The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Baking in the Bush

mimmo_gsr's picture
mimmo_gsr

Baking in the Bush

Hi All,

Just got back from a camping trip and decided to try my hand at baking a fresh loaf of bread in the camp oven.

The oven is a Bedourie Camp oven and is made from spun steel as opposed to cast iron like most are made from. This oven was developed in Australia as the cast iron ovens used to weigh too much when the cattlemen were in the outback.

I have modified a 330mm pizza stone to fit into this oven with the help of a turbo style 105mm Diamond Blade.

The bread itself was made as follows.

250g of Biga (equal quantity of premium white flour and water + 1/4 tsp of yeast)
250g Premium White Flour
~200g of Water
Salt

Biga was started on Friday Morning, and left to ferment all day. This was added to other ingredients at around 4:30 and left to prove in a warm place. Stretched and Folded at 9:00pm, left overnight and then stretched and folded again at 7:00am and 10:00am. Left in warm car all day until 4:00, stretched and folded a final time before being put into the Bedourie Oven (with pizza stone) for around 40mins.

Final result was an excellent loaf that if I was to criticize could have done with an extra 5 to 10 mins. However it was good enough for the bush!

Anyone else bake whilst camping?

Mimmo

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Great bread and coals!  What else went with it?  Camera angle lets me feel like I was there sitting on a nearby rock.  Thanks for sharing

Mini

yozzause's picture
yozzause

Hi MIMMO
I have baked a few times when we have been away camping and fishing up at Shark Bay, it took a couple of goes to get everything just right with the fire and temperature, but have had some memorable loaves out of the old cast iron camp oven.
I have even used seawater in my dough Amuch to the horror of fellow campers who had seen dinners ruined by the addition off seawater.
beaing a vast relativly shallow area the seawater in the bay is quite consentrated (you float like a cork when you take a dip) so iused half sea and the rest water that we have to cart in, it is a very dry area. But the fishing is wonderfull and to be camped on the beach with some good mates and not see another sole for a week is close to paradise. the guys reckon even closer with fresh baked bread.
regards Yozza

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Great job of baking a loaf in the bush.  Your pizza stone fit perfect.  Thanks for sharing!

Sylvia

ehanner's picture
ehanner

The best of the best. What could be better than hand made bread over a camp fire?

Eric