Episode 12 – Wood-Fired Pizza
This week Dr. Joey “Leviathan” and Bobby “Behemoth” sink their teeth into the smoky world of wood-fired pizza. They trace Joey’s first-bite epiphany at a Huntington, WV spot called Backyard Pizza to his backyard experiments with a pellet-fueled oven that hits 800 °F. Along the way they swap fiery successes and floppy failures, debate toppings from scallops to pepperoni, and test whether patience is the secret ingredient. As always, the conversation detours through Mario impressions, charitable slice-sharing, and a bold plan for “pizza nachos.”
What’s inside
- First-bite awakening – how a charred, chewy slice converted casual pizza fans into wood-fire evangelists.
- Pizza tourism & generosity – cross-country tastings that include
- a Vegas “pizza museum” Sicilian pie big enough to feed eight—half given to a passer-by
- a four-pie lunch flight shared among friends to sample every flavor
- Anatomy of the oven – double-zero dough, 24-hour proof, pellet management, and why 700–800 °F makes magic.
- Home-cook learning curve – infrared thermometers, torn crusts, raw centers, and the stress of 90-second bakes.
- Topping & sauce debates – pepperoni love, seafood revelations, garlic-oil “white” pies, and a St. Louis Provel rant.
- Lessons in patience & craft – wood-fire pizza as a micro-course in discipline, iteration, and humble mastery.
- Big ideas & wild experiments – concepting pizza-nacho flights and a mobile food-truck empire.
Why listen
If you crave food talk that blends practical tips with laugh-out-loud detours, this episode serves a hot slice of inspiration—and might just spark your own wood-fired adventures.
