How Does Pellet Smoke Enhance Pizza?

Pellet outdoor cookers combine the elements of smokers, grills, and ovens, and use hardwood pellets as the fuel source. You can use them to cook meats, vegetables, pizzas, and other meals with rich, smoke-infused flavors. A pellet fired pizza oven helps infuse unique wood flavors that complement the crust, sauce, and toppings. Here’s how the pellet smoke enhances your pizzas:

Smoky Flavor

Your pellet fired oven cooks similarly to electric and gas-powered ovens. The hot floor heats the pizza directly, cooking the bottom by conduction. Hot air and radiant head from hot bricks above cook the top part. Pellet ovens produce heat by burning wood pellets and turning them into hot coals. Different pellets have distinct tastes you can impart to your pizza.

By the time the oven is hot, the smoke left rises to the top and out the chimney. Some of the smoke circulating inside the oven is infused into the pizza, resulting in a smoky flavor. Wood pellets like hickory, cherry, and apple have unique smoky notes that are easily passed to the pizza, enhancing aroma and taste. The smoke carries aromatic compounds like syringol and guaiacol, which could help with the smoky flavor. 

Caramelized Topping

Pellet ovens can reach temperatures exceeding 500°F, ideal for quick, high-heat cooking. The intense heat causes caramelization, which can create distinct tastes. Caramelization results in a rich, brown appearance. The process is used to create the signature charring and flavor of pizzas in traditional brick ovens.

Cooking pizzas under intense heat helps cause the natural sugars and proteins in tomatoes, onions, and cheese to develop rich, smoky flavors. The heat and smoke create a thin, crispy crust while keeping the inside of the pizza soft and moisturized. Modern pellet ovens feature ergonomic controls that let you set the ideal temperature for your pizza to achieve the desired charring. Pellet smoke pairs well with topping ingredients like mozzarella, cured meats, and vegetables and enhances their natural flavors.

Enhanced Texture

Smoke and dry heat from a pellet fired pizza oven removes moisture from the surface of the dough, creating a crispier crust. The topping vegetables, meats, and cheese are also slightly dry, resulting in intense texture and less sogginess. High-heat cooking reduces the time your pizza stays in the oven, which will help maintain the pizza’s soft interior. The heat seals off the exterior, locking in moisture, and the dough rises rapidly, resulting in an airy, chewy texture. 

Pellet fired ovens provide even heat distribution through indirect heat and convection, preventing burnt spots. The pellets are fed into the cooking chamber at a constant rate, and intake fans circulate hot air evenly to cook all parts of the pizza. Precise temperature control through digital dials also lets you achieve a consistent rise for each pizza.

Find a Quality Pellet Fired Pizza Oven Today

Pellet fired ovens come in many sizes to accommodate different outdoor cooking needs. They bear unique features, including digital controls, cooking areas, and pre-heat times. Contact a reputable supplier today to find out more about these oven’s models and features.