Cadco Oven
Quick update on my Cadco oven. It took an electrician doubling as an oven mover helper, an amateur plumber, and a fan, but it's now up and running, and I am starting to learn to use it. No surprise but it requires lower temperature AND shorter baking time. This fig anise bread took 30 minutes total, at first 400F, then 350F, then 300F as I kept lowering it to keep the crust from getting too dark before the inside could bake. It looks a bit lonely in there doesn't it, but no way am I going to bake a big load of bread before I get to know its ways. The fan on top is the amateur climate control specialist's solution to fluid condensing on the wall behind the oven. Works like a charm. No need for the $1000 condenser.
Onward and upward.
Comments
Congrats on your new oven Varda. Your first loaf looks beautiful to me. So does this oven have a steam injection mechanism? If so, how does it work and do you notice a major difference from your home steaming method?
I notice you don't have a baking stone inside so is that also not necessary?
Regards,
Ian
Hey Ian, Truth in advertising - this is the fourth loaf in this oven. The first three weren't quite so pretty. So yes, this oven has a humidity option (Cadco says no steam, just humidity.) It has a water connection. My husband put in a connect to the pipes under the sink. You just set the humidity as well as the temperature and time, and it automatically pipes the water in and creates a steamy environment for the time specified. As for difference between my home method. No need to open the oven to pour in the water, no cloud of steam in the face, no tinkering with steaming methods. And it works very well. Also no need for a stone as far as I can tell. I got some advice from a baker whose bakery replaced their deck ovens with a few cadcos (not this model I think.) They do not use stones, and I can see why. Thanks Ian, -Varda
Varda, those convection ovens look very good but I know how hard it is using them in a profitable manner.
In mine (sharp 40 lt) I never use trays, only oven paper below the dough and on the rack. With trays the bottom never baked well, breads always came out with a crumb-like bottom. With oven paper it's a different story, at least if I remember to remove it as soon as the crust is forming.
Are you satisfied of the bottom of your bread? In any case it looks very good.
PS, you should really try to bake laminated croissants. In convection ovens they come out MARVELLOUS, crispy outside and buttery inside. yum.
Nico
Hi Nico,
Well obviously I'm still a novice at this. I just got done baking a second fig anise bread using a different temperature regime (lower and longer.) I think the bottom actually baked up pretty well for both, but the second loaf opened a bit better at the lower temp.
I'd hate to have to get rid of the trays - fine for one or two loaves, but a real pain when I load up the oven.
Another thing I'd hate (do I sound cranky?) is baking croissants. I would gain 20 pounds in the time it would take me to learn how to make them. Unfortunately I'm not the sort of baker who can make without tasting and then tasting some more for good measure. Now brioche are another matter. I must learn how to make them. Sure hope the oven is good for those.
This oven is made in Italy. It's a UNOX Rosella sold as Cadco XAFT195 in the US. Don't know how it compares to yours.
Thanks for commenting.
-Varda
Expansion is in order now! This oven is just hat you need.
AZ has a cottage law that allows all kinds of home baked and made goods to be sold to the public. But, the county that i live in, the largest in AZ where 80% of the state's people live - refuses to allow the law to take effect - the law says the county had to approve. Maricopa county is the only county in AZ where the law was not allowed to take effect. The food businesses in the county bought off the county officials to make sure this law would never actually become law here.
But, some folks, can't imagine who they might be, started a campaign to get rid of these bums over their obviously being bought off and refusing to allow a state law to take effect. Now they have set a February meeting, after 4 months of supposed public hearings, from now until then, to reconsider their insane thoughts and deeds to block this law - for years.
They have been told, by at least a few working against them, that if they reverse their opposition to this law, it is too late for them anyway. It seems there will be consequences for their actions and the lives they have lead. Some are really going after them politically no matter what - as a result - never seen anything like it - even in AZ politics. It should be fun to wach.
Have fun with your oven - it isn't all work :-).
Hi DA, Yes, expansion was the idea. We'll see how it goes. Unbelievable that "they" won't implement the state law. And good that people are going after them on it. Sheesh. It's not all a bed of roses here. I'm about to apply for my home wholesale license. For my retail license I had to go through the town board of health. For wholesale, I have to go to the state of Massachusetts. Separately applications, processes, fees. What a pain. Streamline please. Thanks for your comments. -Varda
Hi Varda your oven looks great and no doubt worth the wait, the bread doesn't look to shabby either.
You will love that capacity when you are baking trays of buns or rolls and you will also be able to increase the length of the baguettes too. The fan is quite a good idea, other wise you may needed to have an extraction tube like they fit to clothes driers to vent the humidity. Presumably your oven is a single phase model.
