Sunday, April 12, 2009

Brick oven practice.

March 15, 2009


Started burning yesterday at 1500, got temperature to 550 bottom, 350 top at 0830 this morning.


Started bread at 0815, finishing dough for 12 loaves at 0915.


Starters have been fed for at least 36 hours. Sourdough (King Arthur) and LA4 starters are used.


Recipe for 2 loaves:


13 oz water

26 oz flour (3 scoops AP, 1 scoop bread flour)

2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup starter

Mixed for 2 minutes, let rest, mixed for 4 minutes. Dough was a tiny bit wet, especially when folding. Doubling time today took about 6 hours. (Temperature outside about 65)

Oven was heated to 831/700 on the bottom and 650/450 on the top. Coals were raked toward the front, door placed in draft position for about 90 minutes, then the coals raked out and the door closed.

Temperature dropped quickly from the hearth down to 650/620, but the dome dropped only to 550/426 in the same amount of time. The dome temperature did not rise once the coals were removed, tho. After another hour, the deep hearth temperature was equal to or slightly higher than the floor temperature. Baking was done at around 650 H, 550 D. Flour test took 9 seconds before it turned brown.

A ramekin full of water was placed in the corner of the oven. 8 loaves were baked first, removed after 20-25 minutes. The bottoms were dark, but the bottom edges were pale, top was brown gray. These probably could have stayed in another 5-10 minutes. Next load included two French rolls on the perforated pan and two more LA4 baguettes on a cookie sheet. These baked for about 25 minutes, could have stayed in another 5 for a crunchier crust.

Comments: to get the dome to proper cooking temperature, I'll need to push the temperature of the dome to at least 700 degrees. The hearth will undoubtedly be hotter, but it drops temperature more quickly than the dome, so the oven should be ready in 2-3 hours after coals removed. Probably max load with a good oven door will be 12 baguettes. I thought the sourdough could have used a bit more time as the crust was a bit weak and the texture a bit too wet. The LA4 was a big hit with Rick.

JEH


March 22, 2009


Only got the oven up to 831/660 and 540/440 on the top. Didn't stoke the fire during the night. It was really windy today, and I had to put up a board to reduce the draft. I need to get a note pad up to take temperature measurements.

I baked at around 600 bottom, 500 top, but the dome temperature continued to drop quite a bit.

I used the pump sprayer today, about a 4 second blast before closing the door.

Baking time was about 30 minutes.

I used the wheat grinder today. Despite the iffy oven conditions, bread turned out ok.


Joel


April 11-12, 2009

Started the oven Friday afternoon, (I was off) and kept it going all night long. The dome got to 650 with 580 in the cladding. I need to work on my timing. Ideally, at baking time the dome should be around 575 and the bottom 600 or so. It takes about an hour to drop about 50 degrees, so the oven needs to be swept out before the bread is shaped into loaves.

No change in the bread recipe. Now using Bosch Universal Plus mixer that works really well.

I baked the bread at 600 degrees, it was done in in 25 minutes, but pretty dark.

Any bread with sugar or honey added probably needs to be cooked on a rack, with the oven around 500 degrees or lower.

I'm still fighting with the design of the oven door. I'll probably need to resort to the steel door. I just have to get it to fit.

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