David Chang

@John T hi john, those two ovens are very similar in floor space and mouth. the difference being alfa is made in italy. FV in china. however i do like the cart design better on the FV, seems more practical. @Poochie high temperature breads like pizza and fougasse is ok. but i haven't had luck baking bread (450-500f) in the alfa. i think they over-marketed the heat retention capabilities on steel top ovens. it simply does not retain heat like a full on refactory dome oven to bake bread. once you remove the heat source (turning off gas or removing embers), the temp drops a degree every few seconds or so. but what i found useful to keep heat loss to a minimum is to remove the flue and place a pot lid over the exhaust. but the other problem is steam production. i have tried ice cubes in a tray, and spraying a mist of water prior to baking and it's till not enough steam. the last two methods i read about in a wfo forum i haven't tried is using rolled towels soaked in hot water. if that still doesn't work, i have the APO oven for all my steam baking needs, and i don't taste the difference between breads in gas or wood, so not going to be sore about it. dessert is also something i've haven't really made, but i've seen fruit cobblers baked with great success by others. that being said, i think it's easy to get to pizza temps, but more challenging to maintain lower temperature cooks. @MacKenzie why would the bricks explode in cold weather?

thats too bad, im in the market for one. but location and voltage prohibits me to buy from you.

chicken for lunch. i had a hard time starting my charcoal and it never got to the roasting tempa i wanted but somehow it still came out pretty good..😅

well, if i was still living in ny, we could meet half way in new haven and do a pastry/horseradish swap 😄

that integral stand has two hooks in the front to hold tools. very useful and the only model with this feature i believe..

they are for breakfast because i don't have any other time to make them today. 🙃 (hands you an eclair to try)

yeah matty has had a colorful past. seems very cool to hang out with though..

eclairs.. i used to eat an entire box of Entenmann's eclairs in once sitting when i was a kid. now I don't think I can eat more than one.. choux recipe here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i1G8i_Q-Lk pastry cream recipe here: https://youtu.be/EQM7MlqtuUg chocolate glaze here: https://youtu.be/BuqperGBL88?t=946 I would triple the pastry cream recipe if baking this choux recipe as perscribed. You need a pastry bag and a large round or star tip. It helps to have a perforated mat and perforated sheet pan. If using thermomix mixing the choux, you need the butterfly attachment and mix until the batter is ribbon stage and can stand on its own. Need to be precise when piping the choux, it has a mind of its own when baked. You can download eclair templates online and place the outline underneath the silpat mat to get consistent size. I thought the glazing was difficult. Maybe dropping the pastry in a bowl where the glaze fills halfway might be easier.

anyone watched this yet? i got a nervous breakdown just watching the trailer.. 😅. it's streaming on hulu.. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/magazine/the-bear-modern-work.html

congrats. 4 pizze is nice a big for 4 pizzas (12"?) but i could never juggle that many. not screwing up 1 pizza is enough already.. consider subscribing to this gentleman on youtube.. https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWoodFiredOvenChef/videos

breakfast pizza on the alfa brio. gas to 650f takes about 30 min. i can go higher but it still cooks well enough at 650. as much as i love my kk, i prefer cooking pizza on a pizza oven. ugly shaping but tasty nonetheless .

it's been a good performer. the steam function for bread is really what i use it for. and i appreciate the other unique features like bagless sous vide. but i rarely use it. i wish it was made with better materials, but it would be a $xxxx oven instead of $xxx. after i got a good ear on a boule, i knew i didn't need my bread cloche anymore and gave it away. if you want to bake with steam, your home oven with a dutch oven or cloche can do it. but your limited to baking round breads.

@Poochie the lye is for shine and color on the pretzel. it becomes safe when baked, but you need to wear gloves when dipping the dough in it.

@Poochie next thing you know, you're starting a micro bakery 😀 thanks for reminding me to make pretzels. i bought a bottle of lye just for this but haven't even started..

yes, i'm very looking forward to the franco pepe episode. but these chef's table series... i don't really want to see any more chefs picking ingredients from their manicured organic garden over dramatic music. just give me the god damn recipe..😇

yeah not suitable for sloppy joes 🤓

pan de cristal recipe here: https://claudio-perrando.com/produkt/recipe-media-cp-pan-de-cristal-2020-edition-english-deutsch-espanol/ one of the most difficult handling breads, but totally worth it…

@Poochie unless you are baking with starter every single day, keeping the starter outside in room temp or with a proofer will basically require daily feedings. it's more trouble than keeping a plant alive..so this is not necessary when you bake once a week or less. once you place an active starter in the fridge, the yeast goes to sleep. take it out from fridge to room temp and feed and it will be active again. I took this starter out to room temp and fed it 1:1. it doubled in size in a warm kitchen in about 3-4 hours. for me, temp control for bread is more critical for preferments. sometimes i need to keep biga or poolish for 10-14 hours at 4c, 8-10c, 18-20c, 22-24c. i bread proofer is too hot for this, i find a wine fridge the best because it can perform cool, but not frigid temperatures on multiple tiers. this is an example of 4 preferments for pan de cristal. 22-24c or 18-20c for several hours, then placing in a 4c fridge prior to mixing. and lastly, when baking you want a steam assisted oven. if not, you will need a steam tray and pour hot water over lava rocks or use a dutch oven. if you don't want to mess with any of that, buy an anova precision oven because this thing will proof bread too... good luck and show us your results!

i would say 78 is my average with humidity. my outside environment is like south florida. if you want to expedite things, you can place the starter in the microwave or oven with a bowl of hot water.

@Poochie i just keep the starter on the counter room temperature to feed to peak. i put it back in the fridge when done and they go to sleep.

steak sandwich waygu zabuton (sous vide and charcoal seared) sourdough biga demi-baguette

Pizza and wings 650 on the stone this tasted very ny style pizza. nice pool of cheese grease in the middle. nearly died cooking this on the rooftop its so friggin hot…

i've put wasabi in shrimp cocktail sauce. big surprise for unsuspecting diners.😇

taro mooncakes

i don't do much bbqing in the summer as its too hot. 2 min on the roof and i need a shower..