What is the Best Wood for a Roccbox Pizza Oven?
When it comes to achieving the perfect, smoky flavor and crispy crust in your homemade pizza, the type of wood you use in your Roccbox pizza oven plays a crucial role.
The best wood for a Roccbox pizza oven is kiln-dried hardwood, cut into small pieces of around 25 cm in length and 5 cm in thickness. This type and size of wood allows for optimal control of the flame and temperature of the oven. FYI, these basic concepts apply to all pizza ovens, not just the Roccbox.
In this post, we’ll get right into the specifics of the best type of wood, the ideal cut and size, and where you can find it for yourself. That said, if you just want a link to where you can buy the best wood for your Roccbox, you can find some officially supported Roccbox wood here.
Best Wood For Roccbox Pizza Oven
Hardwoods, particularly kiln-dried hardwoods, are the best choice for pizza ovens like the Roccbox. The reason for this is due to the internal properties of hardwoods (such as oak, hickory, and applewood) which are generally dense and burn at high temperatures. This high heat is crucial for getting that quintessential wood-fired crust.
In addition to the heat hardwood provides, each type of hardwood brings a different, smoke-infused flavor to the crust. Oak, for example, has a mild flavor, while hickory has a stronger taste.
The following table shows some of the most popular types of hardwoods along with the particular flavor you can expect from each.
| Hardwood Type | Characteristic Flavor |
|---|---|
| Oak | Strong, smoky, somewhat sweet |
| Hickory | Strong, smoky, bacon-like |
| Maple | Mild, slightly sweet |
| Cherry | Mild, fruity, sweet |
| Apple | Mild, sweet, fruity |
| Alder | Very mild, subtly sweet |
| Beech | Mild, slightly nutty |
| Birch | Medium, similar to maple |
| Ash | Light, subtly sweet |
| Pecan | Medium, rich, nutty |
Related Post: Can you use charcoal in a Roccbox?
Ideal Cut and Size for the Wood
The size of the wood pieces has a big impact on the performance of the Roccbox, and any other wood-fired pizza oven. For the best results, you should look for wood cut into small pieces, around 25 cm long and 5cm thick. Wood cut into this size is small enough to fit comfortably into the burner of the Roccbox and large enough to burn for a reasonable amount of time.
Smaller pieces of wood generally allow for better control of the fire and temperature. They light quickly, helping the oven reach the desired temperature faster. Also, smaller pieces burn more consistently, providing a steady heat source essential for cooking pizza evenly.
This is one of the reasons why wood-pellets are considered the easiest and most efficient kind of wood to burn. Unfortunately, the Roccbox doesn’t support wood-pellets, but if you’re looking for an oven that does, the Ooni Fyra 12 is a great choice.
Where to Source the Wood
When it comes to sourcing wood for the Roccbox, it’s critical to ensure that it’s untreated and safe for cooking use. Wood treated with chemicals can release harmful fumes when burned, which can not only affect the taste of your pizza but also pose health risks.
Local suppliers are often a good source for cooking wood. They can provide locally sourced, untreated hardwood suitable for your pizza oven. Alternatively, there are numerous online stores specializing in cooking wood. These stores offer a variety of woods, allowing you to experiment with different flavors.
If you’re looking for wood that’s specifically made for the Roccbox, you can always purchase some directly from Gozney. This ensures you’re getting good quality wood that fits perfectly into the Roccbox’s somewhat smaller wood burner. I love this wood because it’s a mix of 25 different hardwoods that are kiln-dried with just the right moisture level for a great burn.
Impact of Moisture Level on Hardwood Cooking Performance
The moisture content of hardwood is directly related to its cooking performance. Wet or green wood produces excessive smoke and insufficient heat, because the energy of the flame is used to evaporate moisture rather than generate heat. This often leads to overly smoky and undercooked crust.
On the other hand, overly dry wood burns too quickly and hotly, producing less smoke and a more bland crust. Ideally, hardwood for cooking should have a moisture content between 9-20%. This allows for efficient burning, a steady high heat, and the right amount of smoke for flavor. Kiln-dried wood helps a lot with this.
Key Points:
- The best wood for a Roccbox pizza oven is kiln-dried hardwood, cut into small pieces of around 25 cm in length and 5 cm in thickness.
- Hardwoods like oak, hickory, and applewood are ideal because they are dense and burn at high temperatures, which is crucial for achieving a perfect wood-fired crust.
- Different types of hardwood impart different flavors to the pizza. Oak gives a mild, smoky flavor, hickory provides a stronger, smoky taste, and applewood offers a sweeter flavor.
- The size of the wood pieces impacts the performance of the oven. Smaller pieces allow for better control of the fire and temperature, and they light quickly and burn consistently.
- It’s important to source wood that’s untreated and safe for cooking use. Local suppliers and online stores specializing in cooking wood are good sources.
- Wood can also be purchased directly from Gozney, the maker of Roccbox, to ensure good quality and a perfect fit for the oven’s burner.
Related Questions:
What kind of wood is best for the Gozney Roccbox?
The best kind of wood for a Roccbox, or any other portable wood-fired pizza oven, is kiln-dried hardwood cut into small pieces. This ensures a steady, consistent burn and delicious, smoky flavors.
