Is it possible to boost oven temps between batches of bread? Firing Your Oven Discuss Is it possible to boost oven temps between batches of bread? in the Oven Management forums; I am in the process of researching modular (kit) ovens, to be used primarily to bake pizza, but I also ...

[CharlesVan]

I am in the process of researching modular (kit) ovens, to be used primarily to bake pizza, but I also would like the flexibility to bake bread. My intent is to bake bread in the early afternoon at our local farm market and then change over to pizza in the evening, for direct sale to the public along with the prebaked breads.

From prior reading, I understand that you bake bread while the oven is in the process of cooling. However, if I need to bake several batches of breads that need to bake at the same temp. can a fire be burnt between batches to boost the temp before the next batch? Is this practical?

[skemcis]

Well, I bake a lot of bread in my Pompei, and find that for hearth style breads 525-550f works well. Pan style breads I cook at 425-450f. This is all floor temps. I find that things cool down fairly evenly all around. So generally, hearth breads, then after they are done my pan breads are ready to go in. I dunno, you'll have to experiment with your setup to get the timing/heat right for your baking schedule.
Cheers
Ian

[dmun]

There's some flexibility in temperature, most bakers do different breads in batches, with hotter recipes going first, like baguettes, then enriched breads, then pastries. If you oven is already 325 or 350f, it won't take long to refire to pizza temperatures in the evening. If you need the oven at the same temperature over several batches, you are going to need more thermal mass. Rebuilding the fire between batches of bread probably isn't going to be practical.

[nissanneill]

Charles,
you might contact your local LPG or professional gas agent for advice. They might have some burners that you could slide in and around your Pompeiii perimeter and get some nice high oxygenated flame to lick up and around the dome itself.
I haven't seen anything like it but i can't see any reason why it can't be an option done properly.
A mate of mine had a natural gas burner put into his electrically heated powder coating oven which at 2 lbs/inch sq threw a flame some 4 metres long into a steel pipe which glowed red in a couple of minutes. Much quicker than wood, setting it firing it and waiting for the temp to raise.
Just a thought.

Neill