Bread oven

[fearfulfred]

Hi all

Does anyone out there know how to use on of these. I am sure that you must use hot stones or bricks to cook the bread and was wondering if the other part was used for heating whatever cooked the bread . Just seems too big to be a BBQ or oven .. Any comments appreciated

[Mariposa]

Have only tested ours out once. Used lots of old wood in the oven itself and were trying to balance a homemade pizza on top when our elderly neighbour emerged with her walking stick , told us off severely and proceeded to pull out the flaming logs(setting light to her stick in the process) and scatter them around our feet. The pizza was then put directly on the hot oven floor, and took about 2 minutes- we had expected a much longer "cook" But it tasted great. Good luck , but don't try this unless the kids ,dogs and cats are well out of the way!

[fearfulfred]

Thanks Mariposa

Sounds real confusing. We will h ave to give it a try when the dog is better trained at staying out of the way!!! At the moment he goes into hyper mode anytime food is around and cannot get out from under our feet. Will let you know how it works out

[Solysombra]

You put the wood at the back of the oven and burn it till all that remains are glowing ashes, then you put the pizza at the front of the oven, the heat is distributed evenly because of the domed shape of the oven, this is the theory as explained to me some years ago by the Jefe de Cocina at "La perla de mar" in Barcelona, where you will find very excellent pizza.

[fearfulfred]

Thanks Solysombra..
that does make sense especially with the domed shape...still leaves me wondering what the other side is for..just seems too big
for a BBQ, but as I understand it most cooking is done outdoors here

[gavilan]

ok so we know now how to cook pizza in a bread oven but when the women made bread in 'the old days' what did they use as a raising agent? talking with local women around here they told me they used to bake bread once a week and keep part of the dough in a special lidded pot to use the next time but despite several questions/answers I still dont understand what they kept each week (in UK we use brewers yeast) ... does any one know how they did it?

[oliveview01]

not brewers yeast! Bread making yeast- dried in packets or sachets or fresh

[Grouser]

Sounds like a sourdough mix. That is how sourdough bread is made, always keeping back a portion for the next bake. Shame the bakers don't seem to do it now.

[Solysombra]

Yeast has been around in one form or another forever, the thory of keeping back a bit of the dough for the next bake is simple, the yeast inside the dough is protected by a layer of gluten and will multiply itself and grow, removing the need for fresh yeast every time you bake!

[gavilan]

thank you solysombra - now I understand that these women were saving some of the bread dough - keeping it in special covered pots until the next time they baked bread - 30/40 years ago around here they would have grown their own wheat, taken it to the local flour mill for grinding and then baked their bread using their carefully stored piece of dough - it now makes sense to me - thanks again
gavilan

[Solysombra]

Gavillan, you're more than welcome to share my meagre store of tips, gleaned over the years, I also know how to make an excellent homemade yoghurt for those health nuts among you