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Post by turkey on Jun 4, 2012 21:23:34 GMT
its 20% inc delivery costs you get stung for if it is an imported :-(
that looks very smart, how thick are the walls / and what sort of insulation does it have?
as with all ovens don't rush in with an inferno, it probably has moisture still in it, so slow during fires are best.
enjoy it , I forsee many pizzas :-)
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Post by cymro67 on Jun 5, 2012 13:52:31 GMT
Here's a link to the assembly photos provided by the supplier. www.terracottawarehouse.co.uk/ponza_garden_oven_guide.htmlOven walls as approx 2 inches thick, made of six pieces comprising 4 side and roof pieces, 1 front panel with opening and 1 back panel. This is then covered with fibreglass and then the decorative/weatherproof walls and roof are mounted around.
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Post by cannyfradock on Jun 5, 2012 14:10:46 GMT
Cymro
It looks very impressive. I'd love to hear how it performs....honest.
You say the walls are only 2" thick, but if the oven has some sort of dome insulation then this could make all the difference. The last time I visited the TW site I didn't see this model....
Looking forward to some feedback.....or even better...some pics.
Terry
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hezza
New Member
Posts: 4
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Post by hezza on Jun 6, 2012 7:28:02 GMT
Hi from another newbie Been following a few threads with interest as I'm looking to get a wfo set up in SW France. Noticed Huw's post, very similar to the ovens from some of the archive threads on pre-built ovens. I have been looking at this www.my-barbecue.com/Products/301-fired-pizza-oven-pizzaioli-100cm.aspx or the next size up. Seems to be almost the right style although the flue is still inside the door, but there is a flue damper. They also have some like the one Huw showed but without the chimney, I suppose it would then be possible to remove the door, build an arch with flue outlet onto the front and then modify the door to fit the new arrangement. Sorry if I start rambling but my head is spinning with wfo overload! Henry
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Post by cymro67 on Jul 2, 2012 18:58:03 GMT
No need to state the obvious but the weather for cooking pizzas has been shocking!! Managed to squeeze in enough dry weather to cure the oven, and then yesterday there was a break in the clouds for the first bake. Mixed results......
Lesson number one: be patient with the fire. Managed to get the oven up to over 400 degrees. As soon as it got there I decided to cook the first pizza before all the heat disappeared. Of course it didn't, and i ended up with charcoal:-(( I'll be waiting until all the wood burns down to charcoal before cooking next time.
Lesson number two: don't make pizza base too thin. Followed a recipe which suggested a 12 inch base from the dough mixture. The only way I could get it anywhere near that size was for it to be wafer thin and almost transparent. Can that be right? Second pizza ended up in a mess on the kitchen worktop. :-(
Lesson number three: size doesn't matter. Who needs a twelve incher when eight inches tastes just as good if not better. And the bigger ones are awkward to shift around the oven.
A lesson to learn: how the hell do you manage to get the pizza from the peel and onto the oven floor in one piece? I wonder whether my problem had something to do with thickness of bases? Tried the semolina but this didn't help. Ended up building pizza on a metal tray and placing this directly in the oven. Completely defeated the object, but the family was starving and the clouds were looming. I guess I'll only learn through trial and error. Shame:-)
Overall a reasonable first attempt but still a lot to learn and perfect. Pictures to follow.
Hope you all had fun at Grillstock.
Huw
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Post by cymro67 on Jul 2, 2012 19:13:12 GMT
Firing it up. Up to about 200 degrees Third attempt: slight burning around the edges because pizza too close to flaming logs. Very nice!!!! Pizza was nice and crisp around the edges but I don't think it was cooked towards the middle.
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Post by tonyb on Jul 9, 2012 11:39:10 GMT
I build my pizza on a floured wooden board, keeping the base moving. I then lift the near edge of the pizza and slide the peel quickly under at a slight angle, I use rice flour sprinkled on the peel to stop the pizza sticking to the peel. I 'jiggle' the peel on the way to the oven to keep the pizza from sticking to the peel. I put the peel in oven close to and at a slight angle to the floor, do a little push/pull motion with the peel to get the front edge of the pizza off the end of the peel and onto the wfo floor and then gently pull back the peel and the pizza slides of the peel.
Sounds a lot more complicated than it is but it does take a little practice, but works pretty much every time for me now.
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Post by cannyfradock on Jul 9, 2012 12:50:10 GMT
Huw
You will find things get easier with practice.....also your oven will improve the more you use it. I tend to spread the coals of the wood all over the hearth, once there is enough heat in the oven, then push all the embers to the right/rear of the oven. I gently blow any ash to the rear with a copper pipe flattened at one end. Try to leave your pizza for about 50 seconds before turning. By this time the base will have formed a crust and is easier to handle.
For feeding the pizza into the oven I pretty much do the same as Tony. Some people use semolina flour or rice flour or normal flour to stop the peel sticking. I use rye flour as it's quite coarse and seems to give the crust a good taste.
Great looking oven BTW.
Terry
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Post by cymro67 on Sept 9, 2012 8:55:07 GMT
Lovely weekend for baking:-))) Thanks to all for the tips; I think I've mastered the art of getting pizza from kitchen, into the oven, turned, out of oven and onto plates. Quite straightforward really ;-) I've discovered that Tesco sell ready made pizza dough (£2 for a 12in size pizza), which I've been using recently to focus on the technique of firing/loading oven. It's also given me a good idea of the quantity and consistency of dough, which was a bit random on my first attempts. Now that I've got the pizza loading and firing mastered (until the next disaster), I'll be experimenting with some dough recipes. Image of tesco dough below: And the end result - this is a basic one for the boys, with mozzarella , pepperoni and basil leaves: The base was slightly undercooked (oven up to 350C, 6 mins), but not far off. It tasted a bit bland for my liking, but boys loved it. A quick question though, and I've tried searching the forum for an answer; what do you lot do for seasoning the toppings? Just salt and pepper, or some homemade concoction? Huw
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