Baking & Cooking On A Built-In Lacunza Rustica Wood Oven. Sourdough Buns & Venison Hamburgers.

[S&S_BRH]

We are still learning about the Lacunza. Finally felt confident enough to attempt baking Sourdough bread. very pleased with the results, especially for a first time bake.

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More baking practice is needed, but I was overall impressed.

it does use a lot more wood than our EPA 2020 heating stoves, but that is to be expected. we're dealing with 100+ year old design and technology.

 

[begreen]

I found that baking bread was faster in the wood cook stove. My theory was that it is more like a covection oven with more even heat surrounding the oven than in a conventional oven with just a bottom element heating it.

 

[S&S_BRH]

I found that baking bread was faster in the wood cook stove. My theory was that it is more like a covection oven with more even heat surrounding the oven than in a conventional oven with just a bottom element heating it.

interesting that you mention that. I think it talks about this in the video.

we have a propane CONVECTION oven. it is the "gas oven" mentioned in the video. we cooked half of these buns in the Lacunza and half in the GE propane convection.

the Lacunza did cook faster.

no matter how many thermometers and temperature probes, or what type we use, we get a huge range of different readings.
always on the low side, but when we use it things cook quickly. it also has more of a "broil" effect.

a bit unpredictable now, but we will learn it's tendencies over the years.

 

[begreen]

Keep at it. Back when I had a cookstove, with practice I found that I could bake better bread in the wood stove than the electric.

 

[Max W]

Congrats on your sourdough bread success. Yes, as bgreen found and you are learning that 100 year old design does have some advantages over a conventional oven.

Not too long back I baked some bread in a dutch oven on our conventional oven. The dough went into the preheated dutch oven and covered. The idea as it was explained was the radiant heat of the cast iron heated the dough so much more quickly than heated air. (The pan also kept the moisture in.)
The woodstove likely acts in the same way. Maybe it’s something in between the dutch oven and a convection oven, although I am not familiar with those.

For fun I just checked some temps. Our cookstove has been running steady with the temp dropping with coals getting low. The stovetop is at 480. The oven dial which is pretty close shows 420. The firebox side of the oven is a close to 600; the opposite side is 470; the inside top is about 490 and the bottom 345. These numbers are just close. I took a couple of readings as temps were falling. Bread in the center of this oven should get a mix of radiant and air transferred heat.

That picture of your Lacunza makes my mouth water.