Texman Build

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Thanks for all the complements! I am so glad to have this kitchen done. Nate-glad to hear from you and keep on truckin' on that kitchen. Remind your wife that this kitchen was a 3 year project I hope she has a lot of patience and you have a strong back. I would recommend the roof, it really opens up a lot of options; hopefully i can help along the way.

I actually made pizza last night, (or something that resembles pizza anyway) I do not have any tools yet, but made do. I had to cook the pizza on aluminum pans because i couldn't figure out how to get my sticky dough off of the pan without a peel and we were out of flour. Oh well, pizza was good! Especially the pepperoni-pineapple-jalepeno.

I made the kitchen island yesterday from Lowes stock Aspen and poplar. Needs paint and stain, so i covered with the old towel so we could use it last nite.

Dome mostly cleared with 4 logs of oak in about an hour and a half. Dome 915, floor 520 when we started cooking. Temps were 425 this morning with an ill fitting plywood door overnite.

I rolled the dough using a roller and then loaded the pies right there on the pan. That is when i discovered that the pies were not leaving the pan until cooked. I made the dough about the same time i started the fire. I did it all wrong but it was still very tasty and i learned lots in a hurry.

Now i remember why i started this kitchen, good times!

Tracy

[mrchipster]

Re: Texman Build

Simply Beautiful....

Your oven will hold heat longer once you have had a big party and longer fire, your brick where not probably saturated fully with heat and you can expect 700+ the next morning with full saturation and a good door.

Chip

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Chip

I am using a roughly butchered version of your dough recipe. I got a late start last night and i agree, i don't think the dome was saturated. This is the hottest i have had it yet, though.

How long do you guys normally take to heat the dome and how much wood?

need the door and some tools definitely, oh, and learn how to make dough.

Any advice on whether to use a mixer or do by hand?

Tracy

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

takes me about 1.5 hours and 7-8 pieces of wood to get mine hot

On the dough, I sometimes use the dough blade in my food processor, but prefer the "stretch and fold" method.

[dvm]

Re: Texman Build

How long do you guys normally take to heat the dome and how much wood?

I think you will find that you can cook pizza at almost any (high) temperature. I like to cook pizza with the floor at about 700 F (as measures with the laser thermometer on the surface - not the buried K-wire); the cooler it is the longer it takes (and the more topping you can use per pie). I have gotten the floor hotter but if you drink beer like I do while cooking, bad thinks can happen in a few seconds above 750 F. I find that how many Pies I can cook at 700 depends on how Much Heat I have saturated into the oven before starting. On a recent weekend I fired the oven for 3 hours before cooking 40 pizzas. I used a lot of wood with the coals spread over the whole floor. Before cooking I shoveled out 3/4 of the coals into a pail with a tight lid (the larger pieces burn great another day). I banked the remaining coals and put one piece of wood on to flame - I replace this once and in 60 minutes finished the 40 pies with the final floor temp around 650 (no beer). Without a live log, my oven floor quickly goes to 600 F. I think this may improve once I quit working with water (recently grinding my cement landing) around the oven and the floor becomes bone dry. With the insulated door in place the oven loses about 125 degrees per day.

[dvm]

Re: Texman Build

One more comment on tools for the oven. I highly recommend this f/b peelThe Ultimate Pizza Peel 16" :: Pizza Peels & Oven Tools :: Forno Bravo Store
We (and our rookie guests) make bases on our granite counter in the house and then transfer to these flexible plastic cutting sheets.

We then have a station for sauce and another for toppings; then out to the landing next to the oven. The key to minimize frustration and speed at the oven (therefore up to 4 pies in at a time) is LOTS of Semolina. I have the guests apply a liberal amount before placing the bases on the transfer sheets from a shaker can (we post a photo of what a proper amount looks like) and I keep a cookie sheet with semolina next to the oven. The transfer sheets are easily tipped to slide the pie onto the peel and THE HOLES IN THE PEEL allow one to discard excess semolina with a small back and forth shake before placing in the oven (over the cookie sheet). If the peel gets a little sauce on it - a rub in the oven side Semolina dries it out quickly between pies.
We have a dozen or so of the transfer sheets. My wife found a great way to stand them up to dry after washing using the "grass" fingers as in the photo.

