The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

What I did on year 3!

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

What I did on year 3!

 

 

 

While having my morning tea and viewing the latest on TFL, I noticed yesterday was another beginning year for my membership.  I wasn't going to post this bake, but what a great excuse to show what I did for most the day and evening yesterday!  

The weather was gorgeous, finally another lovely warm sunny day. 

We've had a lot of welcome rain and cool weather lately and a day in the high 70's and sunshine was welcome...especially since I had planned on firing up the WFO.

It had the door sealed against the rain and the wood underneath and inside was protected from the wet.  Well, I hadn't planned on it being damp just from the moisture from the rain, so it took me nearly two hours to get a good hot fire going without the smoke, even the wood I had stored inside the oven seemed cool maybe damp, sometimes I think the wood I purchased 'white oak' was a bit on the green side.  They also have fairly large cuts, I like to start the fire with smaller cuts, which I usually ask for at the firewood supply, and build the fire up larger, then I have my fire up a going great without the smoke in about 15 minutes. 

It took me a while just to learn how to make a proper fire. All I learned about making fires was in my 3rd grade 'Brownies' camp trips and then the fire was made in a coffee can and we cooked on top.  I still remember those great hamburgers we made...I always loved to cook even as a kid.  I still remember the first thing I ever cooked.  My mom let me heat up some peas in a pot.  I was about 4 years old...that started my love of cooking!

I think the neatest thing is that once you get the fire going you can tell immediately when it's fired up and ready...then I can start adding a log about every half hour or so...I love tossing the log in and watching it burst into flames without all the smoke...the coals and fire are so hot, no more waiting for the newly added wood to catch fire, each new log just combusts into flames!

Well, I had my head stuck in the WFO!  I said to Mike, when he asked why is your face so red, as he came in from his bike ride..he's so thrilled with his new mountain bike, weighs less than 22 lbs. and has those big new wheels..what a deal he got ;/  

Back to baking!  I planned on pizza's for the us and for the neighbors across the street and then when they were done I had a pork roast, that would be easy, just put a little seasoning on and put it into the oven as the fire was turning to embers, and after that I would make some simple Rustic Apple pies with those lovely organice apples I had in the refrigerator.  I wish now I would have added some nice buns for the shredded pork roast...maybe today I'll bake some!  

Oh, I just remembered, I have some loaves in the frig waiting to be baked, the tea must be kicking in : )

So here's the WFO bake for my third year on TFL.  What great time and learning experience it has been and will be...Thanks to You All :) :) :) and a

'Very Special Thank You' to Floyd and Family or none of us would be here today!

 

Pictures, this is what I took!!

 

 

 

 

 

                   Ham, Pineapple and Creme Fraiche Pizza - Peter Reinhart's American Pie - Neo-Neapolitan Pizza Dough is used today on all the pizza's

 

 

 

          Mike's, Pepperoni and Plain Mozz Pizza's - I had enough dough for 8 large pizza's - I didn't put very little char on neighbors pizza's

       

 

 

                      Rustic Apple Pies Baking - Dough recipe is from I. Garten's apple tart - Filled with organic apples, little sugar and butter

                   

 

                                          Ready after about 35 - 40 mins. - I used Gala organic apples - lovely tender and sweet 

                               

 

                        Wood fired baked pork roast to be enjoyed with tonights fresh baked Sourdough bread 

            

 

 

                         Tonight's Dessert too!

 

                 

 

                               Sylvia

Comments

wally's picture
wally

Who needs an oven when you've got that wfo.  What a meal!  Everything looks superb.

How long did the pork roast bake?  I'm assuming you did the pizzas first and then when the temp dropped put in the roast?  The tarts look sooo good.

Yum!

Larry

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

You know I was so busy running the one man show around here at dinner time, I just stuck the roast in the oven in a foil pan lined with foil, didn't want to mess up my foil pan :) stuck it on a cookie sheet and in it went right after the pizza's were done/ dinner...the oven's heat hadn't really leveled out but I put it in an area of about 425 450heat for apx. 3 to 4 hours..never bothered with moving it around or anything...I was making dinner, pie dough and tiding up..so it baked about 3 maybe longer hours...just till I could see it was fork tender...it really does taste wonderful with very ittle seasoning..the wood fire does that great.  So Pizza's first, oven was extra hot 900 in some spots, floor about 750 in spots.  The temperature was dropping pretty fast as they went in late and cool night air..but baked around 350 some areas hotter when moved around.  I really wanted to do some sandwich buns, but just didn't get the dough started.

Sylvia

davidg618's picture
davidg618

has almost--I've got too many projects already--inspired me to build a wood-fired oven. Everything, absolutely everything, looks wonderful

David G

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Happy to be of inspiration!  If you can build your own oven...I would say, drop one of those projects and get going :)  you won't believe the flavors!  If I didn't have a wfo after tasting what comes of it...I think I would dig a pit in my backyard 'if legal' and start cooking over and under the camp fire!

Sylvia

arlo's picture
arlo

Nice demonstration of all the great goods that you can create with your wood fired oven! Absolutely fantastic!

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

arlo, your an inspiration!

Sylvia

louie brown's picture
louie brown

A wfo is my dream, Sylvia. Thanks for the vicarious pleasure.

