Pizza in Woodside, Australia

[Tim F]

We fired up again tonight - pizza 2 nights in a row, now that's decadent

I took a lot of pics along the way this time. Better find a more appropriate forum to post them after this I guess

We went out today and got some nice dry redgum branches. Having some older wood definitely made a difference. There was almost no smoke out the front, the chimney drew really well this time. The pizzas were much better after a longer rise.

I knocked up a quick door this morning too so I could bake some bread. It is just pine plank, and I soaked it in water for a few hours before cooking to stop it spontaneously combusting. No signs of charring but I'm not sure how long it will hold its shape.

The bread came out pretty well but I did cook it a bit hot. It was cooked in about 10 minutes. I think I will have to spend some time adapting to baking in the WFO before I get it just right.

[Tim F]

Re: Tims oven - early days!

More pics - I committed the cardinal sin and cut open the funniest shaped loaf straight out of the oven to try it. Lovely drizzled with little olive oil.

[christo]

Re: Tims oven - early days!

great looking pies!!!! The one with onions looked especially good! I'll take two, please.

Bread looks great - especially for a first try! Mine taste good but never seem to look good.

I love the big fire pics, too

Christo

[Tim F]

Re: Tims oven - early days!

The bread tasted pretty nice, and my coworkers were impressed enough. To be honest, one of the loaves exploded into some kind of bizarre mutant but I just hid that bit when I took the photo

I could really get used to this lifestyle... I got home from work and fired up the oven, called up my gfs brother and his partner and they came around for a couple of pizzas, steak grilled over coals raked to the front, then a beer can chicken with rosemary and some potatoes. Heavens to betsy that tasted good. I finished off by roasting some capsicums for pizzas or something later in the week. Burrrrp!

[nodoubt68]

Re: Tims oven - early days!

Tim you are making me so JEALOUS........Hope you enjoyed it all, I bet your family did !!

[james]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Hey Tim,

This is looking so good. Way to go; you are definitely getting the hang of this. :-)

One small thing -- when you build up a really big bed of coals, and you are mostly cooking pizza (and the coals keep spilling out on the cooking floor), you can shovel a lot of those coals out. Just keep feeding the fire to keep a nice big flame!

Oh, and one more thing. Never cut into a warm loaf again (hah hah).
James

[Tim F]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Thanks for the tip! I'm on the lookout for fire-tending implements; a long handled shovel will go on the list I think.

[Justin]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Hi Tim, i just purchased a small ash shovel from Bunnings and attached a long wooden handle to it (also from Bunnings) It seems quite hard to find these tools in Australia.
Your Pizzas look great! I'll be doing me first ever pizzas next weekend i think.

[nissanneill]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Good one Tim,
now you'll be scouring those back roads and calling in to farmers to clean up all that fallen wood that might be a hazard to their stock eh?
We have friends at Charleston with numerous fallen trees on their dairy property that I got the odd load of wood.
Great pizzas, and max use of the heat. Guess you'll get to use more of the heat to dry your oversupplied vegies, herbs and not so dry firewood.
It is hard with that smell of fresh bread, not to cut and enjoy it whilst it is hot. Guilty as charged an every occasion!

Cheers.

Neill

[Tim F]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Hi Tim, i just purchased a small ash shovel from Bunnings and attached a long wooden handle to it (also from Bunnings) It seems quite hard to find these tools in Australia.
Your Pizzas look great! I'll be doing me first ever pizzas next weekend i think.

Excellent idea - I'm visiting the hardware shop today with some xmas vouchers so I will keep a lookout for something similar. I need to find a wire brush with a wooden handle as well.

Good luck with your pizzas!

Neil - I certainly have been busy 'cleaning up the roadsides'

[david s]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

I don't bother with a brush ,but use a length of 12mm copper pipe to blow ash away from the cooking surface to the outside, it's much easier.

[the forno life]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Nothing better than a loaf fresh out of the oven, cut in half, loaded with ripe tomatoes olive oil, and chopped fresh herbs... Now that is a childhood memory that feels like yesterday...

Love reading the posts from you all. Pics are great too. Planning my oven now, hope st start soon. Just got to clear a bunch of 15' palms first

Anthony

[nissanneill]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Hi Anthony and welcome aboard.
You mention in your Biography, that you are an Australian/Italian and that you like

Slow food, Living a sustainable life, peasant living

If you get your oven built and going, you will definitely have the slow food!
It is nice too get another member from down under and I have put you on my ever growing list of members.
Get in and let us all know of your intentions complete with plans and photos.

Cheers

Neill

[the forno life]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Hi Neill,
Thanks for the welcome, Although I still am new to the building of a forno I am in no way new to the idea of them. Being of Italian background I was privy to the weekly ritual of baking 20kg of bread and on the special occasion, pizza and a leg of lamb or side of goat.

Now I have the huge task of changing a overgrown palm infested courtyard into a modern Mediterranean living space including an oen as a centre piece.

My first task is the clearing.. I am planning to construct a before/after series of photos which I'll love to share.

The time has come to stop thinking and start doing.

Anthony

[nissanneill]

Re: Pizza in Woodside, Australia

Anthony,
put the palm up on ebay and let the buyers dig them out for you. You could even give them away and get free labour to clear your courtyard.

Post some pics before and after.

Neill