[Lburou]

Re: Texman Build

Three years? Wow, that went fast

There is always something to learn, or relearn, with these ovens. I'm guessing that the floor might get hotter (in relation to the dome temp) as the moisture finally gets out of every little cranny of your oven.

When I have more than about 100 degrees difference between the dome and floor temps, its usually after a wet couple weeks outside without firing the oven. There are advantages to cooking at the cooler temps, mainly producing less burned flour on the bottom side.

Someone here wrote along time ago how they closed the oven door after heating to 'equalize' the dome/floor temps for 30-45 minutes, shooting for about 100 degrees difference. When I don't do that 'equalizing' I regret it one way or another.

Awesome to see you and your family enjoying your masterpiece!!!

[mrchipster]

Re: Texman Build

takes me about 1.5 hours and 7-8 pieces of wood to get mine hot

On the dough, I sometimes use the dough blade in my food processor, but prefer the "stretch and fold" method.

About the same time and wood for me.

I use the mixer kitchenaid classic 4.5 quart with dough hook to get the initial mix done and then do a few stretch and fold a few times over the 48 hr bulk cold ferment in the fridge.

I have started to try a little less bread flour ... More all purpose to get a less springy dough, the high protein fights back a lot. Great for a NY style but trying of or something with a little more of a cracker crust.

I like the idea of putting the door on to equalize the oven, I will try that on my next cook.


Chip

[Lburou]

Re: Texman Build

-snip-
I have started to try a little less bread flour ... More all purpose to get a less springy dough, the high protein fights back a lot. -snip-

Chip

My family prefers King Arthur (brand was chosen because its available and texassourdough uses it) all purpose flour because the dough is softer and isn't as tough while chewing. I've been mixing dough a bit longer to improve extensibility, still low on the learning curve. How long are you mixing with your KA?

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

Tracy -
I posted this in another thread too - there is a chapter in The Art of Wood Fired Cooking on oven heat management. I found it super helpful in terms of how to get the oven to pizza (and other cooking) temps. Best thing is, Google Reader has a free online version!

The Art of Wood-Fired Cooking - Andrea Mugnaini - Google Books

[Lburou]

Re: Texman Build

Tracy -
I posted this in another thread too - there is a chapter in The Art of Wood Fired Cooking on oven heat management. I found it super helpful in terms of how to get the oven to pizza (and other cooking) temps. Best thing is, Google Reader has a free online version!

The Art of Wood-Fired Cooking - Andrea Mugnaini - Google Books

I have the book, it is excellent! Wish I'd known about the online availability.

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

I have the book, it is excellent! Wish I'd known about the online availability.

I have the book too, and think it very good. The only version is only the first couple chapters - but it's a really useful bit.

[CoyoteVB]

Re: Texman Build

Wow. Great job!

[mrchipster]

Re: Texman Build

My family prefers King Arthur (brand was chosen because its available and texassourdough uses it) all purpose flour because the dough is softer and isn't as tough while chewing. I've been mixing dough a bit longer to improve extensibility, still low on the learning curve. How long are you mixing with your KA?

Two minutes to incorporate the water then I let it sit for about 15 minutes, I then add salt and oil and mix for another 2 minutes.

I do a few stretch and folds in bulk over the next 48 hours. And form the balls at about 12 hours before use. Still playing with time and temp not sure if I am doing things right yet but having a lot of fun with dough.

Chip

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

I finally have a Door! Two actually, an insulated and a "smoker door" I haven't taken a pic of the smoker door yet. The insulted is 3/16" steel with fb board insulation. it is HEAVY though. I think it needs a layer of wood to hold more heat because the whole thing heats to oven temp of course. Which brings my question: The combustion temp of Dry oak is 900deg F. So the oven door and temp read about 650 with a cleared dome, so i am thinking that oak will work and especially on the handles. I melted my old oven mitts handling the door last firing.
I also purchased tools from our host got the nifty fireplace tool with blow tube built in.
I actually finally cooked on the actual oven floor, not a cookie sheet since i had real pizza tools. Very cool. burned the bottom of the crust though. Floor was about 760f dome 970f ish. Too hot i guess. Pizza cooked in about 30-40 seconds. I should probably wet mop and cool the floor a little bit. It is so cool to see the dome clear for the first time. Anyway just some rambling of the fun of learning how to use what all the hard work produced.
Tracy