HearthCooking With KidsCreative Salads

CPK’s hearth-baked Original Barbeque
Chicken Pizza
   
 
   
 
  • The first controlled use of fire is thought to have been approximately 1.4 million years ago by our early ancestors.
     
  • Archeologists discovered a stone hearth oven containing an early pizza-like food among the ruins of Pompeii, Italy. The ancient predecessor to our modern day favorite had been preserved under a layer of ash since Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.
     
  • The word “hearth” signifies the center of a home, and shares a common Old English origin with the word heart, dating back more than 900 years.
 
   
 
 
  California Pizza Kitchen’s hearth-baked pizza has a unique and complex taste. Traditional hearth ovens are heated with fire and lined with stone or ceramic tile. The hearth ovens we use bake our special dough to absolute perfection, producing a crust characteristic of fine bread. Our hearth ovens bake our pizzas quickly at 500° F for about 3 to 7 minutes, depending on the toppings. This helps retain the color, texture and flavor of toppings and creates the distinct taste found in California Pizza Kitchen favorites like our Original Barbeque Chicken and Thai Chicken pizzas.

In our kitchen, we thrive on experimentation, creativity and innovation. We encourage you to explore the wonderful flavors of hearth-baked pizzas at California Pizza Kitchen, as well as in your own home. And whether you’re dining with us at our restaurant, cooking one of our recipes or making your own culinary creation, don’t be afraid to take chances! After all, if we didn’t, you wouldn’t have the truly unique California cuisine you enjoy in our restaurants today.
   
 
 
 
Hearth ovens are often too expensive and impractical to have at home. However, using the following simple tips you can mimic the hearth oven and create fabulous California-inspired cuisine in your own home.
 
  • Pizza stones or stone-deck inserts found at culinary or home stores that fit inside your existing oven can help bring out the flavor and aromas of your pizza, and create much better results than simply putting your pie straight on the oven rack. Preheating the oven with the pizza stone or stone-deck insert inside of it is the preferred method. Before using your pizza stone or stone-deck insert, be sure to cure it using olive oil. Specific directions for curing should be included with the pizza stone or
    stone-deck insert.
     
  • Cooking pizza on your barbeque grill can help give your pizza and its toppings a distinct flavor similar to hearth-baked pizza. Try experimenting by adding different types of wood chips such as cherry, maple or hickory to give your pizza unique flavor.
     
  • Don’t over-top your pizza. Too many toppings can overwhelm your taste buds. Aim for one representative taste from each of the toppings in every single bite.
     
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment. Be inventive. Explore new options. Take chances. Sure, you’re bound to make a few mistakes along the way. But you just might stumble on the ultimate recipe to call your own.
     
  • Remember that pizza isn’t the only food that benefits from hearth baking. Hearth baking helps maintain the moisture and lock in the flavors of many of your favorite foods, including meats and vegetables. Try roasting the season’s fresh vegetables on your pizza stone. Place the vegetables on the stone, drizzle with some olive oil and fresh herbs and roast at 400° F for approximately 1 hour depending on the heartiness of the vegetable.