Dave's Pics of Progress

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Oh yeah.

All of a sudden I am as busy as can be.
My boss moved up in position, and although I haven't officially moved into his, I am now doing his work, and mine.
So it's nice to be busy.
But it's a bit crazy!

I'm sure I will have some down time soon.
It looks like I have a lot of catching up to do!

I tried to cook some Gyros in the WFO over the weekend. It didn't work so well... but I have different plans for next time.
I'll post some pics soon.

Hope all is well in your world!

Dave

[Ken524]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Hey Dave! Happy New Year. I'm trying to catch up on about 3 weeks worth of postings (nearly impossible). Your cooking looks fabulous as usual. I missed which recipe you tried for the Gyros.

We cooked up Alton Brown's Gyro's with Tzatziki Sauce several month's back and really enjoyed them. Is that the recipe you tried or was it another?

Hope you had a great Christmas!

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Hey Dave! Happy New Year. I'm trying to catch up on about 3 weeks worth of postings (nearly impossible).

I feel your pain. I have been busy at work, and I think I finally have a bit of time to post and read today!

Your cooking looks fabulous as usual. I missed which recipe you tried for the Gyros.We cooked up Alton Brown's Gyro's with Tzatziki Sauce several month's back and really enjoyed them. Is that the recipe you tried or was it another?

I tired Alton Brown's recipe. I didn't think it was quite right. Good but...
I think it needs different spices, and the texture is wrong. I'm gonna try a bit of curing next time with some Morten's curing salt.

Hope you had a great Christmas!

We had an awesome Christmas.!!
I hope you and your family did too!

Dave

[dusty]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave,
Have you fixed any of your cracks? If so, how? If not, then I'm gonna put my repairs on the back burner for a while too.

dusty

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

I tried squirting in some chimney caulk before I insulated with vermiculite.
But I think it melted and came out, because there were times I found black gooey stuff in weird places.
I wouldn't worry to much about the cracks in the dome.
They are kind of interesting to look at.

Now the arch cracks... I think those should be repaired for aesthetic reasons, as well as structural reasons. (i.e. chimney weight)
but I'm waiting for spring! Sunlight and warmth!!!

Any ways... that's how I'm approaching the cracks.

Let me know what you do Dustman!

Dave

[dusty]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

there were times I found black gooey stuff in weird places.
Dave

Nice!....Maybe I should chill for a while myself. The dust should settle, so to speak.
I put that black goo stuff on my back crack when the oven was hot and the crack was open. It got rock hard by the time the oven cooled. Seemed the heat "cured" it. Then it rained for a few days and I couldn't light another fire. When I went back out there yesterday, the stuff was goo again. I lit a fire that reached 550 degrees, the stuff got hard again, but cracked. I then put more black goo in the back, but rubbed sone mortar in the front one. Everything looks good today, but I have another fire going now so we'll soon see.

dusty

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

I think cracks are a part of it
Dustman..

At least in my world.

They bugged the @$@#$# out of me at first.

But so far.. my rig is standing. And it cooks awesome!

So don't sweat the cracks.


As James said:
"Embrace them!"

More pics Dustman>?


dave

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Yep, cracks....I think everybody has them!

[dusty]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Yea..and it seems that since I have started using the oven, I have spent my time and energy on that, instead of worring about fixing cracks. And like you said, it works great.

Question - How do you make those pitas? I know we have the perfect oven to bake them in, just not sure how.

dusty

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Hey Dusty!

I usually cook pitas when the oven is almost pizza ready.
thirty minutes prior..? (Give or take a beer or two.)


Anyways. Clear a spot on your floor. Preferably close enough to the front of the oven where you can reach the little suckers with LOOOOOOONg tongs.

... ahead of myself.

Before doing these things... dough>>> duh.

For the dough I use almost the standard recipe.
500 gr flour
300 gr water
3 grams yeast .. (i sometimes use 1.5 grams if I want a slower rise)
10 grams of salt

Mix normally. Let the whole batch rise and double. Then I break it into 8 dough balls. About 101 grams each. Then let them double again, or store in the fridge over night.

While the oven is firing, I will roll these out. Shoot for 7 inches or so (give or take a beer or two)

Use plenty of flour to keep em from sticking. I lay mine out overlapping the previous one to save room.

Then, I head outside with 2 or 3. Next, I toss them on the cleared hot floor.
In about 45-60 seconds (give or take a sip of beer or two) I turn them over.
They will start puffing up. It's really cool! (I'm feeling another video coming on here) And I let em cook another 45 seconds or so. Then pull them out!

And you're done!

Bon appetit!

Dave

[dusty]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Thanks man! Another video would be great, but I think I got the picture. I remember seeing my sitto (grandma) do it, but I was a liitle kid. I remember her baking them on the floor of a really hot gas oven. I also remember them puffing up like half of a ball and that being, like you said, very cool. I just couldn't remember if she used a ball of dough rolled out, or two balls rolled out with one on top of the other and then sealed around the edge. Hers were never round like store-bought ones and we never opened them back up to put sandwich stuff or anything inside. When it cooled, and the top settled back down, we might put some butter on it, but that's how we ate "Syrian bread." More like a tortilla, but lots better.

I never thought about that once the whole time I was building my oven. Wasn't 'til I saw you tossing that huge skin and talking about making pitas, that that whole memory came flashing back. When I fire it up again, you can bet that I will have eight little dough balls ready to go.

Almost pizza ready temp, you say. Like it hasn't turned white just yet? Or just starting to? Maybe 650 degrees then?

dusty

[Les]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave,

I appreciate your timing references to “beer” – paints a much clearer picture in my mind then a stupid clock. It’s all about being able to relate.

Les...

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave,

I appreciate your timing references to “beer” – paints a much clearer picture in my mind then a stupid clock. It’s all about being able to relate.

Les...

Anytime!

[Acoma]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave, we need to close this thread. Dave's Pics of progress Your done.

Now it should be communications on a new thread posted by you as:
"Dave's food network".

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave, we need to close this thread. Dave's Pics of progress Your done.

Now it should be communications on a new thread posted by you as:
"Dave's food network".

LOL!

I'm reliving my glory days!

Keep building!!!

DAve