My bread gig has changed. A couple times now. First, back in the day, it started with baguettes from a dough recipe in the CIA’s Professional Chef tome. Then boules. Then boules with half organic whole wheat, half unbleached organic white – stayed on this one for a good 2-3 years, I figure. Those loaves ended up evolving to 6lb … Read More
Dry Stacked Oven Design Error & Tasty Bread
Having spent a slightly embarrassing amount of time over the past couple weeks researching my large-scale project, I stepped outside today, and chuckled at my error in my dry stack oven build. I think that’s an age thing. Laughing at one’s mistakes. So on to V2.0. The error: my door and chamber top ratio was close enough at 60%, but … Read More
Ethical, Regional, and Cheaper: Flour
A few short years ago, I thought the often ~400% price premium for organics was so ridiculous that I simply wasn’t willing to pay for it, even if it was supposedly better for me. Times have changed, and two things have happened: 1] education has made me willing pay the price and 2] I found ways to not have to … Read More
Dry Stacked WFO V1.0 Drawings & Specs
I know from experience that any specifics on building wood ovens and grills is appreciated by those collecting ideas for their own build, so upon requests in the comments of previous posts about it, I’m providing drawings and additional information here for those that have requested it. I’ll just keep adding to it as requests come in. Total Cost: ~$30 … Read More
Exploring the Sub-Optimal Wood Fired Oven
You too can do this. Score some free cinder blocks, bricks, and pavers on a site like this. You could buy them retail, I guess. But really, that’s just less fun. Use your lego skills and build yourself an oven. Heck, use some mud. But know something. You would be entering a world of geekdom, and for many of its … Read More
Firewood Bee 2011
The past two days of my life have been consumed by firewood. Yep, post-holiday madness others are fiddling with their i-gizmos and I’m hauling wood. It was the best Christmas present I got. Turns out mentioning my need for wood at a family gathering yielded an offer I couldn’t refuse, and even though masonry had already kicked my butt sufficiently, … Read More
Dry Stacked Wood Fired Oven & Grill
I think I’m going to be sore tomorrow morning. This morning, inspired by my recent temp masonry grill setup which still pleased me greatly, I thought ‘how could I use the masonry I have been collecting to build a temp oven‘. If you ever have that thought, just know in advance that if you act on it, you will be … Read More
BBQ Oven Action
I’ve posted about this setup before. But then in all my wisdom, I nearly deleted all of my new wordpress blog-post-blogger-transition. I don’t recommend it. So some of the content from that post, well, died. Permanently. No matter. I had a good friend coming over for lunch today as I live close to his new City TV gig downtown, and … Read More
Bacon-&-Egger-Pizza
There’s not much to say here. It’s a pizza, with bacon and egg. In this case, with some other veg stuff. The point is it’s really good, and despite seeing a lot of egg atop pizzas while traveling in Europe, I don’t do it much here. My bad. And well, bacon. Lardons are awesome on pizza. No shocker there. Brunch, … Read More
Quick-and-dirty Pizza Oven on the BBQ
What you need: 4 whole bricks + 2 half bricks + 1.5 8×16 pavers + 1 12×12 slate tile + a bbq OR some ingenuity and your own kickin’-around-masonry items. Or a quick visit to Home Depot. Basic concept: too damn hot to be baking pizzas in the house, so how can we get ‘er done on the grill? What … Read More