Oven Door

New oven door

It's amazing how much effort we put into building our ovens, and yet we tend to neglect constructing a decent oven door. I take responsibility for being one of the worst offenders. Finally, I think I've built a door that should help to contain oven heat and not burn up. The door is wood, but it has a steel backing with a 1/2" air space between the wood and the steel.

Wooden door with steel backing in profile

Without the air space, the intense oven heat could conduct right through the steel and turn my proud. new oven door into charcoal. The wooden door is the door I use for bread baking.

All steel door

When starting my fires up I use an all steel door that I prop slightly open. This restricts the flow of oxygen, creating a vortex effect, making it easier for the fire to burn.

More No Knead Again

No knead bread baked on an insulated cookie sheet with a stainless cover

Are the mouse holes big enough?

Just goes to show that you don't have to run out and buy an expensive dutch oven or Creuset pot.
Probably you have all you need already. I've even made insulated cookie sheets by doubling up single wall sheets, leaving an airspace. The one shown came as a Chanukah present. Yes, it's better than the one I made.

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Stainless cover

Contrary to what is said, you do not need a dutch oven or enameled iron pot to make no knead bread. Today I made no knead bread in an iron skillet with a stainless steel cover. The cover is what's important, not the nature of the material. Next, I'll be experimenting with an insulated cookie sheet and the stainless cover.

Superlative loaf