Rustic Italian bread has been a fixture in international bakeries, cafés and restaurants for years, however only recently has the celebrated wood-fired tradition begun to mainstream in Australia. Australian Baking Business went to the Vesuvio wood fired oven kitchen to see the art of Tuscan bread making first-hand.

There is no substitute for authenticity when cooking bread.

For internationally renowned pizza chef Joe Cassisi, the art and joy of traditional bread making is an intimate, hands-on experience that should only take place around a wood fired oven.

“We all know pizzas take on additional layers of flavour when cooked in a wood fire, so my mission now is to encourage bakers to extend this mentality to bread,” Joe says.

“There is something special about sliding a smoky, crusty, golden brown loaf of bread out of the oven and, upon tapping it gently, hearing that unmistakable hollow sound of a perfectly cooked product, ready to be broken and served.

“Using a wood fired oven does take some learnt knowledge. The oven must be heated to the right temperature and the dough must be made of the right ingredients and quantities.

“However, wood fired ovens – both commercial and residential varieties – are becoming far more accessible and I encourage the Australian baking community to give it a go. Your customers will thank you.”

Tuscan Wood-fired Bread