bread making

If you've never used a camp oven for cooking, I suggest that you start with a simple damper. That should give you some experience in judging heat, fire intensity etc. You could start with bread, however if you cook it too quickly the outside will probably be OK but the inside might still be uncooked. Damper is not quite so 'particular' in it's (cooking) requirements. Experience is a great teacher. Just do it.

Yendor.

Try this mob "Simply No Knead Breadmaking" My other half is looking into them as well!

There are a number of good recent threads on this if you do a search.

I use bread mix. The one I get is Kitchen Collection. Comes in a yellow box with 4 pre-measured satchels, so no measuring is required. They have White, Grain and Wholemeal varieties. We use the white and Grain and they are both great. Just follow the directions for mixing, kneading and rising. From my experience, the first kneading and the second rising are the most important. That is knead well and let rise well.

I do the second rising in the camp oven so you don't have to move it. If the weather isn't warm enough to rise it well, some ideas are; put it in the car if the inside of the car is warm. Lift the hood and sit it on top of the engine (I put it on top of the intercooler) if the engine is warm. Or put it near (but not too near) the fire and rotate the oven every few minutes so you get even heat.

I oil the inside of the oven well and put the ball of dough direct on the bottom of the oven. I used to use a trivet, but find I get better results on the bottom of the oven.

Since you are using a non pre heated oven (you have been using the oven for second rising), you can use a fair bit of coals under and on top initially, but don't replenish them too much. Too high a heat and getting a burnt outside and doughy inside is a common problem until you get used to it.

If cooking at home, the bread would be ready in about 40 mins. In the camp oven, I aim for at least 45 mins, but it is better to cook too slow than too fast. I've taken over an hour on a number of occasions and the bread is still great. I tend to leave it on the initial coals for about 30 mins, then have a look. I then adjust the heat with more coals as required based on how it is looking. If browning nicely, don't add too much more. If still very pale, add some more and check again in another 10 to 15 mins. It is cooked when it is a nice even brown colour and sound hollow if you tap it.

Experimenting is all the fun. My first 4 or 5 loaves were hit and miss. Some fantastic, some not so. But my last 30 or 40 loaves have all been great.

Once you get the hang of it, you can get smart and make bread rolls or add flavours to your bread.

Have fun.

Yendor,
Make sure of a few things:
* The bread mixture should be placed in a bread tin after the second rising, not straight in the bottom of the camp oven.
* The bread tin should be raised up from the bottom of the camp oven by say a cake rack so the bottom of the bread tin does not touch the botteon of the camp oven otherwise the bread will burn.
* Don't lob the camp oven into the fire you will burn it all to a crisp and burn yourself checking the bread out.
* You will need a reatively small supply of good coals from the camp fire, pre warm the camp oven beside the fire so it is warm to touch, you should be able to keep your hand on the side of the oven just warm,
* Lift a half shovel of glowing coals out on the ground, in a small depression in the ground/sand if it windy, place the cake rack, bread in the tin into the camp oven and put the lid on,
* Place the camp oven on the coals away from the fire and put some more (a quarter shovel should do) on top of the camp oven lid.
* Leave for 20 minutes, check the bread by lifting the lid. When brown and smelling cooked take off the camp over lid, being careful not to spill the coals onto the bread, try tapping the top of the bread with fingernails/knike if it sounds hollow it is probably cooked, if it has a dull sound put the lid back on and cook some more. If the coals under the fire are low relace a few, likewise the ones on the lid. If the bread is cooking too quickly take some coals off and be patient.
* I have found the greatest danger is too much heat, go easy with the coals they are hot and should be replaced just a few at a time as the old ones die.

Try practicing at home before you have an audience, after just one go you will be an expert!!

I can just smell it cooking now. All the best and let me know how you get on.

Chris D (Newcastle)

After prooving it for the second time treat it with kid gloves or you will knock the air out of it. Making damper first until you get used to it is a fun way of learning (even for the kids) and the sky's the limit

Its really hard to write a short story on bread making :) I consider I am reasonably successful and its always at least edible. The actual working time is not great just the waiting time for the proving.

My advice is to firstly allow time, say 1/2 first rise, 1 1/2 hours second and at least 1 hour for the 3rd and say 1 1/4 hours cooking time. This is all very much dependable on the climate, the flour and the freshness of the yeast. Roughly 4 hours from start to finish.

On my last camper/trailer group cookout I used a bread mix, it was a light rye sour dough one from Coles. I cooked it in my Cobb. I added about 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds (a flour I enjoy) and served it with olives, cheeses, one of the new caramilsed tomato spreads and of course butter. It was very well received.

