Making Bread while cooking

[Pizza Man]

How do you make bread while you plan to cook a full meal. As an example of what I mean is:

Sunday afternoon I want to have some people over and start with appetizers. Then I want to make a few pizzas and finally cook some steaks or a roast in my oven for a sit down meal.

How do I bake the bread in the oven while there is a fire burning or I have the oven really hot for the pizzas and meat?

Help!

Pizza Man

[asudavew]

Re: Making Bread while cooking

Hey pizza man.

Here is how I handle the bread appetizers.


First, I make extra pizza dough balls. A few of them I shape into real small bread loves. Long and skinny....

And the others I roll out into flat pitas. The pitas are easy to cook. While the fire is raging and after the floor is hot, near the entry to the dome, just push the fire back a bit. And use some LONG tongs. Clean the floor first with a brush or damp mop, and then toss your flattened pitas on th floor. They will poof up pretty quickly! (45 seconds or so) then flip em over for another 30-45 seconds.

I usually throw mine in a bread basket with a towel that lines the bottom and then I throw another towel over the top to keep them warm.

For the little loaves, I put them about half way between the inner arch and the outer arch. I turn them frequently around so that they cook evenly. (205f internal)

For a nice dipping sauce... just use a terracotta dish. Pour in a good bit of olive oil. (1/4 of an inch or so) and then load it up with garlic (fresh crushed), fresh oregano, basil etc. and put it just inside the dome. Let the garlic just start to brown. All the flavors of the spices leak into the oil... good stuff! (it would make an excellent sauce for steak too!)

I sometimes also cook a can of tomatoes with oregano, onions, garlic, fresh crushed pepper etc... I simmer on the stove for about an hour to really thicken it up. ( i crush the tomatoes by hand into the pan after sweating the onions and garlic)

Then when everyone is ready, (usually while I cook the pitas) I put the mixture into a (i use porcelain ) dish and place it in the oven just inside the dome area.

Cook it until it gets hot and bubbly. (turn regularly) then top it with some good mozzarella and Parmesan and let them brown.

Let everyone tear their own pitas for dipping, and slice the small bread loaves.

Tasty!

I hope this helps!

Good luck, and let me know how you do!

Dave

BTW - most of the time people are full before I ever get to the pizzas, so don't make to much, and have some wine or something in between!
After appetizers and pizza... I am not sure you will need the steak!

[Pizza Man]

Re: Making Bread while cooking

Hi Dave:

Thanks, When I say make bread, I mean full loaves of bread that have risen and are waiting to be baked that I can serve with the meal.

Any Ideas?

Lou

[Dutchoven]

Re: Making Bread while cooking

REALLY hard to bake bread while the oven is very hot with fire active...does not bake fully without burning the outer crust...I might suggest a prewarming fire the night before...bake the bread a little earlier than when the guests arrive and then re-fire the oven to bring it back up to pizza heat...you could then fire kiss the already baked loaves just before serving to warm/crisp them
Best
Dutch

[dmun]

Re: Making Bread while cooking

If it's cooled enough to do a roast, it's cool enough to do bread 400 air temp is perfect for both roast and full bread loaf. You need at least a good hour after the fire is raked out to get down to this temperature. As you can see, this could add up to two or three hours of solid socializing between pizzas and roast done.

Better to aim for a pizza lunch, then take time to go to the movies while your fire burns itself out. By the time the dinner goes in and comes out, it's about time for dinner anyway.

[Pizza Man]

Re: Making Bread while cooking

Thanks Dutch:

Not crazy about making a fire the night before sounds like a good idea.

I am usually busy making the pizza dough and misc. stuff for the next day and shopping.

My biggest problem is that my oven and patio is about 75..100 feet from my kitchen.

I will try it.

Thanks,

Lou

[PizzaMan]

Re: Making Bread while cooking

Pizza Man,

Imagine my confusion when I looked at the forum tonight, and found a thread begun by me!

Michael
aka PizzaMan

[asudavew]

Re: Making Bread while cooking

duel personalities... me thinks

[Pizza Man]

Re: Making Bread while cooking

I guess Pizza Man is different than PizzaMan

Lou aka Pizza Man