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Tinkering with the oven

Mildrith, the oven, has been confounding, these past few weeks. She gives me enough heat for a single load of bread, but once that’s done, there’s nothing left. No heat left over for the next load! I need to build a second fire to get it up to temperature for the next bake, and that can take up to two hours until I can lay in another load of bread to bake.

Moreover, the loaves aren’t as dark as I’d like. I can’t get the deep chestnut colour I’m aiming for, the charred edges that provide a pleasing burst of flavour and crunch.

Don’t get me wrong. The oven is still making lovely bread and I love using her!

With all this in mind, I turned last week to one of the forums on the Bread Bakers Guild of America, of which I am a member. I laid out my tale of woe, heavy with detail and theories about what was happening. Perhaps there was not enough thermal mass built into the walls. The hearth floor may not have enough insulation. The oven dome may be too high.

Within a couple of hours, bakers from across the U.S. and a few close to home chimed in with questions, theories and suggestions. A couple respondents were eminent bakers, one was the well-known author, Richard Miscovich, whose book, From the Wood-Fired Oven, I had studied closely prior to building Mildrith.

Bakers to the rescue!

There was much discussion about the merits and problems of earth/clay wood-fired ovens vs. masonry ovens. The need for lots of insulation, particularly in the hearth floor. Other bakers raised problems with their own ovens and questioned their designs.

One suggestion directed at me was surprising: fire the oven for 48 to 72 hours prior to baking! This would super-saturate the thermal walls with heat and allow the temperature to quickly return to baking heat after a load of bread is taken out of the oven.

Wow! 72 hours?

Several people agreed. One baker who lives on Vancouver Island, about 50km away as the crow flies, knew we’ve been having very cold weather recently, creating difficult conditions for building heat in the oven walls.

More fire, thermal density, insulation

Another suggestion was to build more thermal density on the hearth floor. He recommended I place second layer of firebricks right on top of the existing hearth floor.

Wow again!

Miscovich was encouraging: “Like with all relationships, it sometimes takes awhile to figure out the best way to make an oven work. I bet your baking continues to improve as time passes.”

What a helpful group! I joined a few months back to see what I could get out of it. So far, it’s been a gold mine of information and cameraderie.

There were other suggestions to help Mildrith, but I will focus on one idea at a time and be patient and kind with her.

As always, stay tuned!

Happy Monk Tidings - November 15, 2023  BAKER'S CHOICE this week: Olive Sourdough Loaf; AND: An Emotional Weather Report [ See LinkTree in Profile ] 🍞

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Dylan Thomas, one of my muses, would have been 109 years old this Friday, Oct. 27. One of a small-handful of poets whose words are cherished and summoned often for their music and wisdom. They soothe, they sing, they evoke. I'll be thinking of him this bread day, under "the mustardseed sun"….. and the "switchback sea"…. as he "celebrates and spurns his driftwood thirty fifth wind turned age."
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#dylanthomas #poetsofinstagram #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #poetryofinstagram #poets #poetryislife #poetrylove #poetrydaily #poetryworld #poetryinstagram #bakerpoets #poetryforbakers #southpenderisland #penderisland 

Happy Monk Tidings - October 25, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE - Sprouted Emmer Sourdough; BLOG: Happy Birthday, Dylan Thomas! [See LinkTree in Profile ]

Dylan Thomas, one of my muses, would have been 109 years old this Friday, Oct. 27. One of a small-handful of poets whose words are cherished and summoned often for their music and wisdom. They soothe, they sing, they evoke. I`ll be thinking of him this bread day, under "the mustardseed sun"….. and the "switchback sea"…. as he "celebrates and spurns his driftwood thirty fifth wind turned age."
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#dylanthomas #poetsofinstagram #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #poetryofinstagram #poets #poetryislife #poetrylove #poetrydaily #poetryworld #poetryinstagram #bakerpoets #poetryforbakers #southpenderisland #penderisland

Happy Monk Tidings - October 25, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE - Sprouted Emmer Sourdough; BLOG: Happy Birthday, Dylan Thomas! [See LinkTree in Profile ]
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Happy Monk Tidings - October 18, 2023 - 🍞: BAKER's CHOICE: Seedy Spelt and Rye Bread; BLOG: It Starts With Wonder? What's That?

