Probably a dumb question

[markjames]

I built my oven probably 15 years ago now using the plans from this site. It worked out really well. I've only ever done pizza in it with the exception of a few spatchcock chickens and roasted vegetables.

I'd like to get into making some breads now.

I've never made a proper door for my oven. I do have a door that I cobbled together with some mineral wool sandwiched between two sheets of stainless that sits in the opening. It's pretty ghetto :-)

I'm curious, though, what the deal on using the door is. When I put the door in place and close it completely it pretty much puts the fire out. Now that may be exactly what's supposed to happen but as the title reads - 'this may be a dumb question'.

So what's the deal on the door? If I'm going to make a 'proper' one what am I looking for.

If this information is somewhere that I should have found and read up on then please just point me in the right direction and I'll go scope it out on my own.

Thanks in advance

[SableSprings]

Glad to hear your oven has been making pizza & smiles for so many years. I'm assuming you're curious if your existing door is going to work when you bake bread in the oven. Since your current door will put out the fire, it's going to work for retained heat baking. I fire my oven for several hours to heat saturate the oven mass, let the fire die to a few coals, remove the ash/coals and let the oven equilibrate and drop to bread baking temps...550F-575F (for my baguettes). That's all done with my firing door (insulated) slightly cocked in place as a damper. During the actual bake loads, I switch to a much lighter door that I can move with one hand. I'm able to bake 15-20 loaves during an afternoon bake. Normally several loads of baguettes, followed by whole wheats & other breads that need lower temps.

Bottom line is that you're not baking bread with a fire in the chamber, so you simply need to have a door that will allow you retain heat and to contain some steam during the first few minutes of the bread bake (so the crust doesn't set before oven spring is complete). Hope that helps a little... by the way, I give my bread to my neighbors so I don't need to invest in larger pants with a Spandex waist.

[markjames]

Ahh - that was the piece of the puzzle I was missing - that no fire was burning while the door was closed. It confused me to the point that I went back and looked at the plans to make sure that I hadn't missed something in the plans that allowed air to enter while the door was closed. But with the wood all burned down and cleaned out and just heat remaining that makes perfect sense.

Glad you mentioned the part about your neighbors. I love baguettes but 15-20 loaves (and the pound of butter and cheese to go with it) would kill me dead lol

Thanks for the help and advice. Tonight is pizza night but I'm gonna start planning some bread bakes.

mark

[Pizzarotic]

I'd like to get into making some breads now.

I've never made a proper door for my oven. I do have a door that I cobbled together with some mineral wool sandwiched between two sheets of stainless that sits in the opening. It's pretty ghetto :-)

I'm curious, though, what the deal on using the door is. When I put the door in place and close it completely it pretty much puts the fire out. Now that may be exactly what's supposed to happen but as the title reads - 'this may be a dumb question'.

For bread baking, remove the coals and clean the floor then fit the door and wait until it is at the desired temperature (oven is stabilised) and your good to go.

Your door sounds pretty good really and should work well. You could replace the mineral wool with ceramic fibre and make the outer face more decorative but generally any insulation sandwiched between 2 layers is what you want.

You can use the door with a fire/coals by leaving it slightly ajar and regulate the fire that way but probably not for bread.

[markjames]

For bread baking, remove the coals and clean the floor then fit the door and wait until it is at the desired temperature (oven is stabilised) and your good to go.

Your door sounds pretty good really and should work well. You could replace the mineral wool with ceramic fibre and make the outer face more decorative but generally any insulation sandwiched between 2 layers is what you want.

You can use the door with a fire/coals by leaving it slightly ajar and regulate the fire that way but probably not for bread.

Thanks.

That's what I had originally thought was the way to go but the swings were too wild and erratic plus it would cause a lot of smoke with the fire/coals burning/smothering/burning/smothering