Friday, November 22, 2013

Modular Oven

This was my first modular oven build, and it was quite simple. The oven was made by wildwood and you can count on good phone support from Michael Gerard, the owner.
I like the heatstopper (calcium silicate board) that came with the oven and is placed under the hearth for insulation. I also like the insulation blanket that we used to insulate the dome. 
However, the way this oven is designed, the chimney goes between the oven and the door. I would have preferred that this be reversed. In other words, by having the chimney outside the door and keeping the door shut, the oven could be easily isolated from the chimney where heat loss occurs. 
This would not be significant when making flatbreads and pizzas, but it could have a negative impact when baking leavened loaves of bread without a live fire. 

Wildwood oven being assembled

Oven assembled on trailer

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Richard Miscovich

Beautifully photographed and delightfully written, Richard Miscovich's book, 
"From the Wood-Fired Oven" 
New And Traditional Techniques For Cooking And Baking With Fire
should be a new addition to your collection of books about bread and ovens.
Not only is there an emphasis on bread baking, but you'll learn all about other things that you can roast in your wood-fired oven.
There's even information about how to render schmaltz, and that's something my grandmother used to do when I was a child.
My favorite photo (and I've seen him do this in person) shows Richard unleashing a cloud of flour on his work surface. Why sprinkle flour when you can toss it instead, so much more fun.

You can get this book at a substantial fall discount from the publisher.