Richard Miscovich began baking European hearth breads in 1996 after
graduating in the first class taught at the San Francisco Baking
Institute. During that same trip, he visited Alan Scott and was
introduced to the Scott brick oven design--just as interest in
artisan baking and wood-fired ovens dramatically increased. He
immediately began construction of a wood-fired oven in coastal
North Carolina, and opened an organic micro-bakery, One Acre Garden
and Bakery, specializing in organic artisan hearth breads.
Currently, Richard is assistant professor at Johnson & Wales
University in Providence, Rhode Island. In addition to teaching
culinary students, Richard is also a popular instructor for home
bakers and brick oven hobbyists, and is a regular guest at venues
around the country where he teaches artisan bread-baking
techniques, wood-fired baking, and oven-building classes. In 2007,
Richard organized and helped teach the first three-day wood-fired
oven class track to be offered at The Bread Bakers Guild of
America’s biannual educational conference, Camp Bread. He served
two terms on the Board of The Bread Bakers Guild of America.
Dan Wing, a biologist and physician by training, has written for
publications as various as Fine Homebuilding and The Archives of
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He travels out from his home
in Vermont in a gypsy wagon of his own construction, and naturally
he built his own bread oven on wheels.
ForeWord Reviews- "Passionate thoughts combine with a spectacular
range of ideas for using wood-fired ovens to make this guide a
must-have for anyone curious about this well-loved cooking method.
Although wood-fired ovens are best known for crispy pizza crusts
and rustic breads, they can be utilized for a much wider array of
tasks, from drying wood to roasting meats. Richard Miscovich’s
extensive guidebook on using these types of ovens celebrates the
stunning breadth of tactics while also providing insights into
history, homesteading, and masonry. Although there are several
guides to building ovens and books that offer baking techniques,
it’s Miscovich’s expertise at fusing these two worlds that proves
especially helpful. In straightforward language, he breaks down
factors like conduction, convection, radiant heat, thermal breaks,
and other important aspects of wood-fired ovens. Guiding readers
through the “full heat cycle” and its uses, he provides
instructions on cooking everything from roasted vegetables to
seared fish, and his in-depth sections on breads are particularly
stunning. The step-by-step directions are easily understood, and
there are so many variations to basic recipes that it would likely
be challenging to tackle everything included. Accompanying photos
capture the delicious results. Beyond the nuts-and-bolts approach
to utilizing the ovens, Miscovich’s guide returns often to the idea
of sustainability. He writes about self-sufficiency, creating a
reliable food supply, traditional skills, and community building.
Cooking with fire isn’t just a fun technique, he believes, but it’s
also a way to get back some of the wisdom and fellowship that’s
been lost: 'Wood-fired ovens fulfill resiliency’s requirements:
flexibility, diversity, and a backup system to ensure self-reliance
instead of helplessness … Generous sharing of information among
bakers, millers, and oven builders increases our community’s
resilience.'"
“Even if you don’t have a wood-fired oven, and you bake bread, get
this book. The technical information about bread is approachable
and correct and will bring your bread baking to the next
level.”--Solveig Tofte, co-owner, Sun Street Breads, Minneapolis
“Finally, a modern and comprehensive wood-fired oven management
book! Richard addresses innovations in oven design and offers
intelligent approaches to getting the most out of your wood-fired
oven. Interweaving homespun anecdotes with solid bread baking and
culinary instruction while offering clear explanations of oven
design, this book answers the questions and concerns of bakers of
all levels.”--Melina Kelson, certified master baker, Bootleg Batard
and Kendall College
“So, you want a wood-fired oven to bake bread and have pizza
parties? What should you build? How does it work? What else can it
cook? As an oven-builder I hear these questions a lot, but the
books I can recommend for cooking with fire say little about ovens,
and the ones about bread and ovens don't take you very far with
cooking. So I’m glad to now be able to recommend Richard
Miscovich’s From the Wood-Fired Oven. He speaks with the authority
of a professional baking instructor (and cook), an experienced
mason, and a neighborhood baker; he also writes well, takes
beautiful photos, and has a wealth of stories to tie it all
together. He’s worked with leading professionals in many fields,
and teaches from extensive experience with bread, pizza, meats,
vegetables, desserts, etc., as well as ovens, masonry, fire, heat,
and more.”--Kiko Denzer, author of Build Your Own Earth Oven
“When it comes to anything wood-fired, Richard Miscovich has set
the new gold standard with his comprehensive book, From the
Wood-Fired Oven. Both well written and inspiring, his book takes
the reader on a journey that will delight and educate amateur and
professional bakers alike. Richard is a master of this ancient
craft, and his expert command of formula development, along with
his knowledge of the classic and cutting-edge concepts in
wood-fired oven construction, use, and maintenance, make this book
unique and a must-have for any baker's library!”--Ciril Hitz,
author of Baking Artisan Bread and Baking Artisan Pastries and
Breads
“Richard has done so much more than just transfer his extensive
knowledge about baking and wood-fired ovens onto paper in this
book; he talks to the reader in a way that makes you feel that he
is right in front of you, sharing his experiences, encouraging you
to travel down a path that has brought him to where he is.
His personal stories and experiences take this book beyond great,
to one of a kind. I like that he doesn’t assume the reader knows
anything. You will learn about the bones of a wood-fired oven,
including not just how to use it but how to make the most of it. He
covers all the details and answers all the questions before you
have to ask. It is a must-have addition to the collection of any
food enthusiast, amateur or professional!”--Jeff Yankellow, board
chair, Bread Bakers Guild of America
“This is the book for which all wood-fired oven owners, hopeful
owners, and serious bakers have been waiting. Richard Miscovich’s
descriptions and instructions are both practical and
inspirationally poetic – dare I say, soulful. He ignites the fire
within, and compels us to want to know what he knows and to bake as
well as he bakes. In this book, he shares it all.”--Peter Reinhart,
author of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and Artisan Breads Everyday
Booklist- "It’s safe to say that most of us won’t be baking in a
wood-fired oven . . . at least, in the foreseeable future. On the
other hand, for bread aficionados and others addicted to the tastes
emanating from these kinds of ovens, there’s no better substitute
for the knowledge and expertise Miscovich imparts—not to mention
the 50-something recipes. He begins with the foundations:
understanding ovens and fuel, operating guidelines, and all the
processes that comprise bread-baking, from ingredients to proofing.
Every chapter is filled with color photographs and, when necessary,
step-by-step sequences. Where the author truly excels is in his
very thorough explanation of recipes. They’re woven into the text,
using a narrative style. He freely gives advice, variations, and
commentary on best and not-as-good versions, as well as caveats
(e.g., what to expect from a bread starter when it’s been
transferred from another region). At times, personal stories
appear, from his relationship with the late Alan Scott (a master
brick-oven builder and coauthor of the seminal work on wood-fired
ovens) to his bout with carpal tunnel syndrome. Thorough and
completely engaging."
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