Congradulations on your new baking partner
regards Derek
Hi Derek. I doubt I would have had the confidence to move forward without your advice. I'm thrilled with the oven. Just the seal on the door is enough to win me over. And yes, I'm imagining long baguettes. I just have to learn how to shape them. Thanks for your help. -Varda
Got nothing except that. I'm watching with interest. You know that I've been spoiled with big deck ovens and steam injection, but I'm watching carefully.
Takes time to learn an oven - I'm still learning my home oven (and I figured out the trick to get the Rofco steam tray to work - makes a difference...)
Enjoy!
Pat
I have a big weekly bake coming up on Thursday. Do I use the oven? Eek. Too soon. Too scared. Well it ain't a deck oven but it doesn't take a full room of the house either. We'll have to see how it does. Good on your Rofco tray. It looked great. Thanks Pat. -Varda
Hi Varda,
Love the fan! Handy climate control specialist you have around :)
Your loaf looks great!
I have never heard about not to using a baking stone in a Cadco so I would love to know why one isn't advised and are you then just baking on a baking sheet/cookie sheet that is cold? The people in the store I ordered mine through knew nothing about baking bread and I wouldn't know who else to ask. I do just use my stone since that is the way I baked in my other oven….but, the bottom doesn't get hard unless I remove the parchment paper…
But now I am thinking I don't need the stone and maybe I should do some experimenting too….always something new to learn.
DId I tell you I keep mine clean with just baking soda and vinegar? Easy surfaces to clean with just a bit of each and mine still looks almost new. I didn't want to get the glass all dark so I clean mine on a regular basis and love that the glass has stayed clear.
Anyway, thanks for the update and the photos. Looks really sleek. I know you are going to love it and it won't impact your electricity bill a horrible amount - hot and quick and, without the stone,I am thinking your pre-heat time is about only 15-20 minutes???
Take Care,
Janet
Hi Janet, Thanks for the tip on cleaning. As for stone, this was critical in my decision to buy this oven. It is very short so if I put a stone in, too short. For yesterday's bake, bottom crust was not hollow sounding even though I knew the bread was done, but strangely it got hollow a few minutes after the bake. I kept it on tray (cold going in) and paper throughout. The crust is great - nice and crisp and not tough, surely a consequence of the humidity feature. Of course, I need more experience and don't want to mislead you. I have not experienced what Nico said, which is a crumb like bottom crust. I timed the preheat yesterday to 8 minutes. That and the shorter bake time streamline the process, although I may decide to just lower temperature to the point where bake time is the same. Not sure about this. Let me know if you decide to try without the stone, and the results. Thanks for commenting and all your helpful suggestions. -Varda
Thanks for clarifying 'to stone or not to stone'. Makes sense with the space issue. I usually bake freestanding loaves with stone in place on bottom shelf and, if I have rolls that go in at the same time, they get baked on the top shelf on a cold tray. I have always had good outcomes with the rolls so I don't sweat the stone but I have yet to try baking a freestanding loaf on just a tray so I will try that and see if I notice any appreciable difference.
I don't' have the space issue since I don't bake the volume you do so I will probably keep using the stone because I know it does help with maintaing the temp. when I turn off while steaming…plus I have it so why not use it :)
I just didn't know if Cadco recommended not using stones for some reason.
Thanks for the response.
Janet
Looks great Varda. Stoked on your new oven. I say just go for it. Jump in and get it done. You have all the skills to make adjustments. I'll bet in a loaded oven you'll find the higher temps will work more appropriately but then again I've never used the oven. Still great looking crust and crumb on that loaf. I wanna see a pic of it fully loaded.
Time to make some dough
Josh
Looks great Varda. Stoked on your new oven. I say just go for it. Jump in and get it done. You have all the skills to make adjustments. I'll bet in a loaded oven you'll find the higher temps will work more appropriately but then again I've never used the oven. Still great looking crust and crumb on that loaf. I wanna see a pic of it fully loaded.
Time to make some dough
Josh
Hey Josh, Yes, dough and more dough. I'm making three large challahs today for a friend, and I hope I don't ruin them but I'm definitely going with the Cadco. My sense is that I should be able to bake 12 medium sized loaves at a time, but it may take me awhile to get there. Interesting your thoughts on the temperature and load. Is there a manual on this somewhere? I've been enjoying your baking. I see you did a fig fennel. A fairly similar taste combo as fig anise. Thanks for commenting. -Varda
On your new kitchen addition. Looks like your all set for some serious bread production.
I used to have a dryer vent that opened to let the humidity into the house for the dryer winter heating months. So maybe the extra humidity is a good thing not to be vented outside?
Happy Holidays
Sylvia
We'll work out the summer later. Thanks Sylvia, and happy holidays to you as well. -Varda