WFOven day - all day
Yesterday I prepared my bread for today's wfo bake. My starter had been neglected and could have used one more feeding but it seemed to work out fine.
I had my oven fired up very hot for several hours and could have started it later. I had plenty of stored heat, more than I needed.
I had a handful trying to rotate 5 loaves and the steam pan around for the first ten plus minutes. So I wasn't completely happy with the way my loaves browned. What I could have used was another pair of hands for holding my flashlight, since Mike had already left for work..one of these days I'll break down and get a clip on lamp.
No photos of my nightly visit from the possum. I did see his girlfriend run by..OMG... it is bigger than my Jack Russell. This is the one Mike has been telling me about and Katie grabbed it the other night..but no harm..she obeyed Mike and let it go and Joey our Jack Russell also minds Mike..Bella just barks and keeps her distance. Now back to baking!
I've been practicing placing 2 loaves on one board and when one comes off the other sides to the end of the paddle and is ready to come off next with another quick movement. Works great and is not as hard as it looks, but I pushed it placing in 5 loaves and working around the steam pan. It made things a little awkward for me. I use plenty of flour on the paddle and they slide right into place. Sliding pizza's off a paddle has been good practice for me.
I baked my usual sourdough's tweaking the recipes. The recipes are from 'Northwest Sourdough' Basic Sourdough and Mill Grain Sourdough using a 100% hydration levain, to which I added some of my Harvest Grains blend from KAFlours. it has whole oat berries, millet, rye flakes, wheat flakes, flax, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. I also used some rye and wheat added to the bread flour.
Here's what I cooked today in the WFO.
I started with Rib Eye's grilled on the Tuscan grill over wood coals
I made a pizza's I thought would go nicely with the rib eyes.
I have been looking all over for dried cannellini beans and found them at Whole Foods.
Pizza's were topped with cannellini beans, heirloom tomatoes, provolone, romano, parmesan, EVOO, garlic, basil. This one was pretty well charred but still delicous. The oven was so hot it cooked in under 90 seconds. So the steaks were cooked first and then the pizza.
Sliding 2 loaves off paddle one at a time
Other bakes today...meatballs and cookies
Crumb of Mill Grain Seeded Loaf ..... photo in night light of kitchen..
Sylvia
Comments
If you scorch any other pizzas, let me know. I'd happily take them off your hands!
What kind of cookies did you bake? Date pinwheels?
Everything looks looks so good.
Paul
Thank you for the nice comments. The cookies were just a sugar cookie with cinnamon, sugar filling..your date pinwheels reminded me I had a jar of my fig, not to sweet preserves, I could have filled them with..darn!
Sylvia
never ceases to amaze me. And bean pizza as well. Everything looks fantastic. The pictures are great and really help illustrate the process. My daughter, who has spent a fair amount of time in places with no electricity, has a helmet with a light attachment that she finds very handy. It might be a good addition to your gear. -Varda
Thank you for the nice comments. One of those helmets would have come in very handy last night :)
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
Very nice meals you made, Sylvia! Your WFO is very very nice!! Is the same meatballs you posted here before? I have made your meatballs one a week since then. Yummy!
I chuckled to read your dogs and the huge possum!! I'd like to see such a possum with my eyes. I think Katie and Joey know not to harm any animals because of you and Mike train them well. Bella is cute.. I can imagine her barking at the time.... So cute :)
And, I hope your starter is healthy now!
Nice to read your lovely post, again
Akiko
Thanks for the nice comments!
Yep, that's the same recipe. I so pleased to hear you are enjoying them and often too : ) I use them a lot of different ways, soups ect.... and they freeze nicely too. I first had the meatballs placed in my portable grill. I put any hot coals I have scraped out of my oven in the grill for safe storage away from the dogs. I wanted a wood fired charcoal flavor added to them..but the coals had cooled to much so, they were baked in the oven.
Sylvia
You get more mileage out of your wfo than anyone I think. As I wipe the drool off my lip I have to complement you on the way you plan to get maximum usage out of a single firing.
And the bread with those seeds is just delightful.
You really should be hosting a wfo show.
Beautiful bakes and cooking - as usual!
Larry
Thank you for the nice comments!
They say you can get a weeks worth of cooking in a firing. No show but, there are plenty of neighbors who show up for pizza's and bread.
I did give Mike instructions on using the Tuscan Grill, he can gas grill a great steak. He cleaned and season the grill this time, put the steaks on the grill...placing the fat end towards the fire on the wall, well that went wrong...he has it now though..next time he does the steaks. All that fire and heat can be a lot different than grilling on a gas grill. He also learned what searing means : )
Sylvia
Sylvia,
What a tremendous job juggling loaves, peels, dogs and possums :^)
I do admire your organizational effort, getting everything ready for the oven, and it all looks so wonderful!
:^) from breadsong
Thank you : )
I do admire all the work and organization you show in your bread baking. Gorgeous, Fall Show you displayed!
Sylvia
:^) Thanks, Sylvia!
And what a display! I haven't been around TFL for a few months - I had a chance to check in today and I'm so glad I did. Even though I don't have a WFO, you are inspiring. Everything looks delicious. I think the charring on the pizza just adds to its charms.
Are you absolutely exhausted when you're done, or does it just look like more work than it is? I would think you must have been cooking all day. You must be very organized.
I especially like the pic with the flashlight - I'm really impressed that you can load loaves two at a time! Mine would likely bang into each other!
Marni
It's so nice to hear from you : ) Thanks for the nice comments!
Firing up the wfo does sometimes make for a long day of cooking and takes a lot of my energy as compared to having a pizza only day. I find it can also be very enjoyable..making up for my tired legs : ) I tend to take the next day much easier.
It definately helps to be organized and timing is very important, we eat at 4 pm give or take a few minutes, most days.
