The Reason So Many Restaurants Use Brick Ovens For Pizza

Pizza may be just about universally beloved, but it's also a word that evokes many different styles and preparations, from New York style to Chicago deep dish to Detroit squares. But the method by which these pies are brought to life matters, and makes a major difference to the flavor, texture, and overall experience. You may have enjoyed a wood-fired pizza or a pie that's been pulled from the grill, but a large number of restaurants rely on one method for their pursuit of pizza perfection: the brick oven.

What makes these cooking units so singularly effective? It all comes down to material. While steel does indeed reach the super high temperatures needed to create the ideal pizza, the metal distributes that heat too quickly. In this case, the dough can easily burn. Enter the brick oven for the ideal thermodynamics. Bricks are made from clay, which is much more gentle in how it transfers heat, and that makes a world of difference to your pizza in all the ways.

If you compare a steel and brick oven both heated to the same temperature (around 700 degrees Fahrenheit), the crust in the former will be almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit hotter in the same amount of time. This matters not only to the crust, but the toppings, too (even those unexpected ones that are actually delicious), which won't have a chance to properly cook before you have a scorched crust. The slower pace at which a brick oven bakes the crust gives those ingredients a chance to melt, roast, and meld together into the perfectly composed surface 

Whether you make your pizza night more traditional with an easy three-ingredient sauce or a family recipe, this is simply not something your home oven can pull off. But although you may not have a brick oven pizza in your kitchen, there are some ways to mimic this method, like using a ceramic pizza stone, — and your broiler can definitely help you get closer to restaurant-style pizza at home. But understanding what makes brick oven special will give you a new appreciation for your local pizzeria.