"Richard Miscovich's descriptions and instructions are both practical
and inspirationally poetic--dare I say, soulful. He ignites the fire
within and compels us to want to know what he knows and to bake as well
as he bakes."--Peter Reinhart, author of The Bread Baker's
Apprentice
In the last several years, interest in wood-fired ovens has increased
dramatically in the United States and abroad, but most books focus on
how to bake bread or pizza in an oven. From the Wood-Fired Oven offers
many more techniques for home and artisan bakers--from baking bread and
making pizza to recipes on how to get as much use as possible out of a
single oven firing, from the first live-fire roasting to drying wood for
the next fire.
From the Wood-Fired Oven offers a new take on traditional techniques
for professional bakers, but is simple enough to inspire any
nonprofessional baking enthusiast. Leading baker and instructor Richard
Miscovich wants people to use their ovens to fulfill the goal of maximum
heat utilization. Readers will find methods and techniques for cooking
and baking in a wood-fired oven in the order of the appropriate
temperature window. What comes first--pizza, or pastry? Roasted
vegetables or a braised pork loin? Clarified butter or beef jerky?
In addition to an extensive section of delicious formulas for many
types of bread, readers will find chapters on:
- Making pizza and other live-fire flatbreads;
- Roasting fish and meats;
- Grilling, steaming, braising, and frying;
- Baking pastry and other recipes beyond breads;
- Rendering animal fats and clarifying butter;
- Food dehydration and infusing oils;
- And myriad other ways to use the oven's residual heat.
Appendices include oven-design recommendations, a sample oven
temperature log, Richard's baker's percentages, proper care of a
sourdough starter, and more. . . .
From the Wood-Fired Oven is more than a cookbook; it reminds the
reader of how a wood-fired oven (and fire, by extension) draws people
together and bestows a sense of comfort and fellowship, very real human
needs, especially in uncertain times. Indeed, cooking and baking from a
wood-fired oven is a basic part of a resilient lifestyle, and a perfect
example of valuable traditional skills being put to use in modern times.
*Author Richard Miscovich and From the Wood-Fired Oven have been
mentioned or featured in the New York Times, Saveur, Bon Appétit,
NPR's "The Splendid Table", the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles
Times
