THE OVEN.
Management of a brick oven.—Much of the
quality of bread depends on its being well baked,
and therefore, the nature and construction of the
oven used for it, when it is required in large quan-
tities, are very important. Of all that are in
common use amongst us at present, a brick oven,
heated with wood, is generally considered as the
best adapted to it; and, certainly, no bread seems
so sweet and wholesome as that which is so baked
in private families, when perfect cleanliness has
been observed in all the operations connected with
it, and they have been performed with care and
skill. To ensure a sufficient degree of heat to
bake bread properly, and a variety of other things
in succession after it when they are required, the
oven should be well heated, then cleared and
cleansed an hour for use, and closely shut from half
an hour to an hour, according to its size. It will
not then cool down as it would if the baking were
commenced immediately after the fire was with-
drawn, but will serve for cakes, biscuits, sweet
puddings, fruit, meat-jelly, jars of sago, tapioca,
rice, and other preparations, for several hours
after the bread is taken out.
I have known a very large brick oven, heated
in the middle of the day with one full sized faggot
or rather more, and a log or two of cord-wood*,
which was added when the faggot was partly con-
sumed, still warm enough at eight or nine o'clock
in the evening to bake various delicate small cakes,
such as macaroons and mesingues, and also cus-
tards, apples, &c.
It is both a great convenience and a considerable
economy in many families to have such a means
of preparing food for several days' consumption,
and renders them entirely independent both of
bakers and confectioners.
To restore the freshness of pastry, biscuits, or
bread, when they begin to taste stale, it is only
necessary to heat them through, without harden-
ing them, in a gentle oven of any kind.
To heat a large brick oven.—Lay a quantity of
shavings or other dry light fuel into the centre of
the oven, and some small branches of faggot-wood
upon them; over these place as many of the larger
branches as will make a tolerably large fire, and set
* When there is no cord-wood at hand, the large faggot-
stems can be used instead, but will not have so good an effect.
Elm, or beech, or oak is the best of all fuel.
light to the shavings. As the wood consumes
keep adding more, throwing in, after a time,
amongst the live embers the stout poles of the
faggot, and, lastly, two or three moderate-sized
logs of cord-wood, when the oven is of large dimen-
sions and the heat is wanted to be long-sustained.
When no cord-wood is at hand, the necessary
quantity of large faggot or other wood must be
used instead.
From an hour and a half to two hours will be
required to heat thoroughly a full-sized brick oven.
The fire should be spread over it in all parts
towards the end of the time, that the whole of the
floor may be in a proper state for baking.
After all the embers and ashes have been cleared
out, a large mop, kept exclusively for the purpose,
dipped into hot water and wrung very dry, should
be passed in every direction over it, to cleanse it
perfectly for the reception of the bread.
As the heat is greatest at the further part of the
oven (and at the sides frequently), it is usual to
place loaves of the largest size there, and those
which require less baking nearer to the mouth
of the oven.
To ascertain whether a brick oven be heated to
the proper degree for baking bread, it is customary
for persons who have not much experience to
throw a small quantity of flour into it. Should it
take fire immediately, or become black, the oven