Last brick (well almost)

[gjbingham]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Thanks Julian,
Good update on the Duratech situation. Keep us up to date on your (hopefully successful) progress.
George

[Gentcpa]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Hi:

I seemed to have resolved my arch issues. The cracks are still there but not much I can do about them at this point, they aren't opening up as badly now.

Yesterday we did pizza and today there will be more.

Yesterday:

1. Rosemary, olive oil and salt - one of my favourites (pictured)

2. Pepperoni (pictured with a happy customer)

3. Pineapple salsa (homemade) with smoked ham

4. Mussels and garlic

5. Pears, oil and brown sugar (perfect with ice cream)

Didn't stretch the dough enough on the first one so it bubbled like crazy as you can see in the picture.


Today is Thanksgiving and more pizza.


It is even more satisfying to bite into these creations. Way better than any restaurant.


Have a happy and safe holiday to those state side (everyone else too)



Julian

[sarah h]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Those look like great pizzas ... and one happy customer! Happy Thanksgiving!

[gjbingham]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Great looking Pizza! Looks like your son enjoyed it.
Happy Thanksgiving.
George

[Gentcpa]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Day two of pizza didn't go as well. Ninety second pizza? I ended up with 10 second pizza and ended up cooking most of the pizzas in the entry way. I had one very hot oven. Still nobody complained and we all stuffed ourselves.

My wife suggested more today but I am done for now, I will fire this thing up again on Sunday. Hopefully, a little less aggressively this time. It was pretty cool though I had spontanious combustion inside the oven and wood placed in the entry way was even catching fire...

[gjbingham]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

10 second pizza??? Now that's one hot oven!

[Gentcpa]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

The first 10 second pizza went to the dog. Most of the second one did as well. After that I cooked the pizzas in the entry way. I need to take it much easier with the wood next time. Ninety seconds is about right for good pizza. To see it burning pretty much as soon as you get it off the peel isn't good. I also had to break out the long gloves so I didn't get burned which I didn't have to do the day before. The inside of the oven is still hot 24hrs later, it hasn't been out of the 30's all day it is windy and there is no door...

Live and learn.


Julian

[gjbingham]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Sounds like you've got plenty of thermal mass if it stays hot that long without insulation on it yet. (or am I wrong about the latter?)

How's the chimney system holding up to all that heat?

George

[Gentcpa]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

I have a layer of insulfrax on the outside of the oven.

Inlaws came over for pizza tonight. I am getting the hang on the whole fire thing. Last time I built it up too quickly and everything ended up way too hot. This time I built the fire slowly and never made it that big. The pizza was very well received. The big hit seems to olive oil, goat cheese and olives with balsamic vinegar soaked baby spinach. I add the spinach about half way through cooking.

Funny that goat cheese is viewed with such suspicion until they actually try it. I may as well have said that good mozzarella is made by milking green animals from mars when I told my visitors them that it was from buffalo.

Pears, brown sugar, olive oil, walnuts with a dollop of vanilla ice cream was a big hit also.

Next up is at least a 30 plus pizza party next weekend. Should be interesting, I might finally get to some of the combos that I have been planning. Funny though we received some negatives from some people then they saw some pictures and all of a sudden they are coming.

[asudavew]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Next up is at least a 30 plus pizza party next weekend. Should be interesting, I might finally get to some of the combos that I have been planning. Funny though we received some negatives from some people then they saw some pictures and all of a sudden they are coming.

You might heat it up as hot as you did for 10 sec pizzas. Then let it cool down!
Start early.......
I think learning how to fire the WFO properly is more fun than building it...

Both are challenges.

I had 50 sec pizza last night.
Done on bottom. Done on top. Over done on sides.
Not done in the middle.

Learning curves..........

Great job so far.

Post some pics!

dave

[sarah h]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Your pizzas sound great, especially the pear one - glad to hear you're enjoying your oven! I agree with Dave tough ...post photos!!

Sarah

[gjbingham]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Julian,
Can I come too?? You're pizza toppings sound really creative.

Goat cheese and buffalo milk....too much information for some people, huh?
G.

[gjbingham]

Re: Last brick (well almost)

Oops, I forgot to ask,
How do you plan to make enough dough for 30 pizzas? I've been thinking about that question for awhile. I use a recipe that uses a "Biga" pre-ferment of a portion of the dough overnight. I got it out of the Bread Bakers Apprentice book, which is a really great resource.

Anyway, the work that goes into making dough for eight or so pizzas is about all I can imagine using a preferment.