Technology and society have adapted to the demands of our modern, fast-paced lives, from apps that deliver ready-made food to your doorstep to fancy kitchen appliances that do most of the work for you.
But despite this, we’ve seen a resurgence in traditional home-cooking methods, thanks in part to the ever-increasing interest in cheap, healthy, organic, artisanal products.
Freshly Baked Bread vs Store Bought
Bread is an important staple that can be found in most bakeries and groceries. However, few store-bought breads can hold a candle to the flavors of home-made bread fresh out of the oven. Baking your own bread is also cost-effective—it requires very few ingredients, most of which you already have stocked in your pantry.
You can make bread that fits all palates and diet restrictions, including whole wheat, gluten-free, or even vegan bread. Home-made bread is healthy and without the chemicals, additives, and preservatives commonly found in your local supermarket sandwich loaf.
The Benefits Of A Wood-Fired Oven
While you can certainly use the convection oven you most probably already have at home, it’s no surprise that the best bread is made in conventional wood-fired ovens. This technique has been perfected and used for thousands of years to cook everything from bread to vegetables to fish. Wood-fired ovens bake at a much higher temperature and cook more evenly in much less time.
Bread made in wood-fired ovens has crunchier crusts, moister insides, and a significant change in taste. They’re also more environmentally-friendly than your usual convection oven since they don’t use gas or electricity.
Installing A Wood-Fired Oven
Installing a wood-fired oven isn’t as complicated as most people think. You can purchase an oven that is ready-to-use from the moment it’s delivered to your doorstep. Many places also sell oven kits, with easy instructions on how to assemble your own wood-fired oven. For even more savings, you can even build one on your own over just a couple of weekends, using inexpensive materials found at your local hardware store.
A wood-fired oven will add a rustic look to your home whether you set it up indoors or outdoors. Space is not much of an issue since you can add the oven above existing counter space or even right into the wall. Your patio or garden is the perfect background for it as well, whether your kitchen isn’t big enough to accommodate it or if you just want to entertain friends and family outdoors.
Bread Using A Wood-Fired Oven
Baking bread on your own is a simple process. No matter what kind of bread you’d like to make, there are recipes available online that you can experiment with and tweak to your liking. Basic recipes require as little as four common ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt.
After kneading and leaving the dough to rise, all you need to do is fire up the oven a few hours before you plan to bake, shape the dough, and add the loaves. Depending on the temperature and the type of bread, this process can take anywhere from just a few minutes to half an hour – less time than it takes to run out to the grocery store to stock up. You can even store leftover dough in the fridge for later use.
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