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Happy Monk Tidings - October 11, 2023  BAKER'S CHOICE: Potato Rosemary Bread; BLOG: Swimming with Otters 🍞

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Happy Monk Tidings - BLOG: Abundance: Season of Apples; Baker's Choice: Pender Island Apple Bread with Pender Apples and Twin Island Cider - October 4, 2023 🍞 [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

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Happy Monk Tidings - September 27, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE THIS WEEK: Harvest Bread; BLOG: Positively Fourth Avenue - [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

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A hefty Country Miche, formula from Breadlines published by Bread Bakers Guild of America. Hefty in size, hefty in flavour. Four flours (Sifted Metchosin Wheat, Rye, Buckwheat, Spelt), a super-active levain and an intense crust colour. I think I’m addicted! It’s kind of finicky, though, and trying to work out a reasonable schedule to produce 40 loaves for Happy Monk customers.
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. #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakingcompany #wholegrainbread #breadhead #michebread #realbread #rusticbread #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries

A hefty Country Miche, formula from Breadlines published by Bread Bakers Guild of America. Hefty in size, hefty in flavour. Four flours (Sifted Metchosin Wheat, Rye, Buckwheat, Spelt), a super-active levain and an intense crust colour. I think I’m addicted! It’s kind of finicky, though, and trying to work out a reasonable schedule to produce 40 loaves for Happy Monk customers.

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. #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakingcompany #wholegrainbread #breadhead #michebread #realbread #rusticbread #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries
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REMINDER: Happy Monk is on Summer Break! We're off on our annual late summer respite. Next bread day is Sept. 22. See you then! (photo by Davy Joel Rippner)

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Happy Monk Tidings - August 30, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE:  Mountain Rye Bread; BLOG: Making Bread and Art With A Message; NOTE: Happy Monk is on Holiday for the Next Two Weeks - https://mailchi.mp/ae234548bd1a/happy_monk_tidings_aug30

Happy Monk Tidings - August 30, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Mountain Rye Bread; BLOG: Making Bread and Art With A Message; NOTE: Happy Monk is on Holiday for the Next Two Weeks - https://mailchi.mp/ae234548bd1a/happy_monk_tidings_aug30 ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - August 23, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Bold Beer Bread; BLOG: Cheese Karma; More Happy Monk holidays coming soon! https://mailchi.mp/783a72739071/happy_monk_tidings_aug23

Happy Monk Tidings - August 23, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Bold Beer Bread; BLOG: Cheese Karma; More Happy Monk holidays coming soon! https://mailchi.mp/783a72739071/happy_monk_tidings_aug23 ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - August 9, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Sesame Sourdough; BLOG: Say A Prayer For The Perfect Loaf; ANNOUNCEMENT: Happy Monk Summer Holiday Schedule https://mailchi.mp/99197a16b166/happy_monk_tidings_aug9

Happy Monk Tidings - August 9, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Sesame Sourdough; BLOG: Say A Prayer For The Perfect Loaf; ANNOUNCEMENT: Happy Monk Summer Holiday Schedule https://mailchi.mp/99197a16b166/happy_monk_tidings_aug9 ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - August 2, 2023 🍞 - BLOG: The Great Laugh (a poem); Baker's Choice: Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf; [Campaign URL]

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Happy Monk Blog - July 26, 2023 🍞 - Swimming the Neighbourhoods; how John Cheever's short story, The Swimmer, made more sense to kids in the summertime. [See LinkTree in Profile ]

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Happy Monk Tidings - July 19, 2023 🍞
Baker's Choice: Cinnamon-Raisin Bread; BLOG: Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Tidings - July 19, 2023 🍞
Baker`s Choice: Cinnamon-Raisin Bread; BLOG: Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
...

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Happy Monk Blog - July 12, 2023 🍞 - "Nothing I Cared in the Lamb White Days" - Climate change and watching the moon rise over the Salish Sea. [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

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Happy Monk Tidings - July 5, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Olive Sourdough; ReBLOG: Salvador Dalí and the Art of Bread [ Click LinkTree in Profile ]

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Happy Monk Tidings - June 28, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Spelt and Honey Sourdough; BLOG: Black Robe and Rise of the Machine [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

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Stately, plump German Rye loaves that even Buck Mulligan would love. This day June 16, Happy Bloomsday all!

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