Working a wood fired brick oven.

The day begins by making sure you have enough wood on hand to get through your day or at least enough to get the oven up to temperature and through the lunch rush. I find it easiest to place your logs of seasoned wood in a tic- tac- to  pattern. Basically 2 logs running front to back with about 10 inches between them, then place 2 more logs across them running side to side and repeat again. if you looked from above it would resemble a tic- tac -board. Sorry if this too basic but I remember the trouble I had with my first fire trying to season the new oven and get a good draw up the chimney. Any way you then place some paper or cardboard under the logs and light em up. This gives your fire plenty of air while allowing the flame to travel upward and ignite the logs on the upper layers. Once you have a good fire going you can add a few logs and push the fire to the rear or side if you prefer. Depending on the size and mass of your oven it will take anywhere from an 2-3 hours to heat the oven for the first cooking and get the surface up to temperature for many pies. The trick is to determine the best temp. for the type of baking your going to do. Bread requires a much lower temp with a consequent longer cooking time than pizza. A good "Oven man/spinner knows just how hot to get the oven, how much flame he wants for cooking the top of the pizza and how long he needs to leave it on one spot while it cooks before turning it for an even bake. A good spinner makes it look easy and as with any acquired skill it always looks easy to the casual observer. Once multiple pies go in the oven you can tell the men from the boys so to speak as the  pizzas are  turned and moved from hot to cold spots and baked uniformly. This is no easy task when you start getting up to 5 or 6 pies at a time. Not only does it require constant alertness and work but the heat is tremendous. Thank goodness for the New York Brick Oven Co. and the revolving deck oven design. It eliminates having to spin the pizza, working the pies once in the oven, hot and cold spots on the cooking surface, having to stand in front of the oven and constantly reach in and most importantly having to find a skilled pizza man to work the oven. No mistakes and a consistent pizza for all.
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