The problem I encounted and someone else who cooked in the more conventional coal fire using a packet was that the mixture was too big for the containers, hit the top and the end result was a bit crumpled :). the second time I used 3/4 of the mixture.

To cook bread either packet or from scratch:

1. Put yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and about 1/4 cup warm only water in a cup and wait till it froths and bubbles. If this doesn't happen your yeast is not working and there is no point in going further. Hot water or milk will kill the yeast.

2. Then put flour, salt, spices, yeast mixture, (egg and oil if you want a richer type bread I also add a cup of skim milk powder and find I get a better texture using same.) and more warm water and mix to a dough consistency. You really don't need exact quantities, add more flour or less as needed. OR FOLLOW THE PACKET INSTRUCTIONS.

3. They say to knead until elastic but I don't tend to knead a lot. Then leave to double in size (approximately).

4. Knock down and shape, leave again to rise, usually takes an hour or so. All this depends on the temperature but keep it out of breezes and dont seal with plastic just cover with a clean cloth to let it breath.

5. Put in oven with plenty of space as it will rise further and brush over with milk or melted butter (or just a spray of oil) to help with browning on top.

Cook not looking at it before 45 minutes.

It should be golden and when turned out and you knock on the bottom of it, it should sound hollow.

This is the less than perfect loaf which still tasted fine.

Bearing all that in mind I have also done the first two rising the night before left it all night, knocked it down shaped and cooked the next morning and it was fine. I think bread dough is very forgiving.

Travelin Carolyn

!MPG:10!

G/Day yendor I get the local hot bread shop to make me up mixes to suit my camp oven,they are stored in single mixes in zip plastic bages, all you have to do is add watermix & kneed , the longer you kneed it the better the bread turns out. I place the kneeded mix in the sun with a piece of plastic over it to let it rise slightly, always small amount or coals under camp oven with plenty on top ,about 30 to 40 minutes usually makes the perfect loaf for me, always pre warm camp before putting mix in it . If it is windy make a wind break for the camp oven ,this helps keep the temperature constant while baking.Friar

I must be the laziest one here I just put the bread mix and water in the bread maker and plug it into the caravan inverter or genny when it beeps take it out and eat it.
Not as much fun I suppose but I am lazy.
Wazzaaaa

I use the following recipe for making bread using the oven at home or the camp oven when camping. It looks like it’s a lot of effort but after making bread a couple of times you will find it a breeze.

Equipment
Camp oven – I prefer cast iron but a steel Bedourie camp oven is also fine.
Heavy gauge steel bread baking tin – size to suit oven – available for specialist cooking equipment suppliers in various sizes.
Trivet – to sit the bread tin on to raise the tin off the base of the camp oven.
Stainless steel mixing bowl – if you get a bowl that fits inside the camp oven, then you can help the bread dough to rise by warming the camp oven (just warm, not hot) and sit the mixing bowl inside the camp oven. This works great for making bread on colder days.

Bread recipe ingredients
700grams of hard white flour – the harder the flour the better.
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of caster sugar
1 sachet of dried yeast (which is about 8 grams)
2 teaspoon of bread improver
425ml of warm water

Bread recipe
Mix all dry ingredients together in the stainless steel mixing bowl.
Add all the water and mix with large spoon until all the dried bread mix at the base of the bowl is worked into the dough mix.
Now, the next step can be done either in the bowl or on a cutting board, knead the dough for about 3 to 5 minutes. At least until all the dried ingredients are mixed well with no lumps. You will need to sprinkle a bit of flour onto the cutting board (or bowl) to stop the dough from sticking to the kneading surface (board or bowl) and your hands.
Leave the dough to sit for 45 to 60mins. If it’s a cool day, warm the camp oven slightly and sit the mixing bowl inside to help the dough to rise.
When the dough has doubled in size, knead again for one min and place the dough into the bread tin.
The dough should be enough to half fill the bread tin.
Again leave the dough to rise to double its size - either cover the tin by placing in a plastic bag if it’s a hot day or in a warm camp oven if a cold day and leave to rise for about 30mins.
Preheat the camp oven (without the bread tin) and without using oil in the camp oven for baking bread.
Everyone has their preferred method for cooking with a camp oven, so you will need to experiment, read and talk to others to develop your method of cooking. I find that a bed of coals next to the fire (no burning bits of wood, just coals). Sit the camp oven on the coals. Add some more coals around the side and some coals on top of the camp oven.
Add the bread tin and bread dough to the camp oven and cook for 30 to 35 mins in a moderate to hot camp oven.
If the bread has a little bit of black on it at the 30mins mark then it is likely to be ready. Take it out of the oven and tin and tap the bottom of the bread, if it sounds hollow, then it should be done, if not put back in for another 5mins. Allow to cool on a rack for about 30 mins before eating.

