Books on Wood-fired ovens

[fullback66]

Is there any good books out there on how to build a pizza oven? This forum is a great resource to help me but just looking for literature.

Has anyone read or have the book: (Building a Wood-Fired Oven: For Bread and Pizza)?

Is it worth the money?

thanks
fb66

[dmun]

Re: Books on Wood-fired ovens

here's the link

I don't know anything about it, no doubt someone else does.

Here's a bit of a review:

If all you want to know is how to build a bread oven, then you might find this book a bit too erudite, historical, playful, wordy, epicurean, and perhaps not discursive enough around the technical issues.

But if you don?t mind a meander around the aesthetics of bread and baking, then you?ll enjoy author Tom Jaine?s style. One of his other books is about bread making, and contains some highly praised recipes, - so it is a bonus that he gives a basic bread recipe in this book, which acts as an extra incentive to the reader to finally get up and make their own oven. It is the combination of recipe and oven instructions, that he says will give you bread that tastes like it used to.

There is a set of plans, but little discussion of how to adapt those plans to your individual situation. A reviewer on Amazon suggests: ?If you?re interested in building a wood-fired oven for baking, this is a good supplement to Alan Scott?s essential ?The Bread Builders?. Provides very interesting historical background, amusing anecdotes and a set of plans which are aimed a bit more squarely at the amateur builder than Alan?s plans. I?m building an oven now using plans interpolated between the two. If you?re going to tackle a project like this, get a good book on masonry techniques too, or better yet, a video.?

It appears to be about Alan Scott style bread ovens, written by a baker.

[fullback66]

Re: Books on Wood-fired ovens

dmun,
I suppose I could get all the information I need right in this forum.
thanks
fb66

[james]

Re: Books on Wood-fired ovens

I have a copy. It's fun to read, with one person's perspective on the process, along with some interesting background, but the oven description is not good and the techniques are very basic (and often wrong), compared with the the FB e-books and the content on our forum.

One man's opinion.
James

[fullback66]

Re: Books on Wood-fired ovens

I figured it would be better here. (In the forum and FB e-books)
fb66

[CanuckJim]

Re: Books on Wood-fired ovens

Fullback, James, Dmun,

A thought occurred to me while reading this thread and thinking about a trip to Sacramento to hold a bread course. Masonry, like bread baking, is difficult to describe (this from a long-time freelance writer), because it's in the feel, in the hands, in the color and consitency of the mortar. A lot's been said about bread and pizza dough, fair enough. Teaching these things is something I really enjoy. However, let's consider the idea of a concrete and mortar workshop (maybe building a demo oven, a la Maine Wood Heat) down around CA, Texas, Nevada way. I give my wholehearted nomination to Uno to hold that one.

Jim

[Dutchoven]

Re: Books on Wood-fired ovens

I concur with CanuckJim, didn't know anything about it and read and read and only had more ??? in my head...then I hooked up with someone who sent me pictures of the process(much like one can see here on the forum) as well as mortar recipes...then the ??? became fewer and fewer...sadly I found this forum after I built my oven and also after I began to get mediocre a baking bread...the perspectives one receives from this site are PRICELESS in my opinion...simply because you have experienced builders to beginners...engineers...masons...etc...as well as an awful lot of SMART people with fantastic abilities to think critically...
Let us help future oven builders by doing something like the workshops...I am no Uno but I could possibly do something in the MidSouth?
Dutch

[Bacterium]

Re: Books on Wood-fired ovens

fb66......here is my opinion, similar to what others have already reiterated...but my angle is I started with a book and found FB part way into the build process.

Down here we have a book written by a local South Australian guy Russell Jeavons. I have a copy and it?s what got me started down the path of brick ovens. Personally I like the book and the mix of recipes and some construction techniques as a primer. Sure it lacks the depth on various construction aspects but maybe Russell is using it to "whet people?s appetites" more than trying to be a definitive resource.

I must say FB is probably the best resource that covers brick ovens and every aspect. Big claim....So Why?

I feel it?s because FB is of an evolving nature.
-If it has been done on here it?s probably been done a number of times and things have become refined?..which is obviously useful.
-If it hasn't been done on here there is a wealth of information and people that will help you get headed in the right direction.

??and my wife laughs about my addiction of how I want to take photos of something I?ve cooked and share it on here??.some might say as an adrenalin junkie I should be taking pictures of my other addiction (downhill mountain biking)

sorry getting off track?.