BSO does Neapolitan...

[shuboyje]

Try the top down, but with your dome height I'm not sure you'll have much luck.  The Pompei ovens have high domes so the wood doesn't stack to the ceiling and there is room for air to fuel a top down fire AND smoke above it.  I have found the method doesn't work well in my low dome oven because at 13" in the center of the dome, my wood is stacked to the roof.  With the fire on top the smoke and air fight each other. 

im not suggesting this is the way to heat the oven. it takes 5-10 minutes to have this chimney full of hot coal. dump it in the oven and put wood on top .  you wouldnt have to fumble around with finding/cutting wood to get a little fire started

I'm not trying to come across wrong here, sorry if I did.  There is a slight learning curve to lighting a brick oven, but once you fire it a few times it is easy as pie(this might be the wrong site for that saying, lol).  You aren't adding extra work cutting wood just to get the fire going as if it is kindling.  You don't ever want to burn wood bigger then that in a brick oven IMHO.  You want a fast hot fire with lots of open flame licking the dome.  You'll have plenty of coals eventually to heat the floor and start the additional wood...it's getting the heat to the dome that is key.  Big chunks of wood don't have as much surface area and don't stack as nicely which giving lots of room  for air flow.  Not only do they not burn as fast, but as a result they don't burn down to coals you want to spread over your floor fast enough.  They just through it out of whack all around IMHO. 

Thats where I was getting saying the charcoal will do little to heat the oven.  You are adding an extra step and it doesn't even help heat the oven.  In the method I mentioned everything you burn is adding heat to the oven and there is no additional steps of materials or labor.   

[BrickStoneOven]

Pics of today's pizza.

You can see that the Mozz/Cotta pizza is not that big, I forgot to stretch it when I slide it onto the peel. The floor temp was ~900F +/- 10F, They took about a minute or so like before.

The firing was a little easier this time, I put two pretty big pieces on the bottom then 4 med size for the next two rows and 2 rows of smaller wood. It started easier this way then the last time I did it.

[widespreadpizza]

David,  looks like a better round 2.  Thats great work for your first couple times and I see 2 pies in there at once no less.  I still rarely do that,  it is a challenge at those speeds.  Glad to see you are making progress.  How are they tasting?  -marc

[widespreadpizza]

Also,  is that soot on the ceiling that I see above the two pizzas?

[BrickStoneOven]

Thanks Marc. They taste alright for now, not really where I would like them to be. I'm not getting to much of the starter flavor in the dough I would like a little more. There was VERY little soot on the top corner maybe the size of a melon, it's not that whole side thought like it looks like in the picture. I was taking it with my Iphone so it didn't come out that great. I put the pizzas in like 5 minutes after that fire picture.

[widespreadpizza]

yeah,  getting that starter flavor in there and still having the dough be strong enough to work with has always been the challenge for me.  It has a lot to do with fermentation temps I think.  To high and you get little to none.  Honestly,  I find fresh yeast to be great lately,  but I am due for a batch of ishica this weekend.  Have you tried the starter I gave you yet?

[dellavecchia]

Your pizza's are looking great. It took me around 10 firings to get consistency, and learn what the oven is capable of. But you are getting some really nice crust/structure. I have dropped using starter, preferring IDY for the sake of consistency since I am still new to the WFO. It allows me to get the exact same dough every time. And truth be told I can still get flavor pretty close to starter. There are those out there who can actually get the same starter dough every time - I am not there yet. But I keep my Ishia alive for the future.

John

[BrickStoneOven]

I'm using the MB for fermenting the dough and starter,I have it set at 64F/dough and 70F/starter. I am going to do two more batchs at that temp for the dough then move the temp up to 66F and see what the difference is. I haven't used the starter you can me yet but I will soon.

I have also been thinking about trying fresh yeast.
1: because it's consistant
2: its's really cheap, I can get a pound for $1
3: Almost all the top places in Naples are using it.

Your pizza's are looking great. It took me around 10 firings to get consistency, and learn what the oven is capable of. But you are getting some really nice crust/structure. I have dropped using starter, preferring IDY for the sake of consistency since I am still new to the WFO. It allows me to get the exact same dough every time. And truth be told I can still get flavor pretty close to starter. There are those out there who can actually get the same starter dough every time - I am not there yet. But I keep my Ishia alive for the future.

