Welcome to our store

WPPO stands for Wood Powered Pizza Ovens. We are built around Family, Friends, and Food — from pizza ovens and dough to outdoor kitchens, classes, catering, and helping people make better pizza.

WPPO is located in Warren, Illinois, and we also serve customers through our website, events, catering, and outdoor living projects.

Yes. WPPO offers hands-on pizza classes where you can learn dough, stretching, toppings, oven management, and how to make better pizza at home.

No. Our classes are made for beginners and experienced pizza makers. You learn by doing, and yes — you get to eat your mistakes.

That depends on how much space you have, how many people you cook for, and whether you want portable, built-in, wood-fired, or hybrid cooking. Ask Dan and we can help match you with the right oven.

Karma ovens are stainless professional-style ovens made for performance and easier placement. Traditional ovens have a classic masonry-style cooking feel and some models offer hybrid wood and gas cooking.

Yes. You can cook bread, steak, vegetables, chicken, fish, desserts, cast iron meals, and more. A pizza oven is really an outdoor cooking machine.

For many WPPO-style pizzas, a good working range is about 625°F to 700°F. Hotter ovens cook faster, but they require more attention.

Heat-up time depends on the oven size, fuel, weather, and how hot you want to cook. Smaller ovens heat faster, while larger ovens take longer but hold heat better.

Use clean, dry hardwood. Avoid treated wood, painted wood, pine, or anything with chemicals. Oak, maple, hickory, and fruitwoods are common choices.

Yes. WPPO and Outdoor Living Pro can help with outdoor kitchens, grills, pizza ovens, counters, islands, and backyard cooking spaces.

Yes. We can help you plan the layout, grill, pizza oven, counter space, storage, and overall flow of your outdoor kitchen.

Installation options depend on your location and the project. Contact us and we can talk through what you need.

That depends on the oven and your dough ball size. Many home pizzas range from 10 inches to 14 inches.

For better flavor and easier stretching, 24 to 48 hours is a great target. A longer cold ferment usually gives better flavor.

Around 62% to 63% hydration is a good starting point. It gives good texture while still being easier to handle.

The dough may be too cold, too young, overmixed, or not rested enough. Let it warm up and relax before stretching.

Pizza Thursday is WPPO’s weekly pizza lunch event in Warren, Illinois. We fire up the ovens and serve fresh pizza until sold out.

Yes. WPPO offers wood-fired pizza catering for events, parties, weddings, businesses, and community gatherings.

Use the Ask Dan section on the website or contact WPPO directly. Whether it is dough, ovens, outdoor kitchens, catering, or pizza making, Dan is happy to help.

Yes. The Stephan VCM44A can mix dough quickly, but it is powerful. The key is to avoid overmixing and overheating the dough.

Add water first, then flour, then yeast. Mix just until the flour hydrates and the dough forms a shaggy mass. Add salt and oil after the dough starts coming together. Do not let it run too long.

Start with short bursts. Mix 20–30 seconds at a time, then stop and check the dough. Total mixing time is usually much shorter than a Hobart mixer.

Try to finish around 70°F to 74°F. If the dough gets too warm, it can ferment too fast and become harder to handle.

Yes, especially with the Stephan mixer. Because it builds heat fast, cooler water helps keep your finished dough temperature under control.

Yes. WPPO dough works well around 62% to 63% hydration for handling, stretching, and wood-fired cooking.

• Add water
• Add flour
• Add yeast
• Mix to shaggy dough
• Add salt
• Add oil
• Mix briefly until smooth

Adding salt after the dough starts hydrating helps the flour absorb water first and gives you a smoother finished dough.

Oil coats the dough. Adding it near the end lets the flour hydrate first and helps create a smoother dough ball.

The dough should look smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky. It should not look dry, torn, overheated, or greasy.

Yes. This mixer is strong and fast. Overmixing can make the dough too warm, tight, or difficult to stretch.

Remove the dough, let it rest briefly, then ball it. Place dough balls in trays, cover, and refrigerate for fermentation.

For best flavor and handling, 24 to 48 hours works well. A 48-hour dough usually has better flavor and stretch.

For small pizzas, 7 to 9 ounces works well. For a 14-inch pizza, around 290 grams is a good starting point.

It may be overmixed, too cold, under-rested, or too low in hydration. Let it relax before stretching.

Sticky dough can come from too much water, warm dough, or over-fermentation. Light flour and cooler dough usually help.

They were likely exposed to air. Keep dough covered tightly in dough trays or lightly oil the tops before storing.

For WPPO-style pizzas, 625°F to 700°F is a strong working range. Hotter ovens cook faster but require more attention.

Use less than you think. Around 2 ounces of sauce is a good starting point for many small wood-fired pizzas.

Too much topping. Keep it simple. Good dough, good cheese, good sauce, and less topping usually make a better pizza.