# Fresh bread from the wood fired oven



## fishingpol (Oct 14, 2012)

I was doing some cleaning up around the oven yesterday afternoon when my neighbor stopped down and we got on the discussion of bread.   We agreed to start at 7:00am Sunday.  Well, it was raw, rainy and dark but I got the stove going first inside and then fired the oven.  His wife made wheat bread, and I made a honey wheat with oatmeal.  Onto the pics.





Getting it going.




Rocking.




Halfway there, pegged thermometer.




Probably one of the better dome shots.  Done adding wood.  cracks in the dome top opening, so it's almost ready to go.





Raked out the coal bed.  Letting the bricks soak up the heat.





Neighbors wheat loaves pans coming out.  I had the water-soaked wood baking door on the whole cooking time with a good spritz of water to the bricks before the loaves went in.  My loaves needed another 15 minutes to cook after these came out.




My two free-form honey wheats out.  We ended up trading a loaf for a loaf.  We ate them pretty much hot out of the oven with butter and a cup of coffee.  Hers were light and airy with chew to them.  Mine where dense and sweet just like a steakhouse restaurant bread.  Two similar breads, two completely different results.


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## punchy (Oct 14, 2012)

i can see a wood fired oven in my future, one day.  looks awesome, great job.


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## PapaDave (Oct 14, 2012)

Yep, now I'll be making some sourdough....in the kitchen oven.


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## Pallet Pete (Oct 14, 2012)

Jon that looks great ! I have always wanted to build one of those ovens maybe I will copy yours with your permission that is.

Pete


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## NickDL (Oct 14, 2012)

That's really nice. I would love to build one in my yard.


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## WellSeasoned (Oct 14, 2012)

Looks good. Give me a stick of butter and ill go to town! +20 on building one of them things! Be well


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## fishingpol (Oct 14, 2012)

Pallet Pete said:


> Jon that looks great ! I have always wanted to build one of those ovens maybe I will copy yours with your permission that is.
> 
> Pete


 
Pete, I gleaned all my info off the web and in books.  Mine looks similar to others out there, so build away!


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## Eatonpcat (Oct 15, 2012)

Gotta love that...Fresh bread and butter!


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## bfunk13 (Oct 15, 2012)

Perfect!


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## thewoodlands (Oct 15, 2012)

Looks great, when can we place our orders.

zap


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## woodchip (Oct 15, 2012)

I've just seen those pictures and I'm now hungry, and I've just eaten.........


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## ScotO (Oct 15, 2012)

I never get tired of seeing pics of your wood-fired oven and food, Jon.  Love it, absolutely awesome.

I can almost smell that bread from here in central PA!


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## PapaDave (Oct 15, 2012)

_Smell it_? Ha, I can _taste it_!
Note to self.....Self, make bread.


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## Dix (Oct 15, 2012)

Awesome !!

I'm a bread baker, love to play with yeast and different flours


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## Eatonpcat (Oct 15, 2012)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> Awesome !!
> 
> I'm a bread baker, love to play with yeast and different flours


 
I am sure that I will be reprimanded for this statement, But you gotta love a lady that loves to play with yeast!


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## Dix (Oct 15, 2012)

Eatonpcat said:


> I am sure that I will be reprimanded for this statement, But you gotta love a lady that loves to play with yeast!


 
*laughing*

Not, not in my book, especially when you used "lady"


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## fishingpol (Oct 15, 2012)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> Awesome !!
> 
> I'm a bread baker, love to play with yeast and different flours


 
Nice! Any favorite bread recipes?  I'm looking for something hearty for the fall for dunking in soup or plastering butter on it.


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## PapaDave (Oct 15, 2012)

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0
http://www.sourdoughhome.com/


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## fishingpol (Oct 15, 2012)

Thanks Dave.  Looks like I have some reading to do.


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## PapaDave (Oct 15, 2012)

The middle link is for no-knead bread.
So stupid simple, even I can do it. It's really good, too.


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## Dix (Oct 15, 2012)

Uggh.

Been looking for James beards Pumpernickel on line, can't find it. Fannie Farmers is fantabulous as well.

Don't forget the raisins !!


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## PapaDave (Oct 15, 2012)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> Uggh.
> 
> Been looking for James beards Pumpernickel on line, can't find it. Fannie Farmers is fantabulous as well.
> 
> Don't forget the raisins !!


http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/01/black-bread.html
http://bakers.tribe.net/thread/d0a09993-1b0c-4815-be41-b281bd34280d
http://www.isbn.nu/0394473450


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## ironpony (Oct 16, 2012)

looking good, I am going to try some bread after a pizza firing this weekend. will start a new thread with pics.


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## ironpony (Oct 16, 2012)

question?? how black is the inside of your roof getting?? and do you find it a bother not having a chimney? I have some discoloration on my pergola above the oven and have thought about eliminating the chimney when I apply the last stucco layer. once it is hot it seems there is minimal smoke anyway.


