Give me your tips. This wood fired family needs some love.
So we’re about to embark on our first full Winter of cooking on a woodstove. In particular, a Rayburn Royal. It has hot spots, cold spots and an oven that cooks everything really well on the left side.
I know there’s HEAPS to learn about this baby, from the best wood to use to what recipes work better in a woodstove oven to what best to use the warming oven at the bottom for…
The layout of a Rayburn Royal. This one is much cleaner than ours. But the bits are the same.
Here comes dinner
Banana cupcakes are part of our small but expanding wood fired menu
Case in point: this bit is on the front of the flue box of Allsun Farm’s rayburn. Ours doesn’t have this front lever bit. Should we add this bit to ensure all-night coals? Does anyone know?
I would welcome any and all comments from woodfired cooks old and new…
Can I firstly say that I truly and deeply love wood fired cooking. I love that this stove warms our house and our bath water on a cold and rainy day, as well as providing an oven and cooktop for making good food.
I love that this is slow cooking at it’s most fundamental. You wanna bake? Then light the kindling 2 hours prior and forget about all the other things you’re trying to do today till you get a good fire roaring…
I love the gentle radiant heat. It’s almost mammalian. It’s like having a crouching, friendly, big black bear that sleeps in the corner of the tiny house, and radiates a slow happiness that gets into everyone’s bones, even as we sleep.
I love that even if all else fails, if the solar system turns up its toes, a huge storm comes and the world outside is dark and lost, that I can still cook my family and crew a big, hot, nourishing dinner. And pudding.
Ok so that’s all great, but currently my puddings are all coming out burnt on one side. This is analog cooking at its most non-standard. I love it. But I also love dessert that i can eat the whole of.
So! Tell me oh global network of wood fired cookerers and/or children of wood fired cookerers. Not only limited to Rayburn cooking, but wood stove cooking in general…
What should I make? What are your best tips for fuel size? Uses for ash? Muffins vs cakes? Can I hope to cook a great sponge in this (not that i ever have previously cooked a great sponge in any other oven, but who knows what lies ahead)? Cheese toastie approaches for a Rayburn?
When you ‘close it down’ for the night, how do you get the coals to make it through till morning? Is there a secret trick?
Thanks in advance…
>> More posts about natural building
First Rayburn ‘no knead’ bread. Lookin good and only slightly crispy…
