Rustica Talavera Pottery Recipes: Wood Fired Adobe Oven Artisan Bread

May 28, 2017

I'm going to let you in on a little secret:  baking bread is easy.

I love baking, and I love outdoor cooking.  So, we  are so lucky to have a wonderful neighbor who has hand-built an adobe oven in their back yard! Not only do we get to enjoy their gourmet treats, we're invited to come over and enjoy rustic baking in this amazing wood-fired oven.

Paul Clausen, Rustica's Resident Chef & Baker Extraordinare!

Oh, and don't think this experience is limited to artisan bread; slabs of salmon, steaks, baked beans, even berry cobblers have been fire-roasted to perfection and you'll some of those recipes here in the very near future!

 We've experimented with a number of bread and pizza recipes.  Cooking on the stone surface delivers a beautiful crusty exterior, and a tantalizing wood-smoke flavor.  The one we're sharing today is an all-purpose classic that can be used for bread, pizza or flatbread-styled gourmet treats.

PS: this bread recipe works well in an average home oven; we've included alternate baking instructions so you can make this in your own standard oven.

Give baking your own bread a try, it is one of the easiest and most delicious things you can do!

The Hungry Garden's adobe wood fired oven Rustica Gift & Talavera Pottery Artisan Bread Recipe.

Recipe:  Wood Fired Adobe Oven Artisan Bread

By:  Rustica's Chef & Baker-in-Residence Paul Clausen

For the Bread Dough

Ingredients:

4 cups unbleached white flour (or 2 cups Bread Flour and 2 cups plain White Flour)

Sea Salt – 2 teaspoon

Dry active bread yeast – 1 packet (2 tablespoons)

Water – as needed

Optional:

White sugar - 1 teaspoon

Additional:

Flour for dusting

Olive Oil

 Make the Bread Dough:

1. In a small bowl, place a measured 1 cup of water
2. Heat the water (a microwave works well) to 105 degrees (40C)
3. Add sugar to the water if using and stir to dissolve
4. Open the packet of yeast and pour over the water, you do not have to stir the yeast in
5. Let the yeast sit for about 5 minutes, the yeast should foam. If the yeast does not react, repeat steps 1 through 4
6. In a large bowl, measure 4 cups of flour, add the salt

Mixing:

7. After 5 minutes, the yeast should be foaming. Pour yeast and water over flour, then measure 2 cups tepid water (it is best not to use hot water from the tap, use cold water and warm it.)
8. Add water to the flour mixture while stirring, the flour will become clumpy. Continue to add water until the dough begins to form a single clump. * YOU MAY NOT USE ALL THE WATER or YOU MAY NEED MORE WATER* Using your hands, work the dough so that the water has been incorporated. If the dough is dry and clumpy, add a little more water. The dough should not be runny, it should form a smooth ball. Because of moisture in the flour, there is no exact amount of water, it will always be more or less depending on the time of year or location you are in. If your dough is very wet, you can incorporate more flour when the dough is kneaded.
9. Transfer the dough to a floured working surface or into a standing mixer with the dough hook attached. If using a mixer, run on a medium speed for 5 minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl and not be sticky, the dough should also not be excessively soft and wet. The consistency is important as it will affect the final product. If using your hands, work the dough for 10 minutes, adding flour as needed to maintain a smooth dough. Do not use an excess amount of flour, just enough to work the dough.
10. Place the dough into a second large bowl that is well-greased with olive oil, turning once to coat. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Dough is ready when doubled in size and indentation remains when pressing a finger into the center.
11. Press to deflate and turn out on a floured surface, cut in half and shape the dough as you desire. A simple round loaf works well. To create the loaf, roll each half into a log shape then role the long way back into a ball shape. This helps build structure in the loaf.
12. After shaping the dough, place on a baking pan or in a pie tin and allow to rise again for 10-15 minutes before baking. You may score the top by gently drawing a knife over the surface.

We baked our bread in an outdoor adobe wood fired oven and was at a temperature of about 500 degrees (260C). You can simply bake the bread in a very hot oven (450-500 F) for 12-15 minutes.  

Crispy Crust Pro Move:  To get a crispy crust, you can put a small pan of water in the bottom of the oven to produce a more humid cooking environment, which will produce a crisper crust.

Check for desired golden color / doneness. Ovens vary in cooking time, so check the dough at about 10 minute and then adjust the cooking time / temperature according to your oven. A good way to test the bread is to tap the bottom, it should have a hollow sound, if the bread does not sound hollow, continue to bake.

Once done, remove and let cool. Enjoy your home cooked bread!

Rustica Gift and Talavera Pottery; we're not just about the gorgeous artisan Mexican pottery and pewter; we're equally enthusiastic about the food we serve on these tableware pieces. That's why we love to share our favorite recipes with you! 

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