Today I’ve lit the stove, more to cheer us up on a dull rainy day than because we need the heat, but colder days are on the way and the time of baking and bread making is upon us again, so I’m wondering about buying this, anyone have it / can recommend it?
Quinta das Abelhas, Permaculture in Central Portugal
Hi, Magnus forwarded your contact and message that you may be interested in a bread oven at your property in portugal. The bread you will bake in one of these ovens will be phenomenal…just send me an email so we can stay in touch.
Speaking of bread have you ever seen “The Bread Builders, Hearth loaves and masonry ovens” ? Half the book is on bread and the other half is on building a brick wood burning oven.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bread-Builders-Hearth-Loaves-Masonry/dp/1890132055/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256522719&sr=1-1
There are three important skills in the kitchen which require the use of Yeast.
1) Bread making
2) Cider and wine making (no spirits please; only for medicinal purposes)
3) Cheese making
Further at this time of year the Macro yeast, fungi, may be considered in the same category. Take care to identify photo-litho graphically.
Each of these done well is big business. Each of these done at home is a huge saving on the weekly budget, and keeps the wolves from the door.
I can talk about cider and wine pressing/cheese pressing too
but I can’t see a “start thread link”
g
Sophie,
If you’re asking about the book, I’ve checked out a preview and recipes, and I’m just not in love with it. Susan at Wild Yeast Blog keeps a linked list of her baking books in a sidebar — some very good stuff in there. Also, if you want to mess with baking percentages (kind of an eventuality) you can check out artisanbreadbaking.com — websites are always nice for free recipes!
it was the 5 minutes / no kneading that attracted me to it! know any other good tried and tested recipes for quick bread? i don’t have the time or the strength for all that kneading and raising
Hey,
“Build Your Own Earth Oven, 3rd Edition” is the must read book on BUILDING masonry stoves. It is the best available reference! See the web link for prices and delivery, and also read the reviews on Amazon.
This last week I spent days of looking for the best books to help me successfully live a EASY self-sustainable life on the (Portugese) countryside. KNOWLEDGE in my eyes is crucial then..
I hope to set up a library system in Portugal for us all to share in..
Ask me for more info or recommended titles.
In December I’ll be staying around Tabua and so I hope to be present at the actual building of the stove
Enjy life, Hilko
Dissolve 1 desertspoonful honey in boiling water and make up to 500ml with cold water so the water is somewhere between 37-40°C. Pour into warmed bowl and add 1 tablespoon of dried yeast. Cover with a teatowel and wait for it to all froth up. Add flour and stir. Add enough flour so the mixture is stiff but still stirable with a spoon, and comes away from the sides of the bowl slightly. Cover and put in a warm place to rise for 30-40 minutes. Add a bit of oil (maybe a desertspoonful, I use olive oil), a good shake of salt (maybe a couple of teaspoons), any seeds, etc, you want to add, and enough flour to give a dough that leaves your hands clean as you’re kneading, but is not too stiff and solid. Mix. Knead around 5 minutes, then divide in 2 and put back in a warm place to rise for another 30 minutes. Bake at 200°C for the first 5 minutes, then reduce oven temp to around 180°C and bake another 30 minutes.
Dead easy. Minimal work. Never fails. I usually use half in half wholemeal and strong white bread flour and add sunflower seeds, but we’ve made all kinds of bread with this recipe, with loaf tins or without.