Down Under Brick Dome Build

[Cookie Monster]

This was the tile saw that I used

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Thanks Cookie Monster. Epicurious is a cooking website a place to talk about food and recipes. Thought you might be the same guy. Small world and all that.

Forums at Epicurious.com

[Cookie Monster]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Hello Cookie Monster, Strange question but here it goes. Are you the same Cookie Monster that was in the Epicurious forum years ago?

Hey Faith,

Nah not me mate. I dont have a clue what that is...

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Hello Cookie Monster, Strange question but here it goes. Are you the same Cookie Monster that was in the Epicurious forum years ago?

[brickie in oz]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

There has been a link posted that I followed to an e book excerpt that stated that the best way to use a wood fired oven was to start at pizza temps and cook to the cooling oven.

Im sure everyone utilizes the heat in this way with a cooling oven but that doesnt mean you cant fire her up just to do a roast, Ill be firing mine up tomorrow for just that reason.

[Laurentius]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Hi Dave,

I agree that is one of the great features of a WFO, and when I first built mine, that was the way I ultilized it. Now, I very seldom do pizza, I love baking bread and cooking and you learn quickly that bread doesn't function on your timetable. I feel the faster a newbie learn heat management, they will enjoy using the oven and will use it more often. Waiting for a fully saturated well insulated oven to cool down is a B%$#*, especially when you're on your family's schedule and not your own, and one day, that "Why you get so hot in the first place?" sinks in.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Gudday bricky and Laurentius
Welcome back from your trip brickie!
It's emphasized to all newbies on insulation you have heard it before "cooked pizza first night, closed up the oven, baked all next day in a snow storm and still had 100 F in the oven 2 days later. They complete there ovens and cure them the emphasis again is to build the oven up over time to gain to that max temp.
Little is said about a short firing at all. I thought it timely that I mention this and your definitly right Laurentuis it is all about knowing your oven and learning to manage it.... Man taming flame
There has been a link posted that I followed to an e book excerpt that stated that the best way to use a wood fired oven was to start at pizza temps and cook to the cooling oven. I wonder if that was a less insulated design than the forno?
Regards dave

[Laurentius]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Gudday
That's a good looking loaf. Great to see . Just a small point on using you oven there is a school of thought out there that you must take the oven to pizza temps first and then wait as it cools over days to get to the lower baking temps. While that works I done it heaps before its still possible to do a short firing pull out the fire wack on the door and let it the temps settle to roast and bake on the same day. I often poke around the garden while tending the oven and by the end of the day I have both a tidy yard and a roast and bread ... A cold beer and your a satisfied man!
There's now a link at the bottom to hebel doors I have made. There easy to make cheap and the materials easy found. I have found silastic the best way to attach a face to the door it insulates so well the silastic and face are always cool unlike a couple of metal ones I have seen.
Anyway good to see it finished to the cooking stage
Regards dave

Hey Dave,

What school is that from??? The School of Mis-information? I know of 3 Excellent Bakers on this Forum, that belong to the School of Knowing Your Oven, and would argue that taking it to a saturation level that allows you to complete your baking requirement would be the better approach. But as I always say, correct me if I'm wrong, the older I get the wronger, I become.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

. Just a small point on using you oven there is a school of thought out there that you must take the oven to pizza temps first and then wait as it cools over days to get to the lower baking temps.

I havent heard that one before Dave?

[cobblerdave]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Gudday
That's a good looking loaf. Great to see . Just a small point on using you oven there is a school of thought out there that you must take the oven to pizza temps first and then wait as it cools over days to get to the lower baking temps. While that works I done it heaps before its still possible to do a short firing pull out the fire wack on the door and let it the temps settle to roast and bake on the same day. I often poke around the garden while tending the oven and by the end of the day I have both a tidy yard and a roast and bread ... A cold beer and your a satisfied man!
There's now a link at the bottom to hebel doors I have made. There easy to make cheap and the materials easy found. I have found silastic the best way to attach a face to the door it insulates so well the silastic and face are always cool unlike a couple of metal ones I have seen.
Anyway good to see it finished to the cooking stage
Regards dave

[Cookie Monster]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Looks great. The tasty end of the WFO building project and isn't it worth the work!!

The temp gauge in the half brick is a good idea too, consider it stolen. Imitation is the highest form of flattery I am told.

No worries Greenman. It's good I can lend an idea myself as I have stolen plenty from other peoples builds along the way.

By the way thank you to everyone on here that has helped me with the build. This website is a fantastic resource and I don't think I would have even tried to start it without Forno Bravo being here.

Thanks

[Cookie Monster]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Thanks guys. All the hard work has finally paid off. We can start enjoying some meals cooked in the old girl. Still a bit to do with finishing touches and insulation but I will get there...

Wood Duck

If you have a look in the second photo, the shot of the oven at night you will see in the bottom left hand corner a roughly cut piece of Hebel sitting on top of two bricks. I put the half brick with the temp gauge in between the other two. There you have it one temporary door

It still had some gaps around the edge but it did the job. I still had some hot coals up against the back wall when I cooked the bread. To be honest I think it was still way to hot to cook the bread so I had it just inside the door so it didn't burn.

15 minutes and I turned it around for another 15 minutes with the other side facing the coals. I have been practicing making bread in the oven in the kitchen. This turned out better than anything I have cooked before. The oven inside the house just doesn't get hot enough to get these sort of results.

[Greenman]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

Looks great. The tasty end of the WFO building project and isn't it worth the work!!

The temp gauge in the half brick is a good idea too, consider it stolen. Imitation is the highest form of flattery I am told.

[Sharkey]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

First Pizza! Congratulations, it looks great.

[Cookie Monster]

Re: Down Under Brick Dome Build

G'Day Guys,

I had last Friday off work so I took the opportunity to start a small fire around lunchtime. I had already had a few small fires in there during the week to push out some moisture. As the day went on I slowly built it up in order to do some cooking that night for dinner. Around 6PM I had enough of a fire going that the dome finally went white and I knew she was ready to go..

I bought a long probe dial temp gauge. So I could use it while I am cooking I drilled a hole through the middle of half a brick and mounted it in there. I will swap it between that and the door when I get around to making one.

Here are some photos.... It was a bloody beauty!!! Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted sensational.

We cooked about 6 Pizza's, 2 Pides and a loaf of bread. I was very pleased with the results