WFO - I went out of my zone and into the 'zone.

[fishingpol]

Nice evening here. Fired the oven with sugar maple for an hour while the dough rose.




I raked the coals out a little earlier to soak the floor of the oven for a nicer bottom crust.




Cheese was the first up. Hot bubbly action.






Second one was pepperoni. It did not go well. Don't try to brush the cornmeal out of the oven while holding the loaded peel.




Third was the pepperoni redo.



Last was a sausage and cheese calzone.






Hot cheese lava flow. Supersize pic for maximum viewing enjoyment.

 

[fossil]

Calzone and a Negra Modelo, por favor.

 

[ScotO]

O.....M......G.....
Does that stuff ever look delish.....wow....
I'd even eat the one that fell on the ground.....no joke....

 

[flyingcow]

impressive.....next time give me a few hours heads up before you fire up the oven...i tend to fly low and fast for a good pizza. never had a wood fired one.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

You are fueling my fire (pun intended) to build one of these. I have the drive to do it but think I lack the skill...and a handy hubby to help (other than a leatherman, he has no tools, he's good at holding the light).

I LOVE this oven, and the others posted on here. i'm jealous as pretty much from September til June or until its too hot to turn on the oven, I make bread from scratch everyday, so it would actually get used! Not to mention all the pizza and other recipes I have for 15-17th century cooking!

 

[ScotO]

You are fueling my fire (pun intended) to build one of these. I have the drive to do it but think I lack the skill...and a handy hubby to help (other than a leatherman, he has no tools, he's good at holding the light).

I LOVE this oven, and the others posted on here. i'm jealous as pretty much from September til June or until its too hot to turn on the oven, I make bread from scratch everyday, so it would actually get used! Not to mention all the pizza and other recipes I have for 15-17th century cooking!

Who's building a stone pizza oven next year?? THIS guy, that's who!
(FWIW, I said that last summer, too!)

 

[Hearth Mistress]

Who's building a stone pizza oven next year?? THIS guy, that's who!
(FWIW, I said that last summer, too!)

For me?

 

[ScotO]

For me?

just as soon as I get mine done!!

 

[fossil]

Yours was the the one he did last year.

 

[WellSeasoned]

Hot cheese lava flow? Aren't the pictures enough w/o adding terms that will make my stomach eat my liver. Your pizzas, and now a calzone put the high end authenic italiano restaurants to shame. Even that 2nd pick, I would gladly eat off the floor. Do you make your own sauce? What kind of mozz do you use. If you ever get a chance, if you can find it, Grande mozz cheese is one of the best out there.

*hearth mistress, when you posted in this thread, it says you posted it on 12/31/1969, weird huh? **now its fixed**

 

[Hearth Mistress]

*hearth mistress, when you posted in this thread, it says you posted it on 12/31/1969, weird huh? **now its fixed**

You caught me using my time machine....new years eve into the 70's to see what it was like before I was born

Really, no idea how that happened, using an iPad maybe it's a wacko Mac glitch.

 

[fishingpol]

You are fueling my fire (pun intended) to build one of these. I have the drive to do it but think I lack the skill...and a handy hubby to help (other than a leatherman, he has no tools, he's good at holding the light).

I LOVE this oven, and the others posted on here. i'm jealous as pretty much from September til June or until its too hot to turn on the oven, I make bread from scratch everyday, so it would actually get used! Not to mention all the pizza and other recipes I have for 15-17th century cooking!

There is so much to that can be cooked in the oven. I've done cinnamon rolls, french bread, honey wheat loaves, pork pies... The fall is the best time of year on cool mornings to fire it and make lunch in it.

I still need to practice on making bread to get better oven spring as my loaves seem to be dense.

 

[fishingpol]

Hot cheese lava flow? Aren't the pictures enough w/o adding terms that will make my stomach eat my liver. Your pizzas, and now a calzone put the high end authenic italiano restaurants to shame. Even that 2nd pick, I would gladly eat off the floor. Do you make your own sauce? What kind of mozz do you use. If you ever get a chance, if you can find it, Grande mozz cheese is one of the best out there.

