The Best Wood for a Pizza Oven

We can throw any wood into our pizza oven, right? WRONG! The choice of wood you choose to burn in your wood-fired oven can be the difference between a deliciously perfect pie or something subpar.

The wrong choice of wood can also affect the oven’s ability to get up to your desired cooking temperature or make a larger mess that will require unnecessary cleaning and effort.

When you put a little thought into the choice of your firewood, you will not only avoid these undesired problems but you’ll be able to infuse your food with the best of flavors.

What's the Best Wood to Use for a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven?

Hardwood is the number one wood to use in your wood-burning oven. Hardwood is dense and burns longer when compared to soft or medium woods.

You have many choices when it comes to using the best firewood in your oven. One thing to consider is if the choices are readily available in your area. You do not want to import wood from other regions.

Why is that?

Well, that’s because the wood could be potentially diseased as a result of insects. So trust us and use wood that is available locally in your area.

There are many different types of hardwood and it can be categorized based on the amount of heat it can produce, flavor if it’s easy to split, and meal pairings. Here’s a quick overview of some of the popular wood choices to use in your wood-fired oven.

Wood Type	Heat Level	Approximate BTU*	Flavor	Ease to Split	Meal Pairings
Alder	Medium	17.5	Mild, with subtle and slightly sweet flavor	Easy	Fish, poultry, lamb, sausage and vegetables
Apple	High	26.6	Mild, subtle sweet, fruity flavor	Not always due to density. Pro tip: split as soon as you can, if you split it dry it’ll be more difficult	Poultry, beef, pork, game birds, lamb and some seafood
Ash	High	23.6	Light, unique flavor	Easy	Fish and red meats
Beech	High	27.5	Light, mild and Nutty	Easy to moderate	Fish, vegetables and seafood
Birch	Medium	20.3	Similar to maple	Easy	Pork and poultry
Cherry	Medium	20.4	Slightly sweet, mild flavor	Difficult Pro tip: wait until it's dried out and use a hydraulic wood splitter if you have one!	Poultry or ham
Hickory	High	27.7	Strong aroma and slightly sweet	Difficult Pro Tip: Allow to dry first before cutting	Bacon, sausage, beef and poultry
Maple (sugar)	High	24	Sweet flavor	Difficult	Pork, poultry and vegetables
Mesquite	High	28	Bold flavor	Easy	Steaks and pork
Oak	High	White - 25.7 Red - 24	Balanced, not overpowering	Easy	Sausages, beef, lamb, seafood, vegetables and pizzas
Pecan	High	28	Sweet and smooth flavor	Difficult Pro Tip: split the wood early, waiting will make it much harder	Larger pieces of meat
Walnut	Medium	20.2	Strong and bitter	Moderate Pro Tip: Let it dry completely before splitting	Fruits and vegetables

*BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. One BTU equals the amount of energy required to heat one pound of liquid water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Pizza Oven Wood for High Heat

Now let’s dive into each type of wood a bit more starting with those hardwoods that burn at a higher temperature that gets your oven up to temperature faster!

Apple Wood

Apple wood is a high-heat hardwood that will burn for a good amount of time, meaning a great choice to use in your wood-fired oven. Due to its popularity, apple wood can be difficult to find and can be a tad expensive. If you have it available definitely try it out the next time you’re whipping up some pies in your wood-burning oven.

Pros:

It burns for a while and the temperature gets high
Great for pizza, salmon, pork, poultry, and game birds

Cons:

Pricey
Hard to get ahold of
Can be difficult to split

Ash Wood

This high-heat hardwood is comparable to oak as it has a mild flavor. It tends to burn long and consistent, making it easy to use in your wood-fired oven. It also splits easily when compared to maple or hickory.

Ash wood is a good choice when cooking fish and red meats in your pizza oven. It burns clean with no smoke and can be seasoned in approximately 6 months.

Something to note with ash wood is that if it is damp or in contact with the ground, rotting can become an issue. To get the highest quality ash wood, make sure to store it properly so you can get to cooking up some delicious food!

