I want to build a barrel vault oven that can be used for artisinal baking.Does anyone have experience doing this as I am looking for first hand knowledge from someone that does baking for a living.
1.Size of oven 2.Thickness of walls 3.Oven door deign.4 Insulation of walls at the base.
5.What temperature the oven reaches and how long does it retain the heat
I would really appreciate any feedback
Hi Denis, and welcome to the BrickWood forum.
I have not yet done this personally, but I know we have bakers here who have built one of the Mattone Barile ovens specifically for this purpose. I’d be thinking the larger of the two (the Grande) to add a little space and a little mass.
In general, the oven built as designed, with double mineral fiber insulation and with fiberglass rope gasketing added to the door, can be fired up several hours before a bake, allowed to soak heat into the firebrick, and cleaned out after the fire dies. It will maintain heat well into the next day without fire or coals. The oven is capable of reaching 1,000°F with full flame and open door, and will radiate heat in the 400°F range into the next day with closed door and damper.
You can look at the oven plans (they are posted on @BrickWood ’s site free of charge) to get a better idea of the dimensions. That will also show you how the insulation is applied from base to apex.
At this point, I’ll get out of the way and allow those who are baking bread to talk about their actual experiences, but I’ll add the observation that this is a large, capable oven for artisanal baking.
1 Like