*hearth mistress, when you posted in this thread, it says you posted it on 12/31/1969, weird huh? **now its fixed**

The second pic pizza did not make it into the oven, it slid off the peel before I could load it. Time to build a shelf.

I make my own sauce using part tomato sauce, garlic, petit diced tomatoes, garlic, spices, and then I use garlic.

I just started using fresh mozz on Margherita pizza after Bfunk on here put up a post about it. I am forever grateful. I use Sargento shredded mozz for general pies.

 

[fishingpol]

Who's building a stone pizza oven next year?? THIS guy, that's who!
(FWIW, I said that last summer, too!)

Get yer arse in gear. You can't cook a pizza with a wheelbarrow you know. Priorities my man!

 

[Hearth Mistress]

I still need to practice on making bread to get better oven spring as my loaves seem to be dense.

Bread is science, but experimenting is fun! Your bread may be too dense if your flour to water ration is off or the rise time is too short/too cool. Wheat and rye flours will always make dense loaves but if you cut it with bread flour, you'll get a better texture. If you let the dough get a "skin" on it at the first rise, when you punch it down, that "skin" which is your gluten, is already crust and the dough will loose it's elasticity. Keep a damp towel over it to prevent that from happening. Also, make sure you have fresh active yeast(not rapid rise) and proof it with a sprinkle of sugar and whatever amount of water the recipe calls for. I use a big measuring cup because after 15 minutes or so, your yeast will be a huge cup of foam! Those little packets at the grocery store sit for a long time these days as folks just don't buy it up.

Also, as I've baked bread in hearths, your dough will "crusts up" too fast if you don't either spray it with water or have water in the hearth, as it restricts your dough within a few minutes and therefore restricts your oven spring. If you don't want to spray it first, just keep a small cast iron pan of water in the hearth as it heats up, the hearth will have higher humidity, keeping the surface of the dough moist so it has time for the oven spring. It will eventually lead to a crusty loaf too as the water evenly dries out as the dough rises and bakes.

Have fun!

 

[fishingpol]

Cut to the chase. Excellent. The wheat flour made the dense loaves. Otherwise, I use bread flour. I did a double rise on french bread and it was excellent. I had a hard time getting the loaves off the peel without sticking. I did spray the bread down every few minutes on the french bread as well as sprayed the brick floor. I have a wood baking door that I soak in water for a while before baking.

Yeast is active in a jar and I buy a new jar every few months. I did use the rapid rise once but did not care for it. Great tip on the cast iron pan with water to add moisture.

One question when adding salt to the dough, can it affect the yeast as in reducing the rise? I always add it last, a little at a time.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

Cut to the chase. Excellent. The wheat flour made the dense loaves. Otherwise, I use bread flour. I did a double rise on french bread and it was excellent. I had a hard time getting the loaves off the peel without sticking. I did spray the bread down every few minutes on the french bread as well as sprayed the brick floor. I have a wood baking door that I soak in water for a while before baking.

Yeast is active in a jar and I buy a new jar every few months. I did use the rapid rise once but did not care for it. Great tip on the cast iron pan with water to add moisture.

One question when adding salt to the dough, can it affect the yeast as in reducing the rise? I always add it last, a little at a time.

Ok. When baking with wheat flour, don't use more than 50% of the total needed at first then each time you make it, decrease/increase the percent until you get a loaf with a denseness you like. Look around the stores where you live for rice flour (really light texture) or sunflower seed flower (nutty taste) and use those in 1/4 measures of total, multi-flour breads are awesome to try too!

As far as dough sticking, it happens. As fresh dough sits on a cornmeal dusted peel, it soaks up the meal and turns to glue. Make sure your dough and peel are really covered in cornmeal so you get a thick enough barrier. I add flour with the cornmeal too which helps. Don't use a metal peel either unless its for removing cooked food out. Be sure to keep your wood peel conditioned with food safe mineral oil or the like, it will help it stay slick. Hot hearths dry out wood peels in just a few uses.

