Neighbors often see smoke rising from behind Steve and Carol Kirton’s Chester Springs home. But don’t worry. It signals good times with family and friends enjoying their backyard pizza oven.
“It’s one of the few occasions that we commissioned something, and it exceeded our expectations,” Steve said. “The pizza oven is a huge hit with kids. They love helping. They love building their own pizza.”
And what better time? October is National Pizza Month.
“It tastes so good!” his wife added. “Every time we have at least one person over, the pizza oven comes on.”
The wood-fired, stone and brick oven anchors an outdoor kitchen, featuring a Pennsylvania bluestone countertop and repurposed Amish tractor seats.
“I like to get unique, not just build you a basic stand-alone pizza oven,” said designer Chad Turpin of Turpin Landscaping in Coatesville. “The best pizza you’ll ever eat comes out of a pizza oven.”
However, “you don’t have to do pizza in a pizza oven,” he stressed. “You can cook. You can bake. It’s still just an oven.”
“We love to make chocolate chip cookies in it after dinner – wood-fired chocolate chip cookies,” agreed Rick Baker, brand manager for Alfresco Home, a Pottstown company that distributes outdoor ovens nationwide.
The Fornetto, Italian for “small oven,” uses wood or charcoal, doubles as a smoker and costs $1,499 for the base model. Unlike traditional pizza ovens with the fire directly inside, Fornetto has “a separate chamber below the oven itself.”
“Not only does it cook well, but it looks great on your patio,” he described. “We’re constantly reordering them. Our sales are up every year for the last four years.”
It’s a hot trend with an outdoor oven for every budget. Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table offer propane-fueled tabletop versions for about $300.
Another option: Let Sunfire Pizza of West Chester bring its mobile wood-fired oven to you and “ignite your event.”
“My family grew up passionate about pizza,” said owner Bethann Jakoboski, who started making her own dough as a teenager and now sells it at Kimberton Whole Foods. “We do a 48-hour cold rise,” which “really allows flavor to develop.”
When it comes to cooking, “there are tricks about learning how to use the oven,” she explained. “I start on the left. You kind of move the pizzas through, making quarter turns… getting a nice char all around.”
Back at the Kirtons, Steve checked the fire while Carol chatted about recipes.
“Pizza is just a happy food,” she said with a smile. “Everybody likes pizza.”
Sunfire’s Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza
Our clients absolutely love this pizza. Think outside the cheese and pepperoni box – get inspired by seasonal ingredients.
Ingredients1 pound frozen Sunfire Pizza Dough, thawed or homemade dough
12 to 16 ounces peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash (Timesaver: Look at your grocery store for packages of fresh, ready-to-cook butternut squash in the produce area!)
2 tablespoons melted butter2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet or yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 ounces goat cheese, sliced and crumbled
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded
Flour or corn mealPignoli (pine nuts), optional
InstructionsPrepare the squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss butternut squash with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Spread squash on pan and roast in oven, turning every 10 minutes until tender, about 30 to 35 min. Remove from oven and process using an immersion blender, food processor or standard blender until smooth. Stir in sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Prepare the onions: Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion slices and reduce heat to very low and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 20 to 25 min.
Assemble and bake the pizza: Heat the oven (500 degrees). Stretch and shape your pizza dough. Place stretched dough on a pan lightly dusted with flour or cornmeal. Spread squash mixture onto dough. Top with caramelized onions, goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle a small handful of pignoli, if using. Bake 16 to 20 minutes. Mangia bene!
RECIPE COURTESY OF SUNFIRE PIZZA
Sunfire’s Sweet Berry PizzaWho says you can’t have pizza for dessert? Add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream to each warm slice for added decadence.
Ingredients1 pound frozen Sunfire Pizza Dough, thawed or homemade dough
1/2 cup mascarpone (an Italian, triple-creme cheese)
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt3 tablespoons honey
16 ounces fresh berries – your choice, black, blue, red or mix!
2 tablespoons brown sugarParchment paper
InstructionsPrepare the toppings: Rinse berries and place on a towel to dry. Mix mascarpone with the yogurt and 1 tablespoon of honey.
Assemble and bake the pizza: Heat the oven (500 degrees). Stretch and shape your pizza dough. Place stretched dough on a pan lined with parchment paper. Spread mascarpone mixture on dough. Top with berries and lightly press into dough. Sprinkle brown sugar over pizza. Bake 10 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons of honey on the pizza. Mangia bene!
