The words of Loubna Tahif, baker, trainer and Ephrem ambassador.
For this first article as an Ephrem Ambassador, I thought it would be interesting to go back to the origins of my choice, especially as it’s a question I’m asked very regularly.
So, what are the reasons that led me to choosean Ephrem wood-fired oven to set up my business?
I spent a long time canvassing, studying the proposals of numerous manufacturers, and it was a sum of incomparable advantages and properties that guided my choice.
Here are the points that, in my opinion, make all the difference:
The rotating hearth for ergonomic working comfort
The hearth of bakery ovens is motorized: it rotates during both heating and baking. This offers two major advantages:
– Heating and baking are much more even than on other types of wood-fired ovens. As a result, there are very few temperature differences between the different zones of the hearth, which means that baking can continue without having to move the loaves during baking (which is often a necessity on wood-fired ovens).
– The rotating hearth offers unparalleled work ergonomics compared to fixed hearth furnaces.
In fact, the main drawback of the latter is that it is difficult to get the loaves to the sides of the oven. In the long term, these repeated movements are the cause of frequent back pain.
The rotating hearth also has the advantage of rotating in both directions (clockwise and anti-clockwise), enabling us to work with a shorter shovel, which is also much more comfortable.
Exceptional inertia for cost-effectiveness and productivity
I’m working on the ” Boulanger 4 m² “, which weighs in at 11 tonnes.
The quality of its materials and its exceptional weight give it unrivalled inertia, enabling me to bake for more than four hours without having to reheat the oven between each batch.
This time-saving is an invaluable luxury on a wood-fired oven, and it also rhymes with extremely substantial fuel savings.
Personally, I can easily cook almost 200 kg of products in a single firing, using less than half a stere of wood.
A central rear spoiler with multiple advantages
Unlike traditional throat ovens, which feature a cast-iron mouth at the front of the oven, the throat on Ephrem ovens is actually a door at the back of the oven.
This format overcomes various disadvantages associated with the use of a mouth:
- The entire hearth can be used during cooking, whereas with a mouth, the space on which it is located is lost (and generally replaced by a water bowl for steam).
- As far as hygiene is concerned, this enables optimum separation of what is clean (products to be cooked) from what is not (fuel, etc.).
- Depending on the configuration of your premises, it’s possible to place the furnace outside the building (which is the case for me), which saves a lot of space in the laboratory, while avoiding a lot of wood handling.
- The central positioning of the hearth and the oven’s excellent draught also ensure an extremely efficient flame, which licks the entire hearth and roof.
I insist on this point, because it’s far from always being the case, especially when there are nozzles on one side of the oven. Even if they are supposed to be adjustable, they often have the disadvantage of not being able to provide uniform heating, which then poses difficulties during the baking phases.
A modern steaming rod for shiny, mouth-watering breads
Wood-fired breads have long been criticized for their thicker, less luminous crusts…
These are not the words of my customers who, while appreciating breads with “real crusts” and rich aromas, also find them beautiful and often say so!
Yes, appetite comes from… looking!
As you know, this is of paramount importance in a store: offering products that are as good as they look, adorned with luminous, golden crusts, can really sway an act of purchase!
This is why our bakery ovens are equipped with a real steam wand, activated on demand by a push-button on the front panel, in the same way as on an electric oven.
Convenience of use and efficiency of the steam wand are the order of the day, to produce wood-fired breads that perfectly match the taste and aesthetic criteria of today’s clientele.
Ephrem has developed these ovens with the help of experienced artisan bakers. Every constraint has been overcome by technical innovations that enhance the comfort of our work and the quality of our finished products.
Even today, by collaborating with industry experts for each of their oven ranges (pizza ovens, restaurant ovens, bakery ovens), Ephrem keeps in touch with craftsmen to meet our needs and continually improve its products.
I’m honored to be part of this virtuous circle, and I look forward to seeing you again soon for another article!
Loubna Tahif
Baker, bakery trainer