Pros:

Burns long and consistent
Splits with ease
Readily available
Fast seasoning

Cons:

Durability - when damp or in contact with the ground

Beech Wood

Beech wood is a great choice to use in your wood-fired oven to cook up some delicious fish, poultry, and vegetables. Due to its high water levels, this wood requires a longer seasoning time than other types of cooking wood.

American beech needs to be seasoned for a minimum of one year but we recommend two years for less smoke and optimal BTU performance. Beech wood gives off a slightly nutty and mild aroma.

Pros:

High heat capacity
Affordable
Typically readily available
Pleasant aroma

Cons:

Longer seasoning time than other types of wood

Hickory Wood

Hickory produces a stronger flavor than oak, but not as strong as mesquite wood. This wood is a popular choice for wood-fired cooks as it tends to have a unique flavor that is most similar to that of bacon. This wood as you can expect is perfect for cooking up meats such as bacon, sausage, ham, and beef. If you use too much of this wood you’ll end up with a bitter taste. Our recommendation is to mix this with a milder wood such as oak or pecan. This wood can be difficult to split. Our recommendation is to allow it to dry prior to cutting. For seasoning, hickory wood takes approximately one year to ensure a low smoke content.

Pros:

Burns hot

Unique flavor similar to bacon

Cons:

Difficult to split

Bitter flavor if using too much of this wood

Maple (Sugar) Wood

Maple wood is perfect for cooking due to its high heat capacity and mildly sweet aroma. This wood can be difficult to split, but in our opinion, the mildly sweet flavor is absolutely worth it! While you can cook a variety of things with maple wood the most popular are vegetables, pork, and poultry. When using this wood make sure to use more of it due to its lower density.

Pros:

Burns hot!

Mild sweet aroma and flavor

Cons:

Difficult to split

Need to use more wood due to its lower density

Mesquite Wood

Mesquite wood produces a lot of heat and has a deep bold flavor. It produces long-lasting coals and is a popular choice for cooking in a wood-burning oven. It’s best to use this wood in outdoor settings as this wood produces a bit of smoke. It takes about 6 months to season this wood. Cook up almost anything with mesquite wood including steaks, pork, hamburgers, and even fish.

Pros:

It burns hot and lasts long!

Generates a rich bold flavor

Cons:

Produces a bit of smoke

If used too much, the flavor can become too intense or unpleasant

Oak Wood

This is one of the most popular choices of high heat hardwood as it is typically available in most areas. It tends to burn slowly and produces a mild flavor. It produces little smoke and is perfect for cooking up some pizzas, beef, lamb, seafood, vegetables, and more! If you’re unsure what wood to start within your pizza oven, go with oak, you won’t be disappointed!

Pros:

Burns hot and long

Emits very little smoke

Versatile in cooking a variety of different things

Typically available in most areas

Cons:

Since it's an “all-purpose” cooking wood it’s not suitable for specialty cooking

Pecan Wood

Pecan wood has similar characteristics to hickory wood as they are in the same family. Pecan wood burns long and hot, releases little amounts of smoke, and has a fantastic smell to it! This wood only leaves behind small amounts of fine ashes which makes cleaning up a breeze in your oven. The availability of pecan wood generally is dependent on your area, so if you’re in Kentucky and Texas you’re in luck! Generally pecan wood can be difficult to split, but this can be dependent on the piece of wood. We recommend a hydraulic wood splitter to make the job a breeze. Pecan firewood needs about 1 to 2 years to season.

Pros:

Burns long and hot

Only leaves behind small amounts of fine ash compared to other woods

Little amounts of smoke

Cons:

Difficult to split

Can be expensive

Pizza Oven Wood for Medium Heat

This category does not burn as hot as the high heat category but these can still be a good option to use in your wood-burning oven. Just note, that you will need to use more of it to maintain the oven temperature.

Alder Wood

Alder wood is a medium heat wood that gives off a pleasant and sweet aroma. Alder is known best for cooking fish such as salmon, poultry, vegetables, lamb, and sausages. While it doesn’t give off as high of a heat capacity as oak, this type of wood is particularly known for producing good quality charcoal. It burns relatively fast and is great to mix with other woods in your wood-fired oven. One thing to note when cutting alder wood is that it can stain you and your clothes orange, so make sure to wear some protective gloves during the process!

