[Cob] Don't add steam to cob!

[ocean]

Our commercial cob oven has suffered damage due to water added to the 
oven during baking bread.  The steam entered small fissures in the 
ceiling and resulted in large chunks of the thermal core breaking off!  
Kiko is planning on replastering the interior, but this is something 
one would want to avoid if possible.

Alan Scott (of Bread Builders) told Kiko that he tells his clients not 
to add water to his masonry ovens, due to damage, spalling, etc.  He 
said he rebuilt a brick oven for one client three times, each time it 
was destroyed by the addition of steam, but the client refused to stop 
adding steam.

You don't really need to add steam to get good bread.  If you have a 
good, tight door the steam released from the dough is retained in the 
baking process.  The cob oven maintains an ideal humidity.  Case in 
point - once we discovered the damage being done to our oven, we 
stopped adding water.  Our bread was just as good, with a nice crisp 
crust.  (The addition of steam only seems necessary in gas fired ovens, 
which have poorer humidity characteristics.)

You can see pictures of our oven at http://www.wildfirefood.com   Click 
on the button which says "Maya's Page"

Ocean Liff-Anderson, Proprietor
Wildfire Restaurant, Corvallis Oregon


On Feb 11, 2007, at 12:08 PM, Ron Becker wrote:

> I'm getting ready to start baking in my cob oven and would value 
> anyone's input on the use of steam in these ovens. How much water, how 
> long that sort of thing. Maybe this is too complicated but I was 
> thinking of a reservoir on the outside and small diameter pipe to drip 
> water onto the hearth during the baking process. Anyone done anything 
> like this. Or does the can with a hole in it do the job well enough?
>
> Ron
> Those who question global warming have a financial or emotional 
> interest in the status quo.