John

Thanks

[PizzaVera]

Awesome!! the first try pie came out great, I mean better than some pies I have had in WFO restaurants!
nice crust on all pies.. well done...

so how many pies have you eaten this week? hahahaa

[scott123]

I have also been thinking about trying fresh yeast.
1: because it's consistant
2: its's really cheap, I can get a pound for $1
3: Almost all the top places in Naples are using it.

I have to say that there's something about going to a bakery, buying a block of fresh yeast, bringing it home and making bread then and there.  It seems to have an additional liveliness that, no matter how I treat IDY/ADY, I can't seem to match. It could be mental, but I swear I get a little more out of it.

Now, if I buy that block (I can't only get 2 lb blocks) and I reach for it a couple weeks later...  it's not so hot.  A month later, forget about  it.  I know that some people subscribe to the concept of freezing ADY/IDY (I don't), but I don't think there's anyone that recommends freezing fresh yeast.  If you can buy a pound for $1 and use it within a couple weeks, that's great, but buying it, using a little and having to throw the rest out gets a little more expensive.

[BrickStoneOven]

I agree, fresh yeast doesn't last that long I would say around a week at best. I wish I could get it in those little 50g squares they have in Italy but they don't have them here. I get it from RD they get, they sell them prepacked. When I first bought it; there was no price showing how much it was so I was going to bite the bullet when at the cashier but when it came out to a dollar something I just laughed to myself. I think after I do the 66F fermentation testing I am going to try the fresh yeast route and see how it goes.

[norma427]

BrickStoneOven,

Your pies looks delicious.    I really like the flames and the gleaming marble in your pictures.  I’m sure you will find out after trying different yeasts or starters, which you will like best.

Norma

[andreguidon]

i have the little squares here in Brazil, but never use them... they are 15g each... ill try them next batch for sure....   

[Matthew]

I agree, fresh yeast doesn't last that long I would say around a week at best. I wish I could get it in those little 50g squares they have in Italy but they don't have them here. I get it from RD they get, they sell them prepacked. When I first bought it; there was no price showing how much it was so I was going to bite the bullet when at the cashier but when it came out to a dollar something I just laughed to myself. I think after I do the 66F fermentation testing I am going to try the fresh yeast route and see how it goes.

What I have done in the past is cut it up into 25g cubes, wrap it in wax paper & then in Saran wrap.  Then I vacuum seal it.  I have used it up to 4 weeks without any issues.  You can tell when its past its prime because it begins to turn brown & loses its fresh yeasty smell.

Matt

[Ev]

Congrats on the oven. I think your pies look great.
 I just closed in my dome today. I can almost smell the pizza already!

[BrickStoneOven]

What I have done in the past is cut it up into 25g cubes, wrap it in wax paper & then in Saran wrap.  Then I vacuum seal it.  I have used it up to 4 weeks without any issues.  You can tell when its past its prime because it begins to turn brown & loses its fresh yeasty smell.

Matt

When you do this you still keep it in the refrigerator right not in the freezer?

Andre what brand is the yeast that comes in the small packets? I found out that RedStar sells 2oz packets but I don't know where I would be able to find them.

[Matthew]

When you do this you still keep it in the refrigerator right not in the freezer?

I refrigerate it. You can freeze it as well.


Matt

[andreguidon]

BSO, the brand is fleischmann, http://www.fleischmann.com.br/culinaria/default.asp?page=http://www.fleischmann.com.br/culinaria/produtos/produto_linha.asp?id=246

there is another brand, but i dont recall what its called...

[BrickStoneOven]

That's weird that they don't have the small packets up here. I got the same brand of fresh yeast but they only have the 1 pound blocks.

[widespreadpizza]

I as well can only get fresh yeast in 1#blocks.  I froze 2 oz. chunks last time and they are still super active  over a few months later.  I just used some again,  and I miss judged how much activity I would get out of them and have to use the fridge for tonights batch.  not what I was planning...