Welcome

Well, 2015 is under way and we are looking forward to an exciting and prosperous new year! To kick things off, we are excited to announce the return of Chef Bart! The Chef took some time off for the holidays but is back in action with his Napolino and an innovative gluten-free recipe in the Community Cookbook.

We have a new face at Forno Bravo, Mitch Clark, our new Marketing and Channel Manager. Among his Marketing duties, Mitch is focused on our rich social media programs to keep our community engaged and promoting wood-fired ovens in the residential and commercial markets. He will also be working closely with our dealer partners to develop the residential, commercial, architectural and landscaping sales channels. Welcome Mitch!

This month’s newsletter also offers a glimpse into our social media efforts to promote wood-fired cuisine and ideas for that special Valentine gift. As always, we encourage you to participate in the Forno Bravo Forum: The Wood-Fired Oven Community through discussion on design and installation of ovens, outdoor living ideas, brick oven recipes and sharing photos of your ovens and cooking.

Here’s to 2015!

     The Forno Bravo Team

Community Cookbook: Got Gluten?

Chef Bart Hosmer shares this month's featured recipe from the Forno Bravo Community Cookbook.

I’ve got to believe that most, if not all of us in the Forno Bravo community are fans of gluten. After all, it is what gives our dough structure, chew and texture. But there are those (1% of Americans) that truly are affected by Celiac Disease that need gluten-free options. We have the upmost respect to those who have Celiac, but if you’ve been reading the news recently, gluten-free has been scientifically proven it is not healthier, and you can actually consume more fat, sugar and overall calories with a long-term gluten-free diet. That said, I did have a friend with Celiac over for pizza the other night. Not having the time to make dough with “Cup 4 Cup” or similar flour substitute, I turned to King Arthur’s Gluten Free Bread and Pizza mix. I followed the instructions according to the box, but I did allow for the dough to sit and proof for about an hour and a half (not listed on the box). The dough was very wet and loose, and it would be virtually impossible to form and slide on and off a peel. Instead I splashed a tablespoon of olive oil into my cast iron skillet and placed in it the oven for 2-3 minutes to let the fire warm it up. After removing the skillet from the oven, I used a wooded spoon a spread the dough mix as thinly as I could over the bottom of the cast iron and set to work adding the toppings. The pizza was cooked in about 4-5 minutes after placing it in the pizza oven. The dough will double in sizes and wrap around some of the heavier toppings, something my guest loved. The bottom of the dough was a crisp golden brown and while soft, the overall cooked dough had a very pleasant chew. My guest swore it was like a soft pretzel. Hope to try a gluten-free flour substitute soon and post my learning. Until next month, feast well.

– Chef Bart