Double rise, yep. Unless you are making a super light bread, punch it down twice, you'll notice the difference, the gluten likes it

Salt, the quandary. Yes, salt slows the yeast fermentation (rise) but adds flavor and crust color. If you proof your yeast first, all of its energy goes into the fermentation and happens before it even touches your other ingredients. The less salt the better but if you proof first, it will help with the rise.

Another "artisan" trick I do. Buy Bob Red Mill's multi grain cereals as either a topping or to mix into your dough for a true "grain" bread. I use the 7 or 10 grain mix but also have used his apple cinnamon oatmeal for a sweeter bread. Even the screw up trial bakes were still tasty, but it does make a denser loaf so add more bread flour to the ratio for these types of recipes.

I may have to make bread tomorrow now, all this talk about bread makes me want it now!

 

[PapaDave]

Come to a wood forum, get a Master's in bread making.
I love it.
Pay attention guys, Jeni knows dough.
I've not had much of a problem with too much salt. I mix it well into the flour before adding the yeast mixture.
I'm still looking for the perfect pizza dough. I should have started doing this at a much younger age. Might know something by now.
Jon, as much as I like your pics, knock it off.....you're killin' me here.
ETA: The calzone looks to die for.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

I'm still looking for the perfect pizza dough

The best pizza dough is simple, the more complicated you make it, the worse it gets. Ask anyone who ever worked in a decent pizza joint and they will tell you those dinner rolls that everyone raves over when they order eggplant parm are nothing more than chunks of pizza dough, just raised twice

Try this....

1 packet active dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
Pinch of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle more for coating bowl
2 1/2 to 3 cups bread or all-purpose flour, plus more if needed

Proof your yeast - Combine yeast, water, and sugar in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Set aside until
foamy, about 5 -10 minutes.

Add salt, olive oil, and 1 1/2 cups flour to yeast mixture, and mix well to thoroughly combine. Add 1 cup flour and mix well with your hands, working to incorporate flour little by little. The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it for at least 5 and up to 7 minutes, adding more flour as needed to form a smooth and elastic dough that is not sticky.

Lightly oil a 2- or 3-quart bowl, place dough in it, and turn dough to coat it with oil. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, usually at least 1 hour. Turn out, shape, top and bake to your liking

Makes two 12" - 14" pizzas

 

[NortheastAl]

Ooo-Faa! Dat's da best lookin' pizza I ever seen. Us guys in New Yawk like that kinda chit. Nuttin' betta dan a brick oven pizza!

 

[PapaDave]

Thanks Jeni, that's exactly what I do, yet I end up not being completely happy with the crust/edge.
With the cooler weather, it's time for more experimenting.
Jon just loves teasing everyone.

 

[NortheastAl]

Thanks Jeni, that's exactly what I do, yet I end up not being completely happy with the crust/edge.
With the cooler weather, it's time for more experimenting.
Jon just loves teasing everyone.

Dave, that always seems to be the hardest part of making good pizza.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

Thanks Jeni, that's exactly what I do, yet I end up not being completely happy with the crust/edge.
With the cooler weather, it's time for more experimenting.
Jon just loves teasing everyone.

What don't you like about the crust? Remember you will get "oven spring" or additional rise in the oven so if your dough is rolled out too thick with dense edges, you are going to get really chewy pizza, it won't crust up. For a crispier crust bake hotter/shorter in a high humidity oven - either spray your dough edges or put boiling water in a pan on the lower rack. If you are using your oven, not a brick hearth, heat up the pizza stone hot, I put it at 500, then bake at 425 for about 8-9 mins depending on the toppings. if the stone isn't screaming hot you'll trap the moisture from the dough to the stone when you put it in. If you aren't using a stone, go get one. For really crispy edge you can brush with olive oil too. Experimenting is the BEST part though

 

[PapaDave]

Got a stone as a present last year. Only used a couple times, so I need more time with it.
I'll give your suggestions a shot......soon. Thanks.
The crust has a sort of drab taste.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

Salt, needs salt. The recipe above has quite a lot but in pizza crust, you need it! Let me know how it goes, "bad" home made pizza is usually still better than most ok "bar" pizza so go nuts and have fun!