Tried a combi oven vs a conventional deck oven for bread this week... night and day on consistency

I've been using a deck oven at my cafe in Portland for two years, always fighting with hot spots and uneven bakes. My buddy let me use his combi oven last Tuesday for a test batch of sourdough, same recipe and proof time. The crust color was way more even and the oven spring was insane on every loaf. Has anyone else switched away from deck ovens for baking and regretted it or loved it?

2 comments

2 Comments

tarajenkins26d ago

My old deck oven at the bakery in Seattle had a 30 degree temperature swing from left to right, it drove me nuts. I switched to a combi oven about a year ago and the difference in my baguettes was huge, every single one got the same golden crust. The steam feature fixed my scoring problems too, I used to get flat tops all the time but now they pop open perfectly. I honestly can't see myself going back to a deck oven for bread, the consistency is just too good.

noah88026d ago

@tarajenkins did you notice any difference in how long the combi takes to preheat compared to the deck? i'm curious if the trade off is worth the consistency for a busy morning rush.