WFO Baking
Today I thought I would fire up the wfo with the usual pizza first. I made 3 pizza's and then the bread baking. My pizza dough was from P.R.Book 'American Pie' the dough recipe was for the Napoletana Pizza Dough. I always just flour dust my wooden paddle and slide my pizza into the oven..today I used half flour and half semolina...the semolina always burns like crazy when it hits the oven floor..indoors on my stones or in my wfo. I guess it was just convenient all mixed in my little shaker!! It is getting dumped!
We love Oatmeal bread so I made 4 small boules of J. Hamelman's recipe from his book 'Bread'. I also made Susan's Sourdough..Oh it tastes wonderful! I'am still learning about the heat in my oven and experimenting with the steaming. I would like to have seen the boule open up more..next time I'll try the oven even hotter and more steam. I didn't overnight the final proof but it did get a long stay in the frig today along with the Oatmeal loaves. Getting everything ready 'oven heat and temperature leveled out and loaves proofed' at the same time can be challenging and will take a more baking than I have been doing in the wfoven.
It was a fun day of baking and I have learned to get my fire going with only a few minutes of smoke. I feel very proud of being able to light a fire correctly!
See the black spot beside the pizza...that's the semolina and flour mixture. I don't recommend using semolina flour on your paddle because it just burns! It will stick to the stone and not to the pizza if a little does you can just wipe it off. Hot coals will clean up anything burned on the floor..self cleaning oven!
Topped with San Marzano Tomatoes , dried oregano, fresh garlic, EVOO, Fresh Mozzarella, home grown basil..that's it!
Wait a minute I'm taking a crumb shot!
See those tiny little black specks...that's the semolina that was mixed with the flour on the wooden paddle. Not recommended!
Oatmeal boules and in the center Susan's Sourdough boule...the glow on the wall is not from heat..it's a reflection from the camera shooting in the black of night with a flash.
J.Hamelman's Oatmeal bread WFOven baked
Susan's Sourdough WFOven Baked. I would like to see it bloom open more on the top.
The flavor is very good!
Sylvia
Comments
I can imagine how much fun your day was and the outcome is fantastic!
Wonderful pizza and great breads!
It was a day of multitasking but very enjoyable!
Sylvia
beautiful work silvia... i'm so jelous of your WFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ben
Thank you, Ben! I'll always be learning with each bake! I never thought I'd have a wfo..so you never know!
Sylvia
Sylvia,
For a while there I thought that was like a Chicago-style pan pizza, what with the crust all high. And then I saw the bubbles on the crumb. Wow! My pizza crust don't rise that high ever, but it must be your WFO. I want one in my next house!
Thanks, cake diva! Big crowns filled with large bubbles are very attainable in your home oven if you get the stone and oven pre-heated hot enough. I usually pre-heat my indoor oven at 550°F with the convection fan on and the pizza's cook up pretty close to the wfo pizza's...except you don't get that lovely wfo smoked flavor from the oak or fruit wood. These ovens are very popular now because you can cook, bake, or char-broil just about anything you please.
Sylvia
Gorgeous breads and Pizza.
Ray
Thank You, Ray!
Sylvia
Now a WFO is something I could go for! How does one go about building one of those?
I smoke fish in my smoker outdoors and we use fresh cut apple wood from our old apple trees.
I've always wanted to build at least an outdoor bar-b que something, but this looks like an even better idea. Your pizza looks magnifique!
-susie
Thank you, Susie! What a treat having your own apple wood supply!
You have come to the right place. We have several members at TFL who have wfo ovens and many have built their own. The forum on wfo baking will give you lot's of answer's and photos about building your own oven.
My oven was purchased from http://fornobravo.com in California. There is tons of information, photos recipes and forum discussions at Fornobravo ovens.
Sylvia
One more round of applause from me! It all looks so delicious. My dad keeps saying that he wants to build a wfo now that he's retired. Maybe if I start researching them it'll hurry him along! I'll start with your fornobravo link!
Summer
Thank you, Summer! You are very blessed to have a handyman dad.
Sylvia
That is a cracker WFO! Great looking pizza and boules! What a great idea to do all your baking in one go.
Shiao-Ping
I just read something the other day about wfo bread..it has no shine to the crust..which is one of the signs it was wfo baked! I found that to be interesting!
With a bit of planning you can get a lot of cooking done starting with the hottest oven right down to the lowest temperatures with and without a fire. A grill can be placed inside with some hot wood coals placed under it for some fantastic tasting seafood and meats while making pizza's and grilled veggies or roasted casserole's...it can be a bit challenging but a lot of fun!
Sylvia