Isn't retained heat marvelous?

[egalecki]

Well, sort of retained heat. It was at 450 when I checked it this morning, not quite hot enough. I did have to fire it back up to get it hot enough by the time my loaves were ready. (I overslept, up too late watching olympics!) Didn't take too long- I'm getting better at it.

I made myself a temp. door out of leftover insblock 19, covered with heavy-duty aluminum foil to keep the bits out of the food. Works great! I have two layers of blanket on, and I did feel some warmth on the outside of the oven, so I'm still losing some heat there. As soon as the weather clears tomorrow I'm starting to do the vermicrete.

These are actually the recipe for the no-knead bread, divided into 2 loaves each recipe. I sprayed water inside the oven before I put them in and then again after I loaded them. Boy it makes a lot of steam- I'm glad I had on the glove!

Here they are!

[Frances]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

Those look absolutely delicious!!

How on earth did you get them into the oven looking so good? When I make no knead bread the dough so sloppy that its all I can do to flop it into the pot.

[egalecki]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

I had them proofing on a thin plastic cutting board liberally coated with flour. Then I moved them (easy on the plastic board, you can bend it in the middle and flop them off) to my "peel" (cookie sheet) and put them in like pizza.

I didn't handle the dough much, but I found it easier to do it this way than to flop the dough into the pot. It always sticks to the paper and then I burn my hand on the hot pot. Maybe that's the difference- no hot pot to work with?

[james]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

Those look great. Nice caramel colored crust -- just right. Complimenti.

How is the hole structure -- is the bread nice and airy?
James

[sarah h]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

They look absolutely wonderful - congratulations!

Sarah

[asudavew]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

Yes! Very nice!

Throw a brisket or pork butt in next time to eat with your bread!

YUM
YUM

Dave

[egalecki]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

still working on the planning for retained heat cooking thing. I'll get better at it as I figure out how hot it'll be at any given time.

The bread's structure was actually pretty good- lots of nice holes, good chewy texture. I think they did overproof a little, since they have a larger hole on top in places. The kids would gobble it up in moments if I let them anyway.

We had it for dinner, toasted on the grill pan, rubbed with a garlic clove and drizzled with a little good olive oil- alongside shelled edamame with pecorino, black pepper and oil and fresh tomatoes out of the garden. You rub the bowls you serve the edamame in with half a clove of garlic, just to get the flavor without overwhelming, and they're terrific.

[Wlodek]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

[...] I sprayed water inside the oven before I put them in and then again after I loaded them. Boy it makes a lot of steam- I'm glad I had on the glove!
[...]

Possibly a stupid question:
How do you spray water inside a hot oven?
Do you use a garden sprayer or a similar contraption?

W.

[nissanneill]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

Sure do,
get a couple of those cheap pump packs like you get the spray starch, window cleaner etc. that has an adjustable nozzle. They work a treat.You can use a fine spray, or squirt a jet into the oven. If it is hot, then even a squirt will be immediately converted to steam adding humidity to aid your cooking.

Neill

[egalecki]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

I actually used a brass spray wand like it says to in the WFO bread book from the FB store. I got it at Southern States. I didn't use a full 10 second spray like the book suggests, but probably more like 5 seconds twice. This let me go back to front with the wand, and it made an incredible amount of steam. No kidding on the glove to the elbow. You need it.

[Wlodek]

Re: Isn't retained heat marvelous?

Thanks both, E. and N.,

I found a very serious one on eBay which should work fine there, according to your suggestion. The same seller (sounds reputable and knows what they are doing) suggested an additional 1m lance for an extra ?3.55 ... This looks like the works, but I think I'll try the budget solution first

I bake weekly (so far in the normal electric oven - I only started cooking properly in the freshly built WFO last weekend ...), so I might invest in the nice sprayer later.

Thanks again,

W.