Door for bread baking???

[heliman]

Re: Door for bread baking???

Thanks for that overview Keith ...

I am just wondering then how ones controls the internal temp with the door fitted as I would think that the fire continues burning and continues to heat up the oven chamber. I would also think that the oven would reach a point when all the oxygen is used up and the fire starts to die down. Perhaps leaving the door slightly open would allow the heat to be regulated, and the oven maintained at the desired temperature. This looks like a pretty exact science!!!

[kebwi]

Re: Door for bread baking???

Not being remotely qualified to respond, here's my take on it.

If I understand things correctly, the air in an open-door oven is a mess. It's swirling around, moving all over the place, heat (and temperature) are constantly moving, shifting, wafting, etc. For foods that mostly cook through contact with the floor (like pizza), this doesn't matter (am I wrong about how a pizza cooks? Correct me please!). For foods that rely heavily on absorbing heat from the air, however, this won't work. You need to create a "smooth" environment. Closing the door permits the heat to even out throughout the interior and for things to generally calm down. Heat is then efficiently absorbed by all surface (and solids) in the oven, namely food that is baking.

That's how I think it works. Of course, my theory must be slightly flawed since it suggests that pizza is effectively grilled on a hot flat griddle-like-surface, which can't be correct because that isn't the traditional way of cooking pizza, so I must be a little wrong about something here.

I'm sure someone else will chime in...

[heliman]

I make a quick loaf of bread yesterday in the WFO. I got the fire to around 240 degrees (measure with IR gun) and then placed the loaf in to bake, without the door. After about 10 minutes I noticed that the loaf wasn't browning so I put the door on and then it seemed to cook normally.

Quick question to the experts ... is it necessary to use the door when baking bread in a WFO? I thought that is was optional but after my last baking exercise I think that this could be wrong. Maybe a higher temp would make a difference.

TIA