...or could you start with a middle sized fire, get the oven up to the heat needed to bake bread, and keep the fire going at that size until the bricks are heated up all the way through? I supose wood-wise it might work out the same, i.e. a longer heat up time with a smaller fire.
And why do you have to rake out the coals before baking bread? I didn't today, because I haven't got a copper wire brush yet, (or a coal shovel for that matter)... so what would have been different without coals?
This bread-baking novice would be glad of clarification
