bottom of pizza burning on WFO (primavera 70)

[pjt]

so im probably on my 10th or so bake in my WFO,  my first 8 bakes i had no bottom burning whatsoever, but i was preheating quickly (1-2 hours) now im starting to do a 4-5 hour minimum preheat and getting much more even floor temps, but the bottom of my pizzas are excessivley charred, not in a good way

any idea whats wrong

[JConk007]

1 to 2 hours should be plenty of preheat  for that oven why you doing 4 hours again?
are you moving the coals to one side for the final  30-45 min prior to bake ?

[pjt]

THe reason ive been extending preheat is because of even heat, if i do 1-2 hours, i notice on one part of the piza im baking at 750 and another part 900, with an all day preheat i am at a even temp throughout

i usually start the fire center oven once its going good, i move it to the left

[dellavecchia]

THe reason ive been extending preheat is because of even heat, if i do 1-2 hours, i notice on one part of the piza im baking at 750 and another part 900, with an all day preheat i am at a even temp throughout

i usually start the fire center oven once its going good, i move it to the left

What is the floor temp at the end of your all day pre-heat? I have never gone beyond a 2 hour pre-heat in my P70. In that instance, the floor got to 1000 degrees and I had to cook in the mouth of the oven for the first 1/2 hour.

A small oven like the P70 was made to pre-heat in 45 minutes to an hour. I have the fire started in the center. Once it is blazing, I keep moving the coals outward while adding smaller logs on top. This way the entire floor is evenly heated by the time I am ready to cook. I want the floor at 850 if the dough is a 12 hour or less ferment and 800 for a long ferment.

John

[thezaman]

 that will always be a struggle with that oven. 900 degrees is very hard to cook at. your dough has to set quickly so you can turn the pizza before the front burns. you also may have to learn how to cook off of the floor for most of the bake. pick it up on the tunring peel set it down on the floor rotate it and raise it again.this should be done a few times. and the pizza will done. i think  a 60 to 90 second pizza is going to come out just fine. the naples cooks do not crank their ovens as high as we do in the us. remember to the oven floor is the hardest area to control. one more thing. after 20 or so bakes your oven will be seasoned and you will see a big improvement in performance.

[pjt]

great these posts make alot of sense good to see other people with the same oven, thanks alot guys

going to try another bake tonight

[Jackie Tran]

the naples cooks do not crank their ovens as high as we do in the US.

Larry, if you had to say, what temp do you think most pizzerias in Naples are baking at and long do you estimate the average bake times to be?

Chau

[pizza dr]

Agree with what John said above

Start with your fire in the deep center, I will usually see a spot of white right above the fire then move the embers/logs towards the perimeter concentrating the flames towards the right wall.  Then bank it all to the left and wait for the whole dome to turn white and your floor is at the temp you want.  The shifting of the heat source I think helps heat the whole oven more evenly. 

My oven is not as efficient as it should be and it takes me longer than most but I can get it pretty decently even at 2.5 hours easily. 

Also make sure that you don't have a lot of bench flour on the bottom of the pie as that tends to char as well.  I have noticed that I have a lot less char issues now that I have a perforated peel. 

Scot

[thezaman]

chau, i think in the low to middle 800 degrees.the pizza at de michele that were cooked in the video i posted in the naples thread. took 106, 109.ans 113 seconds. they were our pizzas and they had the qualities we look for. that oven gets such a workout the floor probably never gets to the burning point.

[JConk007]

PJT,
 I have a perferated peel from GI metals round or rect head in stock ready to go should you be interested in a great tool
John

[pjt]

you were spot on, i think baking in 900s has been too much i am at 825 and much happier with bottom