Some specific functions of the new multipurpose ovens are dedicated to the preparation and cooking of sweet and savoury leavened dough. In a mix astride technological innovation, tradition and experience that directly comes from the professional world.
by Olivia Rabbi
The credit probably goes to the constant and ever-spreading presence of TV formats based on cooking and food preparations. Besides, to the anti-stress (and strongly symbolic) role that the preparation of the classic loaf has played in the quarantine period caused by Coronavirus-induced health emergency. The domestic oven is among the protagonists of the technological appliances equipping the contemporaneous kitchen and rediscovers its central role in the food preparation and cooking, in bakery and in the cooking of the classic pizza, too. To obtain products featuring high alimentary and tasting quality, state-of-the-art appliances bet on some precise characteristics and functions, like the use of steam and ventilation systems that allow the homogeneous heat diffusion inside the cooking compartment. The Professional world’s experience adapted to the household scale is one of the benchmarks for the development of targeted technologies. However, the strong recall to tradition, exemplified by the typical outdoor wood oven, persists.
At full steam
Equipped with eight cooking functions, including the one dedicated to Pizza, the new SteamBake oven with PlusSteam EOD 5H40 X function by Electrolux allows preparing homemade cakes and bread. Inspired by traditional cooking techniques that suggested the introduction of a saucepan of water inside the oven, the PlusSteam function creates a steam cloud inside the oven that enhances the taste of the various preparations. Process steps provide for pouring 100 ml of water in the specific tank before switching on the oven and for selecting the ventilated cooking function, by setting the suitable temperature for the recipe. Five minutes after pressing the PlusSteam pushbutton and preheating the oven, the warning light indicates the steam function is active and the oven has reached the right humidity level, suitable for the dough introduction. The generated wetness allows the dough to leaven completely, so obtaining a soft product inside, crispy and golden on the outside.
SteamPro BSE 882220 M oven by AEG understands and follows the user’s instructions also in the dough preparation and cooking: by simply grazing the I-Tex control, the broad display immediately visualizes the process setups, so making the cooking experience user-friendly and intuitive. SteamPro is equipped with 21 cooking functions, 3 of them based on steam and 7 special functions. By selecting the suitable steam percentage, the oven allows retaining the entire taste of each ingredient. The Bread function is useful to prepare bread and rolls with results resembling professional ones in terms of crispiness, colour and brightness of the crust. Due to the Dough Leavening function, instead, the condensate created by steam improves and speeds up the dough leavening, it avoids the surface dries and maintains the dough elastic.
The new model of multifunction steam Mythos FMY 99 HS XS oven by Franke can boast, besides others, 60 CookAssist functions, i.e. the assisted cooking for 60 recipes, including some special functions dedicated to the cooking of bread (rolls, sandwich bread, loaf and baguette), pizza and focaccia (frozen pizza, thin pizza and thick pizza) and leavening cakes (such as Sponge Cakes in baking tin, biscuits and croissants). In particular, for the functions concerning the steam cooking, water is loaded in a 1.5-litre tank positioned on the rear of the oven, with a high capacity that does not need the further addition of water while cooking. An integrated heater supplies the energy to generate steam continuously and immediately. Sensors and electronics control the steam quantity and preparation times, then guaranteeing excellent performances. The combined cooking takes place at temperatures from 140° to 220°, matching heat and steam. Pure Steam cooking works at 95° and can occur with three different intensities.
Leavening under control
The dough leavening at the optimal temperature to obtain high-quality products also at home, from pizza to cakes, is integral part of the functions offered by the built-in oven of W Collection Black Fiber Whirlpool W9 OM2 4S1 P BSS range. The series of W Collection ovens, equipped with 6th Sense technology, with sensors that allow programming intuitively up to 60 different cooking combinations, provides use opportunities of assisted cooking also to the delicate sector of bakery products, pizzas and leavening foods, automatically setting the cooking cycle, temperature and time. The multifunction Whirlpool Black Fiber oven, in particular, includes, among the others, the specific Leavening in course function, for sweet and savoury dough, optimal for all preparations like pizzas, focaccias and cakes. Through the Ready2Cook technology, the oven exploits a powerful convection system that allows reaching the adequate temperature quickly and eliminating the need of preheating the oven.
From Professional to domestic
Proven by Moretti Forni is the only static compact professional oven in the world ideated to cook products up to 400°C with very low energy consumptions, easily integrated in all contexts, at home as well, due to the reduced electric power, with 3kW engagement maximum. Proven allows the perfect cooking of high-quality pizzas in succession, as well as of big confectionery and bakery leavened products, through the vaporization function and the automated steam discharge valve. The special refractory-stone cooking surface, the core probe, the PowerBooster® function to have more power and the SmartBaking® technology that allows choking the heat delivered separately by ceiling and bedplate represent the target reached thanks to Moretti’s great experience in cooking dynamics in the professional world. The intelligence of Proven simplifies the cooking activity with high energy efficiency: it is possible to cook directly on the special refractory surface or indirectly on the buckle plate top, while lateral grills allow the uniform cooking of gastronomy products on a different level from the ground. Moreover, Proven includes the leavening programme that makes the microclimate ideal and keeps its right temperature constant. Conceived for being built-in in the kitchen, as alternative it can be equipped with a specific Totem prearranged with drawers and baking tin compartment, or with a Case with drawer to be used in countertop modality. Proven is designed by AParchitetti studio.
In the garden like in pizzeria
The domestic freestanding wood oven with outdoor installation by Alfa Forni allows cooking pizza, and not only, conforming to traditional cooking parameters. The wood oven relies on the cooking possibilities offered by the very high temperature it can reach quickly, up to 500 degrees for cooking pizza in about two minutes. The functions that combine the use of fan and grill allows managing the internal heat suitably for the different preparations. The optimal control of the temperature flow and the exploitation of the generated heat allow reducing heating times and the fuel consumption in a frequent appliance use: closed at 10 p.m. at 400 degrees, it can remain above 200 until lunchtime, quickly recovering the apt temperature. With Flue SystemTM patent by Alfa Forni for the fume disposal, the heat ascends, driven by the natural draft, meets the vault of the combustion chamber and wraps it completely, irradiating the cooking plate at the highest power, gradually continuing its course towards the fume exit where the deflector, through apposite slots, optimizes its output. In this way, the contact with surfaces occurs for a longer time and combustion temperature increases, thus creating a perfect balance between heat disposal and conservation.