RECIPE COURTESY OF SUNFIRE PIZZA
Perfect Pizza DoughIngredients4 cups stone-milled flour (bread flour will work perfectly)
1 cup of warm water2 teaspoons active dry yeast, dissolved in the water
1 teaspoon sugar1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of saltInstructionsPreheat your Fornetto oven to 400 degrees and maintain the heat. Combine yeast, sugar and 2 tablespoons of warm water and set aside in a warm place for approximately 15 minutes.
Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add remainder of water to yeast and whisk through. Add yeast mixture to flour mix and combine thoroughly to form a rough ball. Add small quantity of flour if your mixture is too wet. Turn out onto a lightly-floured board and knead for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth. Place tablespoon of olive oil in a clean bowl, coat dough all over and cover with clean tea towel and put aside for 1 to 2 hours allowing the dough to double in size. Place dough back onto floured board and knead a few times.
For thin-base pizzas, divide your dough into four parts. Shape each quarter into a round ball. Take one ball of dough; keep others covered so they don’t dry out. Use a small amount of flour to dust the rolling surface and the rolling pin, to prevent dough sticking. Roll out to required size (about 12 inches). Place on pizza stone or tray and add your favorite topping – remember not to overdo it. If you use a pizza paddle, leave the base on your surface, you can slide it under after all toppings are on the base.
Tip: Sprinkling (uncooked) polenta meal onto your pizza spatula or stone will prevent it from sticking when you place on the pizza stone and also gives a delicious crispier texture to the base.
Suggested toppings:Margarita – spicy homemade tomato relish and shredded fresh mozzarella or bocconcini, fresh basil leaves to garnish
Mushroom pizza – sliced sauteed mushroom and basil leaves, served with creme fraiche
Pancetta – rashers of pancetta, sauteed onions, shredded mozzarella
Pescatoro – fresh salmon chunks, prawns, baby mussels or clams, scallops and calamari
Salty pizza – black olive tapenade, salt flakes and chopped rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with extra rosemary.
Tandoori – tandoori paste, tandoori chicken (cooked), fresh chopped tomatoes and mint yogurt
RECIPE COURTESY OF FORNETTOBacon, Pepperoni and Onion Deep Dish Pan Pizza
IngredientsOur Perfect Pizza Dough
3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of your favorite tomato/pizza sauce. I prefer to use 100-percent passata di pomodoro (pure Italian tomato puree).
3 to 4 rashers of smoky bacon12 to 15 rounds of spicy pepperoni
1/2 of a small onion sliced into thin rings, or to suit your taste
41/2 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
Extra-virgin olive oilFornetto deep dish pizza pan
Instructions?Begin by preparing the dough following the directions in the recipe. When the dough has risen, preheat your Fornetto to 375 degrees. (Note that for a deep dish pizza done in ceramic, it’s important that the heat is not too high or the toppings will cook too quickly and the dough won’t cook through.)
Lightly grease the dish with a small amount of olive oil. Spread the dough in the dish using your fingertips until it stays at the edge of the dish on its own. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough. If you like it very saucy, use the whole 1/4 cup of sauce. Sprinkle 3/4 of the grated cheese evenly over the sauce. Place the bacon, pepperoni and onions rings evenly on the pizza and sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Drizzle the top lightly with extra-virgin olive oil.
Bake the pizza in the lowest rack position of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. If baking two, alternate the pizzas half way through the cooking time. Allow the pizza to cool for about 5 minutes in the dish then remove, slice and serve. You’re in for a treat. Enjoy!
RECIPE COURTESY OF FORNETTO
LEAR FROM THE PROS
Dreaming of a backyard pizza oven? Build your own out of clay with help from Turpin Landscaping.
“For very little in materials, you can knock out a whole oven, which is pretty cool,” explained Chad Turpin, who’s gauging interest for an upcoming class. “We’re in Chester County. In Chester County, there’s a lot of clay.”
Once your oven’s in place, perfect your pizza skills with help from Bethann Jakoboski of Sunfire Pizza.
People often ask, “What’s the easiest, best way to stretch dough?” she said.
Learn that and more at her “I Heart Pizza” workshop Nov. 5 in West Chester. It costs $25 per person, or bring two friends and you attend for free. Register at www.sunfirepizza.net.
