Tweet
I haven?t posted for a while, so first, the high point ?
A few weeks ago, we got our insulating blanket installed and had the first fire with it on ? wow! Even without a vermiculite layer, does that ever make a difference! The coals from a white-dome fire went out around 8 PM and even though the temperature was far below freezing, by the next day at 5 PM the inside of the oven was still not just warm, but hot.
And now for the lows ?
I don?t know whether it?s our inexperience or various winter factors, or both, but the cooking was dismal that day ?
We ruined a batch of bagels.
Ended up cooking the bread the indoor oven when we couldn?t seem to get the FWO heat right.
I burned my arm (scab gone, scars still fading).
The pizzas would NOT slide off the peel.
We burned the first two.
The next ones were undercooked.
Disgusted with my incompetence, I gave up and that?s been it. I turned my attention to reading some great books, perusing on-line seed catalogues, conducting herb research, hunting for reputable dog kennels and studying a map of the ski runs at Whistler (I?m headed there for Easter).
I will get ?back in the saddle? again soon. I know the oven itself is functioning just fine and we will eventually get a better grip on heat management, but being overly ambitious, in a rush, in the dark, in bitter cold, just does not work. As for getting pizza off a peel without inadvertently folding it into a calzone or smushing it accordion-fashion while dumping the toppings all over the oven floor, I?m not sure if I?ll ever master that!
Now I?m going to look through posts to see what you?ve all been doing in the last month.
Ciao,
Sarah
A few weeks ago, we got our insulating blanket installed and had the first fire with it on ? wow! Even without a vermiculite layer, does that ever make a difference! The coals from a white-dome fire went out around 8 PM and even though the temperature was far below freezing, by the next day at 5 PM the inside of the oven was still not just warm, but hot.
And now for the lows ?
I don?t know whether it?s our inexperience or various winter factors, or both, but the cooking was dismal that day ?
We ruined a batch of bagels.
Ended up cooking the bread the indoor oven when we couldn?t seem to get the FWO heat right.
I burned my arm (scab gone, scars still fading).
The pizzas would NOT slide off the peel.
We burned the first two.
The next ones were undercooked.
Disgusted with my incompetence, I gave up and that?s been it. I turned my attention to reading some great books, perusing on-line seed catalogues, conducting herb research, hunting for reputable dog kennels and studying a map of the ski runs at Whistler (I?m headed there for Easter).
I will get ?back in the saddle? again soon. I know the oven itself is functioning just fine and we will eventually get a better grip on heat management, but being overly ambitious, in a rush, in the dark, in bitter cold, just does not work. As for getting pizza off a peel without inadvertently folding it into a calzone or smushing it accordion-fashion while dumping the toppings all over the oven floor, I?m not sure if I?ll ever master that!
Now I?m going to look through posts to see what you?ve all been doing in the last month.
Ciao,
Sarah
) it sticks less. Admittedly it doesn't go as thin either. And wholemeal flour is also great for putting under the pizza dough while shaping it.
Comment