Imported wood from Estonia?

[TXCraig1]

"Bavaro imported wood from Estonia for six months before finding a steady, quality source of oak in Florida with just the right 7 percent moisture content for his oven...Even the strain of yeast, the variety of flour, the type of salt, and the mineral makeup of water make a difference."

http://www2.tbo.com/news/life/2012/mar/28/pizza-places-getting-fired-up-for-pricy-pies-ar-385769/

[pizza dr]

Estonia?  Really?... really

Don't they know how to grow Oak in Florida with 7% hydration

[dbarneschi]

Mangieri uses (used?) Estonian white birch? http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/39299/

I didn't think that he actually imported his wood though. That would seem a bit crazy.

[pizzaboyfan]

Estonia exports birch fire wood as a price driven commodity.
Makes sense for a wood burner to buy at the best price.
Given the ridiculously warn winter in the US, this season, I'd bet it's out there at surplus sale prices.

[pizza dr]

Man, if you can't find a cheaper wood source locally than importing from across the pond you got problems. You can't throw a rock in the Southeast without hitting a good Oak tree. 

And how do you check that your wood has 7% hydration?

Scot

[pizzaboyfan]

I believe that birch is considered a renewable resource.
It grows very quickly, and based on the size of the trees, harvesting seems very practical.
I don't think oak and hickory fall into that category.
Average wage in Estonia is $ 7.00 per hour vs $ 18 or so per hour in the US..one can only guess what the minimum wage is over there.
*Don't have to guess...minimum wage is 2.40 per hour.

There might come a day that we are buying our dirt from somewhere else.

At least we Americans are making the money and jobs by importing it, trucking it, distributing it, and making pizzas with it.

[The Gizz]

Really? He could just come up the road here in Georgia where someone would GIVE him an oak tree....And thank you for getting it out of their yard. Craigslist in Atlanta will produce an ad a day offering "Free oak you pick up".