From the Wood-Fired Oven: New and Traditional Techniques for Cooking and Baking with Fire

by Richard Miscovich, Daniel Wing (Foreword)

"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

•    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  

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this, I thought I wanted a wood-fire oven. But after reading the instructions for making and using one, now I'm not so sure.

However, this book isn't just about baking in a wood-fire oven. It also contains a wealth of information on how to mix, knead, bake bread. The photos are not the most thrilling - this could be due to the quality of the paper and ink used to produce the book. But, while a picture may usually be worth a thousand words, it's the words in Miscovich's book that are of the greatest value.

There's a fire burning in your oven. You want to make Pain au Levain and your starter is ripe and ready to use. [...] One of the important things you can do to ensure success is to RTF—read the formula! [...] Being prepared in advance is the key for having a stress-free and successful day in the kitchen, backyard, or bakery. (p76)
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Making good bread is a matter of controlling variables; there is no one magic ingredient that, on its own, will elevate your bread to sublime status. (p119)

[Felicity Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started baking during COVID and picked this up on a whim from the library. Fire and baking - what's not to love?

I learned a ton from this book - how to build a wood-fired oven, how to cook all kinds of things depending on temperature, and got some great recipes.

The reason I rated it 4 stars and not 5 is that this is not a beginners book. The first chapter dives straight into constructing an oven, and the sections on bread/pizza baking assume you've had some baking experience and are looking to level up your baking skills.

It was a fascinating window into a world that I didn't know anything about.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my third or fourth time re-reading the bread sections in this book. One of the top two bread books I own. Miscovich's bread method turns out the best breads of all. I wish I had a hundred more bread formulas from him.