The Wood-Fired Blog
Pizza Intensive – Learning the Craft
Jul 23, 2020The 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
Jul 22, 2020Two 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
June 2020 | No. #132; EF1 Tornado Couldn’t Topple a Forno Bravo Oven, 2020 Summer Photo Contest, Pizza Talk Interviews
Jun 29, 2020Tenaciousness in difficult circumstances is an admirable trait. In this edition of the Wood Fired Newsletter, we celebrate the tough,… Read More
EF1 Tornado Couldn’t Topple a Forno Bravo Oven
Jun 22, 2020Over 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
Jun 22, 2020While 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
May 2020 | No. #131; NAPCA Takes on Curbside Pickup, Caring for Business while Caring for Community, New Video Interview Series: Pizza Talk presented by Pizza Quest
May 28, 2020Spring has officially sprung! So many changes are in the… Read More
New Video Interview Series: Pizza Talk Presented by Pizza Quest
May 19, 2020We’re very excited to announce that experienced interviewer and pizza aficionado, Peter Reinhart, is launching a new free series of Zoom interviews called Pizza Talk, presented by Pizza Quest! At its heart, this series is an extension of Peter’s never-ending search for the perfect pizza, but uses interactive dialogues with industry legends to delve deeply into the topic at hand. Specifically, it will feature current conversations with some of the brightest... Read More
North American Pizza and Culinary Academy Takes on Curbside Pickup and Other Projects
May 19, 2020With in-person classes currently on hold until June, the team of chefs at NAPCA have switched gears and returned to their roots. What do you do when you have a gorgeous commercial kitchen, and state of the art dough and oven rooms? You cook! Utilizing the skills they have gained from working in restaurants around the country and the world, including extensive menu planning practice, co-founders, Master Instructor Leo Spizzirri... Read More
Caring for Business while Caring for Community
May 19, 2020As 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
