pizza school in Italy, Master Instructor,... Read More

Pancetta and Doming

Two weeks ago, I posted information on wood and the flavor characteristics that the different woods can impart in the overall flavor of the pizza.  This week, as a follow-up, I wanted to talk a little about “doming” the pizza during the cooking process. To “dome” the pizza or “doming” is the practice of lifting the pizza off the hearth and holding it close to the dome for a short... Read More

EF1 Tornado Couldn’t Topple a Forno Bravo Oven

Over the memorial day weekend, life got “interesting” for Billy Bradley and the residents of San Antonio, TX. An EF1 Tornado hit the NW side of the city, bringing with it heavy rain and 100 MPH winds, knocking over trees, and causing property and roof damage, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) for San Antonio. It also did quite a bit of damage to Billy’s back yard. The tornado... Read More

Making Pan Pizza Dough Using a Poolish Starter by Chef Leo

While thin crust pizza is delicious, deep dish pizza also continues to create fans around the country. A great, master, slow-fermented dough can be used for several different pizza styles. Grandma Style, Sicilian Style, and Detroit Style are just a few! Creating this master dough is all about developing the flavors over time. The addition of a poolish starter to a basic dough recipe elevates it to a whole new... Read More

Caring for Business while Caring for Community

As we continue to ride the waves of change, we would like to honor some of our customers and friends on the commercial side as well. These are local businesses and professionals who are expanding their efforts to find new ways to stay open, as well as to fill the needs they see within their communities.  Specifically, let us introduce you to ShadowView Brewing who used their wood fired oven... Read More

Maestro Vito Iacopelli Demonstrates Pizza Making in a Vesuvio Oven

We’re channeling our inner Italian today by sharing this fun and informative video by Maestro Vito Iacopelli. Born in Bari, Italy, he currently hails from Los Angeles. The Maestro has made a great how-to video for preparing a pizza with organic purple potato cream sauce, mozzarella,  sausage, fennel, and mushrooms using a friend’s wood and gas fired Vesuvio Maestro Vito has officially been a pizzaiolo since 1993, and a master chef... Read More

Pizza Ovens Go To School

With a renewed focus on the value of the trades, more schools are incorporating the culinary arts into their curriculum. Cooking teaches incredible skills across disciplines in a unique, organic (and delicious) way. Just some of the disciplines and skills involved are math, chemistry, history, sociology, communications, business, fine motor control, creativity, planning, and organization. Forno Bravo is excited to have worked with several schools across the country to place... Read More

Naan Bread is a versatile form of flat bread that has its roots in India and the Middle East. It is also super easy to make in a wood fired oven! This recipe for Lavender and Fennel Pollen Naan Bread is a gourmet adaptation of the basic recipe and brought to us by Chef Ryan Kirby of Wisconsin. Chef Kirby has a passion for making dishes with local, fresh ingredients. You can... Read More