I learnt from this forum this is what I do....packet mix in bread maker set to dough setting before I hit the bush.Freeze dough portions take them with me and take out of the frezzer the day that I need them.Let it rise in the camp oven in a warm spot and onto the coals or in my case the the oven mate and whallla bread. Good advise on this forum non better on the internet.

SARGE

yendor,

Here's my contribution. Be positive. You will not fail!

Camp oven Bread

The bread mix I use is Laucke Bread Machine Pre-Mix 600g net, however any brand should be similar. It should be available in supermarkets in several different blends, probably in the “Flour” section of the supermarket.

Two blends I can recommend are “Super Soft White Bread” and my personal favourite, “Crusty White bread”.

The dough can be premixed in a bread machine and frozen until required but let’s assume you are going to hand mix it.

1.
Place the flour mix in a bowl, add the sachet of yeast and mix in dry.

2.
From a cup (about 250ml) of water, add approximately two thirds to the mixture and fold in well. Continue to add the remaining water a little at a time, until the mixture has achieved a good workable consistency that is not too dry, nor too “wet”.
A written suggestion on the Laucke packaging states; “If dough is to be hand moulded and oven baked, use only 360ml of water with 600g of pre-mix or the dough will be too sticky to handle.
So, somewhere between 250ml and 360ml of water is required.

3.
Knead for 10-15 mins or so to mix sufficiently and expel as much air as possible.

4.
Place the kneaded dough in a warm place to rise. Inside the vehicle, or on top of a warm engine is good. After one hour (minimum) the dough should have just about doubled in size.

5.
Transfer mixture to a log style cake tin and put in a hot camp oven, preferably sitting tin on a trivet (mesh plate) to keep the tin off the bottom of camp oven. If the Camp Oven is not big enough to accommodate a baking tin, or your preference is for a “Cobb” style loaf, you can place the mixture on a piece of aluminium foil resting on top of the trivet. Ensure there are sufficient coals (or heat beads) on top of the lid as well as underneath the camp oven.
Allow to bake for about 20-30 mins, checking from time to time that the bread is not burning. Tap the bread loaf with your knuckles and when it sounds hollow the bread is ready.

The Bread produced has a crispy crust and should be soft and dry inside. If the inside of the loaf is still moist, not enough time has been allowed in the cooking process.
Use of the tin will produce a loaf style bread while the mixture placed directly on the trivet will result in a rounder, flatter “Cobb” style of loaf. I selected a tin that just fitted nicely inside my 12 inch diameter Hillbilly Camp Oven.

Camp Oven Heat Control.

The best method for controlling the heat in Camp Oven cooking is to use heat beads both underneath the oven and on top of the lid. (I use this for both bread making and cooking a camp roast)
Measure the diameter of the base of your Oven and use two less beads than the diameter underneath and two more than the diameter on top. This will give a good approximation to start with. Adjust the number of beads if required.
(For a 10 inch Oven, place 8 beads underneath and 12 beads on top)
To get good air circulation underneath the oven, I place a wire “cake stand” in a metal container and place the beads on top of the stand and the oven on top of this.
The metal container is also good for starting the heat bead ignition process. Just heap the required amount of beads on the wire cake stand sitting in the container, (an old fry pan is good) maybe put a little metholated spirit on the beads if necessary, light them and when they are burning sufficiently, transfer those you are putting on top, to the lid of the oven with a pair of tongs.

Have a drink or two why you wait.

When you have successfully baked bread in the camp oven, you will never consider cooking boring damper in its place.

Good luck.

I use the Laucke pre mixed. It is meant for bread machines but has seperate instructions for use with a normal oven. Follow these, I think it uses less water. I usually pre do it and freeze the dough. This saves a lot of stuffing around in camp. If planning on bread take it out in the morning and stick it somewhere warm. Will thaw and rise by the time you stop.

Pre heat camp oven. Wipe inside of oven with some oil on a paper towel the way you would for foccacia. I just drop the dough in the camp oven. Put very few coals under the bottom and a good stack on the top. Done in about 30 - 35 minutes if I remember correctly.

It takes some practice to get it just right.

Steve