How many loads?

[KrustyKaterina]

Does anyone know how many loads of bread I can bake without refiring my oven? And what is the hotest temp I can use for my first load?

[texassourdough]

You can only know by trying!

It is primarily a function of the mass of your oven, its insulation quality, and how long you fire it.

Without knowing how your oven is constructed or how it was fired, no one can even begin to answer your question.
Jay

[KrustyKaterina]

Jay, I just wanted to tell you that we did experiment and learned a lot about our oven. When the oven floor got to about 575 degrees we started. We got 2 loads of 20 loaves each (italian hearth style bread, very crusty) done very nicely. But after loading the third set of 20 loaves the temperature went way down to about 375-400 degrees on the floor, and although they cooked, it took about 45 or more minutes, and the crust was not nearly so brown, but it was done and the inside was good. So, in the future we now know that with one firing of wood we can get about 40 loaves (wet they weighed a little over 1 lb each) done nicely. More than that, you better be ready to start a fire again and bring the temperature up to repeat the whole process. Experience is the best teacher!