I learn something new with each firing of the oven.
Sylvia
Lots of good ideas...
Thanks for sharing.
Sylvia
Cant' get more authentic than that, Sylvia! thumbs up!
Sylvia
Beautiful post Sylvia! I always enjoy your WFO adventures. Do you find you need to rotate the loaves much? I would think the heat would even out if you close the front up and let it soak in for a while before baking. Great meal all in all. You are an inspiration. The crumb on your mill grain seeded loaf is spectacular!
Eric
and thank you : )
The loaves require little rotation, depending where they are placed in the oven. My most concern is to rotate them where they are placed close to the wall of the oven. They will tend to brown a little quicker on that side. This can also be helpful in browning. Placed a little farther away from the wall they brown pretty evenly. I do favor the back half and sides of the oven for even browning of my loaves. The door can create a cool draft when opened..and I still have a habit of loving to peak..often!
I can rotate them in the same space and if I move them to another space in the oven, the floor will be warmer in that spot, so I take that into consideration for the browning of the bottom of the loaves. Other things I consider are placing loaves away from the front of the door. Opening the door can cool this area of a loaf. When the door is placed back on the oven, the oven draws it's stored heat and very quickly regulates again, unlike a regular oven, it doesn't have to be reheated.
I've found out that when taking a reading of the oven temperature..to do it very quickly with door just barely ajar enough to get the lazer pointed inside. The temperature drops several degrees, very quickly when the door opens..but just as quickly comes back. So the oven can be quit a bit hotter, when sealed closed for several minutes of baking, than the lazer shows. Just goes to show me how much heat is really lost in my home oven everytime that door is opened.
I spread the coals evenly over the floor adding a bridge of higher piled coals near the front opening. Spreading hot coals evenly over the floor and then removed, is key for getting my oven regulated in about an hour, (I move the fire around once it is up a going good...helps floor heating evenly, front, back, left, right...another subject : ) Then I can lower or raise it's stored heat by leaving the door opened for about ten minutes at a time, I can lower to my desired oven temperature. My metal door is not a heavy one and this area gets the most cooling when the door is removed to clean out the coals.
I can burn a hot fire all day but, I can bring my oven up to full heat storage in less than four hours. It will still register around 200F about 11am the next morning..cool or hot days. The insulation allows you to be able to lay your hand on the wall of the outside of the oven right next to the door or anypart of the outside of the oven, remains cool to touch with the hottest oven over 1000F.
All ovens are different..but this one's pretty much spot on for what they say it will do.
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
I just love it when you post on your WFO sessions! You pull the most mouthwatering meals and bread out of that oven and this latest one is no exception. You had me at the steak, but it all looks delicious, and the crumb of your seeded loaf is simply perfect. My wife has been down in San Diego all this week at a conference. Had I known you were firing up the WFO I would have come down as well and tried to wrangle a dinner invitation from you. Oh well..maybe next time. Great post Sylvia!
All the best,
Franko
Thank you for very nice comments!
You mean a wfo steak would get you off the golf coarse and to San Diego for a week ;) quess what this is a golf coarse community too, 'lol'.. I bet that would work! You should have come along with the wife..SD has everything!
Sylvia
"You mean a wfo steak would get you off the golf coarse and to San Diego for a week"
In a word..yes! Golf season here is just weeks away from being over, for me at least. Unfortunately I've used up all but one week of vacation time for the year and it's already been planned for. But SD sounds great from what Marie has been telling me. Right about now she's in the stands at the Padres' game. I'm so jealous! Maybe next year Sylvia, if time and circumstances allow. Between the two of us we could keep your WFO busy for days I bet.
Franko
So......when are you going to invite me for dinner?
They all look so gorgeous! The loaves, steaks, meatballs and cookies....everything! The crumb of seeded bread is especially enticing.
Thank you for sharing.....visually and virtually. Really pity we can't share them real.....:p
lumos
Come on over...Oh boy, could I use the extra hands : )
Sylvia
Not sure if my hand is adept enough for the high standard work like yours, but I can certanly provide you with extra mouth and stomach! :p
Hi Sylvia,
Great post, what wonderful food and great baking!
Best wishes
Andy
I always appreciate your comments.
It was a long day and I always learn something new! I'm also definately going to get a outside lamp...the porch light just doesn't get into that dark oven cavity and I could certainly use the extra hand : )
Sylvia
I have seen a headband worn around the forehead like a hat, that had a battery operated led light on it, so where you look is where the light is! That should work for the dark of night or the dark of oven either one! They were in Wal Mart here so I know they are out there.
Love the post!! Man, that grill is awesome! I saw it at Franky G's. I was interested in getting one too. I love to grill. Are you happy with it? It looks like it, those steaks look totally awesome! Love your bread too! Thanks for all the helpful info you shared about the oven. I'm excited to get mine fired up! You look like you really know what you're doing!! Have you done bagels in your oven? Thanks again for visiting me, and for your vote! You're sweet! :) I don't even know what I'm doing yet! :)
Faith
Thank you and your welcome too! Bagels are just one bread I keep thinking about baking and just have never got around to it yet. I do consider my tuscan grill a must have..just love it...They are available from a lot of stores on the web. I got mine at FornoBravo.com I think they are about $50 everywhere..so look for maybe the best shipping price to you.
They are iron, so be sure and preseason it and keep it in good shape with a regular Crisco rubdown...if it rusts, you can clean iron with salt and just season it again after removing the rust...you can always clean up rusted iron pots..don't throw them out...clean and re-season...I can't remember if these are pre-seasoned or not..but mine does need a good Crisco rub to keep it in good shape.
They work wonderful..make sure it fits inside your oven door opening..I think it needs to be at least 14 inches.
Happy Baking!
Sylvia