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

You know what they say if your wish hard enough...I'm a firm believer in that saying!

Sylvia

Franko's picture
Franko

Oh Sylvia that's not fair! Putting a wood fired pork roast alongside of your lovely pizzas and apple tart? How am I supposed to make any sort of objective appraisal of your baking when all I'm thinking about is how good that roast looks. It all looks wonderful but.....did I mention how good that pork roast looks?

Franko

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

I know it'a not bread..but it sure goes great...I haven't bought liquid smoke in agea...lol!

Sylvia

M2's picture
M2

Gorgeous bake!

Michelle

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Sylvia

breadsong's picture
breadsong

It'll be dinnertime soon and I've got an appetite now after seeing the yummy things that are coming out of your WFO!!!
The creme fraiche on your pizza sounds really good - I tried this once on an oven-baked flatbread (Richard Bertinet's Flamiche) - loved it.
Sure wish I was one of your neighbors...and Happy Anniversary!  :^)
from breadsong

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

The creme fraiche was a first time and it was very tasty...I will use it again on pizza's...hummm I can think of lot's of pizza's to use it on...delicious stuff!  

Sylvia 

 

GSnyde's picture
GSnyde

Nice bakes!  And roast, too.

Happy Anniversary.

Glenn

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

It was nice realizing after I baked the pizza's..that was what brought me to TFL.

Sylvia

LindyD's picture
LindyD

My goodness, just looking at all those wonderful foods makes my head spin.

A most beautiful feast, Sylvia!

No baking in my WFS (wood-fired-stove), but at least it keeps the house toasty warm while the outdoor thermometer reads a brisk 4F.  

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

wow 4F...I grew up in the desert..I think I would just turn into a snowball and blow away..what kind of clothes do you wear in that cold of weather..the coldest I've been in was 20F...I thought I would freeze to death stuck to something!  A WFS does sound wonderful and cozy!

Sylvia

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Down jackets, good boots and warm gloves, Sylvia.  Not fashionable, but warm!

With cold, you can always add layers to get warmer but with heat, you can only remove so many layers before you get arrested for indecent exposure.  ;-)

How much wood does it take to get a WFO hot enough to bake?  Do you have to buy your wood or do you have nearby woodlands or a state forest where it can be gathered?  

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Now that I'm older I like the cooler weather more and more...not into bikini's and spending all day at the lake in 115F and up anymore 'lol'

I just buy my wood usually from a hugh wood yard that's only a few miles away also there are several other smaller fruit stands and homes that sit off the road and sell nice cut up logs of wood..you can pick from oak, avocado or fruit woods..oak cost just a little more but it is my favorite..it burns the hottest, longest and cleanest and tastes great for all cooking purposes.  Wild oak trees are all over place and wood would not be hard to find I'm and some people offer free firewood.

I start with 4 small logs and once they are going I add a log for as long as I want the fire to keep going..it takes a good 2 hours to get a really nice hot oven..over 900F in areas..but then the oven has to level out the heat..but you can make pizza's in about 2 hrs. after starting the fire.  There is a saying that goes something like this..you only get the heat out of your oven what you put into it...so the longer it's fired the longer it will hold the heat..into the next morning if you want it too.

You can tell when a WFO is ready and hot by it's ceiling..the inside of the oven ceiling and walls are completely black and when the oven is ready the ceiling and walls all turn light greyish white.

Sylvia

ehanner's picture
ehanner

The pie looks wonderful, pizza and apple, but the pork roast, that's unbelievable!

Happy 3rd anniversary!

Eric

Franko's picture
Franko

Ha! I figured the mention of roast pork in a WFO would get your attention you old smoke hound. Notice how nicely the meat is shredding along the grain? I'd say Sylvia has some serious BBQ competition level skills as well as being an outstanding baker, wouldn't you?

Franko

rossnroller's picture
rossnroller

Mouthwatering, Sylvia. I want some, I want some, I want some, I want some...SIGH!

Just LURVE apple pie - can you tell?

Cheers!
Ross

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Eric, Ross, karneval12..@ and Franko!  You should have seen the first one I roasted...I just left it in the cooling oven, overnight...like some had suggested...well my oven was fired all day..the longer you fire your oven the longer it will retain heat...I got up the next morning...a little later...smelled a strange smell..checked on the pork roast...unwrapped it from the foil it was covered in...there was nothing...just some ashes and a few little bone bits..bone, all was gone..it was really kind of a funny lesson learned.  Now I just put it in the oven uncovered...leave pretty much unattended until fork tender after a few hours.  My in-laws used to do a Boston pic-nic or Butt all the time on the coals grill..uncovered and sauced all-day until it was completely black on the outside...then peel off the blackened fat..it was fantastic.

Sylvia

Mebake's picture
Mebake

I'd love to see pictures of some miche in that lovely WFO of yours. Very nice bakes, Sylvia

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

Thanks, Mebake!

ananda's picture
ananda

Great baking Sylvia!

My wood fired oven has finally re-appeared now the snow has melted.   I hope to use it soon!

Best wishes

Andy

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

You are always an inspiration!  Glad to hear you are thawing out and getting ready to season up your wfo!

Sylvia