Firing up
Follow these simple instructions to create a good fir in your wood fired oven:
* Using dry non-treated wood, chop into kindling size pieces (or buy ready-made kindling).
* Using a single sheet of scrunched newspaper (or a natural fire lighter) place in the centre of the oven and surround with stacked kindling wood, ensuring air can get to the wood for burning efficiency.
* Light the newspaper in the centre of the stack. As the fire grows, slowly feed the fire by adding more kindling pieces or kindling logs, taking care to being careful not to overload.
* If the flames are protruding from the opening of the oven, wait before adding more kindling wood.
* Do not remove any burning material from the oven.
* As the oven starts to approach a higher temperature you can add some small logs.
* Depending on the cooking technique you need to use, move the embers and flames towards the back or side of the oven. Alternatively spread the embers across the oven floor. To achieve maximum oven firing temperature maintain flames by adding more wood accordingly.
Your oven will build temperature very quickly, so please be careful not to overload the oven and get it to hot.
High Heat
High Heat Technique also known as 'Forte Calore'
Coming from the Italian meaning 'strong heat', this 'Forte Calore' method has the oven at its highest temperatures approx 900°F, essential for cooking pizza's, some types of breads, appetizers or other within minutes. At this temperature a pizza can cook in less than 90 seconds, when placed on the floor of the oven the pizza dough's moisture will be baked out and the temperature will bake the pizza from the top down, resulting in crisp authentic pizza.
This method is also useful for browning and caramelizing items, unlike conventional means.
Follow the 'Firing up Process' to ensure your oven reaches 900°F, make sure that all the soot diminishes from the oven dome and then allow the heat to even out and maintain itself above 650°F.
* Move the fire to one side of the oven and maintain large naked flames which will arch over the dome of the oven.
* Take care at these high temperatures.
* Place your pizzas or other food on the oven floor beside the fire, making sure to rotate food regularly to encourage even cooking.
* Add wood (one or two logs) to maintain the fire (every 15-20 minutes) as required
Roasting
Roasting in a Wood Fired Oven will give similar capabilities to that of a conventional oven, but much, better as the roasting technique is versatile. It can be used for sealing or browning items as well as cooking through, whilst maintaining juices and tenderness.
Once you have fired up the oven and it has reached its maximum temperature, you can then brown and seal items in it. Caramelizing of meats and vegetable dishes is something else that is possible, something conventional ovens cannot replicate.
Wait for the oven to reach its optimum roasting temperature 550?F to 650?F. For poultry, roast the bird then remove foil cover to brown.
* Follow the 'Firing Up Process' ensuring your oven reaches its optimum temperature 900?F. Keep the temperature high to brown/seal food items in the oven, follow this by covering with liquid or a lid then maintain oven above 550°F.
* Move the fire and embers to one side of the oven and maintain small oven flames.
* Add smaller logs every 15-20 minutes as required. Roasting relies more on the radiation of heat from the wood embers than the heat from the flame.
* Let the oven temperature gradually fall (within the 550°F - 650°F range) by letting the fire burn down but do not let the fire go out.
* Leave the oven door off for short roasting times (under an hour) remembering to rotate your items.
Naturally the closer to the fire the food is placed the hotter it will be, and gradually the temperature will fall as you move across the oven floor. Be sure to check the food to determine whether to move and consequently increase/decrease the oven temperature.
Baking
To achieve some of the best flavours in your food including breads, desserts, pasta, a range of veggies and other recipes, the baking option may be best for you.
* Follow the 'Firing up Process' ensuring your oven reaches its optimum temperature 900?F keeping the embers spread out across the oven floor.
* Wait for the oven temperature to cool to desired baking temperature (there should be embers and no flame) with the thermometer reading between 350-450°F from the oven floor. Move the embers to the side of the oven.
* Place your food items on the oven floor to bake. You may choose to cook in terracotta cookware as this further insulates food items and gives a 'gentle heat' to your food items.