Pros:

Sweet aroma

Produces good quality charcoal

Cons:

Go through a lot of alder in a short period of time

Can stain clothes and skin orange when cutting

Birch Wood

Birch wood can range in quality depending on the species of birch you chose. Yellow and black birch produce the best heat as compared to the other species in the birch family. Birch takes approximately nine to twelve months to season. Our recommendation is to immediately cut and split birch for the most optimal seasoning due to the high sap content. If it is not split quickly it is more susceptible to rot. When seasoned well, birch wood doesn’t produce a lot of smoke. Birch has a similar flavor to maple and goes best with poultry and pork.

Pros:

Low smoke production

Splits easily

Cons:

If you don't split right away, it is highly susceptible to rot

Cherry Wood

Cherry wood burns slowly and produces a fantastic aroma in the air. This wood can be difficult to split, especially when they’re green! Make sure to wait to split them when they’re dried out. Cherry wood typically doesn’t last as long in the fire as oak wood or ash wood, so make sure you’re tending to the fire when burning this wood. This wood takes about 6-8 months to season but we recommend a year. This wood adds a slightly sweet flavor and pairs nicely with poultry or ham. We recommend mixing cherry wood with oak or apple for a delicious pairing!

Pros:

Delicious aroma

Infuses food with a slightly fruity flavor

Cons:

Difficult to split

Doesn’t last as long in the fire as other woods

Walnut Wood

Walnut wood is a clean-burning wood with a very pleasant aroma. Pair walnut wood with fruits and vegetables for a divine taste. Walnut is split very easily and needs to be seasoned for approximately one year before burning it in your wood-fired oven. Walnut doesn't burn as long when compared to other hardwoods such as oak. For this reason, we recommend mixing walnut with another hardwood to keep the fire in the pizza oven going!

Pros:

Splits easily

Pleasant aroma

Cons:

Does not burn for a long time when compared to other woods

What Fuels Not to Use in Wood-Fired Oven

While it is important to know what wood you should use, it is just as important to know what should not be used in your wood-fired oven. Wood that you should not use includes those that have a high sap content. Additionally, you should avoid using pine, redwoods, and cedar. Never use any type of treated wood or laminates, plywood, particleboard, or any wood that has paint on it. These can contain hazardous chemicals that can be released into the oven and can be harmful to your health.

Pizza Oven Wood Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Firewood So Important for the Pizza Oven?

Using the wrong wood can hinder one of the many benefits you receive when cooking in a wood-fired oven. Due to its high heat and fast cooking, nutrients and antioxidants of fruits and vegetables cooked in your wood-fired oven are higher versus if you cook them for longer times in a traditional oven.

Yay for more nutrients!

For this reason (amongst many), the wood you choose will have an impact. What if you choose wood to burn that doesn’t get up to temperature or maintain the temperature? Well, that’ll have an impact on the quality of the food you cook.

Also, as an example from a taste perspective, pizza toppings will retain their texture when cooking at high temperatures. Whereas standard cooking, those toppings tend to dry out. With high temperatures, the bottom of your pizza will cook crisp and the rest of the crust will have a chewy and pleasant texture to it. This is all possible due to the high heat, which brings us back to the most important aspect - the wood!
Why Do You Need to Season Firewood?

Seasoning your firewood is extremely important before burning it in your wood-fired oven due to allowing plenty of time for the moisture to evaporate beforehand. This is a vital step in the process due to the fact that when you burn your desired firewood, the low moisture content will ensure that your fire burns cleanly and efficiently. This has a large impact on not only the quality of the food you're cooking in your wood-burning oven but also the air you breathe!
What is Seasoned Wood?

Seasoned wood is green wood (freshly cut) wood that is left to dry for a long period of time. On average, wood needs to be left to dry for at least twelve months but this can vary a bit depending on the wood you choose to cook with. Seasoning the wood removes moisture from the freshly cut wood.
Why Does Wood Have to be Seasoned for a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven?

