Poll of Oven Types and Temperatures

[giotto]

I'd like to get a feel for sophistication of ovens our members have inside and outside (electric, gas, convection, air blow option, grill, wood), and most importantly, temperatures they are able to reach.  This will be useful for new members as well when they walk in with their variations. 

Inside, I have a self-cleaning KitchenAid Electric oven, reaches 550F, and 700F with broiler on high (although my book says to leave oven open with broiler on; but I don't leave it open with self-cleaning). No air option; but I've yet to figure out if air does indeed make a difference for pizza. 

[Oran]

    Our new oven is floating somewhere on the Atlantic right now! I'm opening a small bakery/pizzeria and have ordered a Miwe deck oven. It has five granite decks, each 23.5" wide x 63" deep x 7" high. Each deck has its own steam supply (for bread). It is a gas fired, cyclothermic style oven. Just over 40 grand gets it installed with a technician from the company. I'm hoping this thing will crank out the pizza! It should reach any temp required for pizza, my only concern is that it will cool off to 450 or so by six the next morning for the day's bread production.
    Paired with will be an M802 Hobart 80 qt. mixer.
    Any way, I'm new to the site and so far am very impressed by its depth and breadth. I've been an artisan baker for many years but am new to pizza. I know I'm facing quite a learning curve! I'm looking forward to sharing results and pics of the new oven when it comes!

-Oran.

[TONY]

ORAN, 

SOUNDS LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING..........BUT GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW PLACE ANYWAY!

TONY

[giotto]

Oran:

Congrats on starting your new place.  I'm sure your counting the days for your new oven.  What made this one your final choice for manufacturer?

Depending on the pizza style that you have in mind, it may vary quite a bit from your breads;  BUT your background and knowledge of the chemistry of dough will facilitate your pizza making. 

So what style of pizza are you thinking of going with, and where will your new place be located? 

[bakerboy]

Odd that this topic crops up now.  I've just spent a very tiring week of building my oven.  It's also a cyclotherm like orans'.  Its a Pavailler x24.  I bought the beast used for a very good price.  Need to get the water, gas, electric, and flue and hood vented this week before finishing and firing up.  This is what it looks like so far.

[Oran]

Thanks for the kind words Tony and giotto. The new place will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I'm so fortunate for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The owner has a high end deli and wine beer and liquor store in the heart of Heritage Hill, a near downtown historic neighborhood. There are many old and beautiful homes and apts. in the area as well as a few schools, colleges and churches, but very few other businesses. The bakery-pizzeria will occupy a small (15'x36') portion of an old but restored brick building adjacent to the deli and will be takeout only.  I was the head bread baker at another small bakery (www.wealthystreetbakery.com) and was hired to design and open this new place last month. Thankfully the Historic Preservation Commision just gave us the 'okay'! The bakery that I baked bread at also made pizza in the evenings but the owners really didn't put much care into it and the pizza should have been much better (given their great equipment, including a gorgeous hearth oven.)
    Any way, my new boss is a classy guy, committed to making the best bread and pizza around. I used to sell his store bread from the bakery that I used to own years ago, and have known him for 20 years or so. He wants to make traditional Neapolitan style pizza. He knows that I'm good at making bread but have little professional experience with pizza (though I used to make great focaccia every day). I chose the Miwe for several reasons. It has a small footprint, it has granite decks, it is manufactured to exacting standards by a great German company, it has full and independent steam for each deck, and it looks great. Everything in this place has to look nice because it will all be in full view of the customers. My new boss has deep pockets and is in it for the long-term.
    So, I gotta get busy learning how to make a good pizza!! At home I heat up my 40 lb. slab of 1" granite for four hours in my cheap electric oven before I slide a pie on. So far my creations have been okay but nothin' I'd be willing to sell! Luckily I've found this great site!

[giotto]

Oran:

Thanks for sharing your background and great opportunity.  It feels pretty saturated around the San Francisco area.

To get you going, let me suggest that you start at the point below within the A16 thread.  This is representative of a high-end San Francisco pizzeria that specializes in Neapolitan and is noted as such.  We were given clear steps, so this isn't a guessing game (which is identified a page or so earlier in the thread). 

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,1298.msg12887.html#msg12887

There's plenty of reading on various aspects of their dough, and as you proceed through the A16 thread, you will see a video in one of the later pages, which reveals their actual pre- and post-oven steps. 

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,1298.msg14344.html#msg14344

Keep in mind that as you read ahead from the point given above, a temperature of 800F - 900F negates the need for you to employ some of the additional ingredients that we've used (e.g., dairy whey).  There's also plenty on other Neapolitan threads, as I'm sure you're aware.  Any questions, please feel free to post within the thread.

Here also is A16's web site.  Their menu on the side may be of interest to you. 

http://www.a16sf.com/home.html

[giotto]

Bakerboy: 

Thanks for the post.  It looks like you're not far from making good things happen with this beast.  Look forward to your impressions once done.

[Nathan]

Oran,

I'm looking forward to trying your pizza.  I live in Cadillac but I'm in GR quite often.   

[pizza truck]

I use a Mugnaini 120 wood burning oven. It is fantastic - great even heat, you hardly need to spin the pies at all! I run it with a bottom heat of 750-800 and a top heat of 850.

[giotto]

pizza truck:

Thanks for the post.  I take it this is the one in Monterey, CA?  What is your diameter compared to height inside?  One person indicated that the cost of final construction was nearly double the orig price... What did you have to do for final installation once you received it?