Pizza Oven Holiday Prep Checklist: Get Ready Before Guests Arrive
I figure it takes about a week to prepare a pizza oven for a holiday feast, clean out the fire box, gather the supplies of wood, weatherize the oven, assemble the tools and light the first fire. All the little problems of a cold oven, clogged flue and missing peel are remedied easily enough during the day when we are alone. With guests ringing the doorbell, not so easy. Since Thanksgiving lands on November 26 this list will probably have made perfect sense as early as November 19. 1. Clean and inspect the oven When the oven is cool and ash has been swept out. Remove loose debris and soot from the oven walls and floor using a wire brush or oven scraper, wipe down with a damp cloth. Do not use any harsh chemicals – they will flavour food cooked in the oven. Then verify three matters: Chimney: Check for the any soot or any choking which causes the chimney to be choked. Door and handles: Make sure they are working and sealing. Top of the oven: Were there any fractured or broken bits. Wh...