* Put your oven door in place (slightly ajar) and bake as the temperature slowly decreases in the oven.
Baking Bread
A Wood Fired Oven is the perfect environment for baking bread.
When baking bread, you can create some steam to achieve a crispy bread crust ***. The ideal temperature for baking bread is around 450°F - 500°F. This is perfect for cooking in a cooling oven after you have cooked a meal, as you will need to remove the embers from the oven.
* Fire the oven as per usual to 900°F and spread the embers over the oven floor. Ensure you adequately fire the oven before hand to achieve adequate heat retention for the duration of your bake.
* Place the bread loaves on oven floor much like a pizza, or place on a baking tray. Put the oven door in place and be sure not to open during first 2-3 minutes to ensure crispy outer crust.
* Rotate and check loaves occassionally, bearing in mind this may reduce oven temperature, so check swiftly.
Determining if your loaves are baked through will come with time. Check the colour and temperature. A quick tip is to tap the loaf in the centre of the underside/bottom. If the loaf sounds hollow then it is cooked through. If when tapping the loaf sounds dense, the loaf is not cooked and still has some time to go.
Beware and be careful as higher oven temperatures will give loaves more colour quickly. And although the loaf may appear cooked on the outside, it may not be cooked through in the middle. To reduce the temperature of the oven, open the oven door.
*** To achieve lovely crispy bread crusts, you need to introduce some steam into the dome of the oven. Simply spray water with a water spray towards the inner centre of the dome or place 1 - 2 ice cubes in a separate oven proof dish at baking temperature. Wait for the steam to build up and then put oven door back in place.
Grilling / BBQ
This technique is ideal for locking in flavours as well as burning off fat and giving you crisp and succulent tasting food. Beat the BBQ and use a cast iron grill to achieve that typical 'grill scorch mark' effect, whilst your food remains hot and gently cooks through.
* Follow the 'Firing Up Process' ensuring your oven reaches 900°F. Once up to temperature, allow the oven temperature to fall and maintain around 500°F.
* Leave the embers and fire over your oven floor before moving to the side.
* Place a cast iron grill on the oven floor, wait for it to achieve a similar temperature and place items on the grill.
* Cooks to perfection within moments.
Oven Tips
We hope that you find these little tips in using your wood fired oven useful and make using your oven that much easier.
* Avoid: Using: Glass dishes, Plastic dishes, Plastic or Wooden handle Utensils.
* Do Use: Good quality Cookware. Stainless Steel, Iron or Terracotta are all good for using in a wood fired oven.
* Cleaning: The majority of food and waste in your oven will be burnt off. The only real clearing that is required is the removing of the ashes from your fire. A metal can with tight fitting lid is recommended to place your ashes in.
* Conventional Recipes: When cooking from a conventional recipe book, expect to add just under 100°F to any conventional recipe, and expect cooking time to be cut by approximately a third.
* Damp Oven: If your oven is cold/wet: slowly fire the oven, see your Oven Manual. A damp oven will not perform as expected.
* Flames: If you need a flame but are already at a high temperature, try adding kindling to spark a flame.
* Heat: If your oven is not at the required heat when food is inside, stop cooking, remove food and add wood with kindling to achieve a roaring flame, this will take a few minutes to boost oven temperature, then replace food. This reduces the chances of drying food, by cooking longer in a cooler oven.
* Heat-up Times: When cooking ensure you saturate the oven with heat, oven heat up times depend on the ovens pre-fire temperature, and in larger ovens also depends on the thickness of the oven walls.
* Oven Door: The oven door needs to remain open to feed the fire with oxygen and ensure flames. You can use the door to calm or put out a fire as well as varying cooking techniques.
* Thermometer: When using your thermometer, read from varying points on the oven floor, if you open the oven door, replace for upto 10 minutes and take a reading to ensure an even, accurate temperature reading.
* Wood: If your wood is hard to light, smoking, hissing or crackling, you probably have green wood in your oven. DO NOT USE but remove and use kiln dried logs which are available from good retailers.