Properly seasoned wood burns hotter and it is easier to ignite. It also burns clean so it won’t create a lot of soot or excessive smoke.

Seasoned wood is also lighter in weight. When burning wood that is not seasoned, energy is wasted through the evaporation of moisture if the wood has higher than necessary water content. That energy could have heated your oven up to temperature!

Always ensure you are using seasoned hardwood for your pizza oven.
How Do I Know if I'm Buying Good-Quality, Seasoned Wood?

The best-seasoned wood has a moisture content of approximately 15% and is never higher than 18%. When buying seasoned wood, ask your firewood provider how long the wood you are buying has been seasoned to ensure you are getting top-quality wood.

The Appearance of the Wood

All wood has different appearances according to its species. However, if the wood is green it will usually have yellow or green patches. There may be some faint cracks in the surface but none that are prominent. You won’t be able to see the growth rings easily and the wood will probably still have its bark.

Wood that has been seasoned properly will have deep cracks and a dark grey or brown color to it. The bark falls off easily and you can really see the growth rings. There should be no signs of rotting or mold or mushroom growth.

The Wood's Odor

When it comes to the smell of the wood, seasoned wood will have very little odor. While greenwood will have a strong odor.

The Feel of the Wood

If you touch the ends of the wood that has been seasoned it will feel dry and warm. Greenwood will feel like the opposite.

The Sound of the Wood

Tap two pieces of the wood together. Seasoned wood will create a clear sound. Greenwood will not.
Can I Season Pizza Oven Firewood Myself?
In order to properly season wood, it has to be stacked in a dry place where the sun can warm it and the wind can blow through it. You’ll also want to make sure the wood is off the floor by using a pallet or larger pieces of wood as a base. A few quick tips when setting this up include:
- Place your wood in a sunny spot off the ground
- Place tarp loosely over it to protect it from rain, but remove it when not raining to maximize airflow
- Pointing the logs outwards (this helps it dry out by pointing it towards the wind)
- Crisscross your wood to ensure maximum airflow Allow for the wood to dry out for on average at least one year.
It is important to note that some woods may vary on seasoning time and to follow that specific woods seasoning time before attempting to burn it in your wood fired oven.
Should I Use Kiln-Dried Firewood in a Pizza Oven?

Kiln-dried wood is often what you’ll find at a store. It has been pre-seasoned to the appropriate moisture content to be used in a wood-fired pizza oven. Kiln-dried wood produces less smoke than wood that isn’t properly seasoned. Rather than seasoning it for a long period of time by yourself, it is seasoned in a ceramic kiln that expedites the process. Check out our top pros and cons for using kiln-dried firewood in your pizza oven.

Pros:

Wood is immediately ready to burn

Availability is high

Requires no treatment/effort

Free of insects and mold

Cons:

Higher cost than seasoned wood
What Size Wood Do You Use in a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven?

Size does matter when it comes to the wood in your pizza oven! The size of the wood you need to use will partially depend on the model of your pizza oven and how wide and tall the mouth of the oven is.

On average the wood pieces should be two to three inches around and between fourteen to eighteen inches long.
How Do You Store Pizza Oven Wood?

It is important to store the wood for your pizza oven in a dry area and off the ground. It needs to be protected from the weather to prevent moisture uptake.
Is Sycamore Wood good for pizza ovens?

While it is a medium heat hardwood and you CAN use this wood in your wood fired oven, our recommendation is to avoid sycamore. It produces good heat as a fire starter but dies down very quickly. Sycamore also doesn't give food a pleasant flavor and produces a moderate amount of smoke.

Pizza Oven Wood: To Sum it Up

In all, make sure that you are using seasoned hardwood in your wood-fired oven. If you’re unsure where to start, Oak wood is a popular and safe choice.

Now that you’re knowledgeable on wood for your wood-fired oven, let’s go make some delicious pies! If you’re needing some inspiration check out the latest recipes on the Pro Pizza Oven Blog to get your creativity flowing!