ideas for the oven after the bread

Historically, as the oven cooled, breads and pastries that require less heat were baked once the main bread was out, followed by roasts and puddings which required a still lower temperature but a lot of time.

I'd look in Elizabeth David for some ideas.

How wonderful you have an outdoor oven. I'm hoping to build one this summer! I agree about this site being addictive. I bake almost everyday--my only problem is finding people to give my wears away too. As for what to do with the oven after the bread is out, why don't you try looking googling some historical recipes.

--Pamela

since i've built my oven, i've been challenging myself to see how much i can cook in one firing.

you have to be organized, but we usually start with pizza and flatbreads, then do high-temp quick roasting of veggies (brussel sprouts, etc), then lean breads, then an enriched bread, then a meat, like chicken or roast, then slower roasting root veggies.  we also throw in a head of garlic with olive oil, s&p wrapped in foil.

an easy favorite is roasted root vegetables.  we cut up yams, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions (whatever you have around) toss in olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, throw in a bunch of garlic cloves and roast in a roasting pan.  we do another pan of broccoli or broccolini tossed with crushed garlic, olive oil and s&p.

the broccoli keeps for several days in the fridge and is a great side dish.  the root veggies we eat as a side, or puree with broth to make soup, or, lately, mix into a meat loaf.

last week i also roasted bacon brushed with maple syrup on a rack over a baking sheet.  my friend calls it pig candy.

Check out the new wood-fired oven category on this forum for more info. As a woodie, you are cordially invited and encouraged to participate there.

In our oven, we cook pizza, or other things like roasted peppers, first since they're done "under the fire." You can also get a grill on feet to grille stuff over the coals after the fire has died down and before your bake cycle.

Roasted/baked stuff next, like bread, veggies or bird. These can be with the coals raked out, or with a few left in, sprinkled with wood chips or herbs/spices for some nice smokey flavors.

Then deserts, like pies, cookies, brownies. (These days, I pretty much refuse to light the oven unless there's a batch of choccy chips ready to go. ;-) ) We have also cooked some things like Alton Brown's clafouti (which was REALLY tastey, BTW) in a dutch oven.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dutch-oven-cherry-clafouti-recipe/index.html

Then, after the oven is cooled a bit, toss in a pork butt with dry rub, close up the oven and let it cook for 12 hrs or so. Killer.

(YMMV on timing, etc., depending on your thermal mass -- mine's pretty high.)

The possiblilites go on and on!

ClimbHi
Pittsburgh, PA