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## fishingpol (Oct 16, 2012)

Glad to hear you are up and running ironpony.  Looking forward to some food pics.  I do have a little bit of soot  under the roof, but I call it "patina".  I pretty much figured that only so much air can go in and out of the oven.  If I put too much wood on or bigger pieces, then I have incomplete combustion resulting in smoke.  I split the wood into wrist-thick pieces and put in three or four on at time and it gives me a clean hot burn.  I am relatively close to my neighbors and have much respect for them so I try to burn as clean as possible. 

Since my oven is clay/sand, it has to be completely covered, so a chimney would probably allow some rain in and minor erosion issues.  Also, I did not want to deal with flashing around a chimney.  The clay also seems to expand a little and there is little movement at the firebrick floor, I would expect the chimney to have movement if I used a terra cotta one. 

The other thing I do is put a firebrick on each side of the door to create a channel to direct air to the base of the fire.  I could improve on it by putting a piece of slate across the two bricks to create more of a tunnel.  The bricks seem to create more order to the incoming air to the fire.  I got that idea off Youtube somewhere.  On start up there is a flat layer of smoke just above the cooler inrushing air at the bottom of the oven.  It is almost like stratified air.  Cooler inrush air at the bottom and hotter escaping air after downdrafting.  Building the fire at the back of the oven does wonders too.  When I began after building it, I built all the fires in the middle of the oven.  There was too much turbulence this way.  Now making the fire in the back, air comes in, right to the back, hits the fire, up to the back top of the dome and out and down the top front of the dome.  

Most importantly, I would not be able to get those rolling secondary flame pics that I like so much if everything went up the chimney.


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## Dix (Oct 16, 2012)

Found one
http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/raisin-pumpernickel-bread-3404


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## fishingpol (Oct 16, 2012)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> Found one
> http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/raisin-pumpernickel-bread-3404


 
I see a Reuben sandwich in my future.


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## Dix (Oct 16, 2012)

James Beards is in his "Beard On Bread". I can't find it on line, going to have to find my copy and type it in here.

It's awesome !!


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## PapaDave (Oct 16, 2012)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> going to have to find my copy and type it in here


 
Yes, yes you should.


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## Dix (Oct 16, 2012)

OK, James is probably packed in  box, gonna take some time... here's Fannies, typed in. If ya cook, you'll get the shorthand . I've added my own notes

2 1/2 cups potato cooking water(save the spuds, you're going to need them)
1/2 cup + 2 tbl yellow corn meal
1/4 cup dark molasses
2 tbl brown sugar
2 tbl ( 1/4 stick) butter
2 pkg dry yeast
1 cup mashed potato
1 tbl salt
3 cup rye flour
3 1/2 - 4 1/2 cup ( depends on humidity) all purpose flour
1 tbl caraway
!/2  - 1 cup raisins (my add)
*I've used honey as well, 1 - 2 tbls, depends on humidity levels*

bring potato water to a boil, stir together 1/2 cup of the cornmeal, the molasses, brown sugar, & butter. Pour the potato over  stir until well blended. Let stand until warm.

Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture. & let stand fir 1-2 minutes to dissolve. Beat in mashed potato, salt, rye flour, 2 cups of the all purpose flour, & the caraway & raisins. add enough all purpose flour to make a manageable dough. Turn onto a floured board, cover, & let  rest for 10 minutes.

Resume knead for about 10 minutes until smooth & elastic. Add flour as needed (humidity levels). Place in greased bowl, cover, & let double in bulk.

Punch down, knead, divide, & shape into 2 loaves.Sprinkle baking sheet w/remaining corn meal & place loaves on sheet, leaving 3-4" of space.Cover & let rise until double in bulk. (About 2 hours, this stuff is heavy)

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for 30 minutes, brush again w/glaze & bake for another 15 minutes (oven temps may vary) Best bet is to do the *thunk" test. works well.

(Dix pretty much done typing for now)


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## fishingpol (Oct 16, 2012)

Thanks for that one Dix.  It looks hearty and may fit the bill.  Hafta make soup to go with it.  I need a cool weekend now.


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## Capt (Oct 20, 2012)

Looks awesome Fish!  I still haven't done bread in mine, but we have cranked out dozens of pizzas and several meat dishes.  Keep em coming!


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## fishingpol (Oct 20, 2012)

Capt said:


> Looks awesome Fish! I still haven't done bread in mine, but we have cranked out dozens of pizzas and several meat dishes. Keep em coming!


 
I've been thinking of a roast chicken with veg, potatoes and pie in the oven.  Or even better a rustic chicken pot pie with fresh made biscuits.  So much food so little time...


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## Gasifier (Oct 24, 2012)

Wow. Great post fishingpol. That whole process is a thing of beauty. I too can see a simple wood burning oven in my future as well. The cover (roof) over the top of it must make it nice. Very nice oven and place you have there. Congrats!


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## fishingpol (Oct 24, 2012)

Thanks Gas. The roof is essential to keep the clay from breaking down over time. I can cook in the rain or snow with it too. Just a few weeks ago they re-roofed the school up the street from me. Word is that they were giving a bunch of slate away. I would have loved to get a few square of slate for the roof. I would have had to beef the framing though.


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## andybaker (Oct 29, 2012)

Looks good but too much work for me, LOL.


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