#1 Burn-in: Homestory Valoriani Baby
June 28, 2021 Julia Haberecht
Ratgeber Holzbackofen, Valoriani Baby
Ratgeber Holzbackofen, Valoriani Baby
Homestory: Pizza Oven Valoriani Baby Burn-in
With a baby in the garden, a new era begins. It's time for us. A black Baby 75cm with wood firing has moved in. We have built it a worthy place on a substructure made of gabions and a granite slab. Now, we're over the moon. Literally, most of the family life is happening around our new Baby. And because the kids couldn't wait, we already pushed aside the embers during the burn-in phase at 200 degrees and baked a few baguettes. It's possible. Delicious!
Finally baking your own bread. And pizza like in Bella Italia.
But first: Burn in the oven. This is very important. Prepare some small pieces of wood, Valoriani states in the instructions wood pieces should be 20cm long and about 4cm in diameter. For the first firing, the oven should be around 100 degrees. A small fire will suffice, as the Baby is perfectly balanced, allowing the heat to distribute throughout the oven. Keep the fire burning with a moderate flame for several hours. When only embers are left, close the oven door. The Baby retains the heat until the next day. You will notice condensation dripping from the dome.
On the next day, make a small fire again and start at 150 degrees. After some time, add more wood so that you reach around 200 degrees and maintain it for a few hours. Then, increase by another 50 degrees to 250 degrees and hold the temperature again. Small droplets of condensation will drip from the dome again. This has to happen because the ovens are mostly hand-crafted and the dome sections have some residual moisture that evaporates during the burn-in. Also on day two, after several hours, when there are only embers left, close the door. The heat dries the oven.
On the third day, fire it up to 200-250 degrees for a few hours. After some time, add more wood and heat up to 300 degrees. On day three, four, or five the oven will stop dripping. Then it's ready for temperatures over 300 degrees. You'll notice once the residual moisture has evaporated, the Baby increases in thermal intensity. The heat pulls from the fire up through the oven and directly under the dome into the flue. The food does not come into contact with the smoke, particles do not deposit. So when no more water drips, it's time to start with Neapolitan pizza.
Further reports, adventures, and recipes around the Valoriani Baby can be read here in our homestory in the coming weeks.
