Hi Helen, there's lots to learn with wood-fired baking, and most of it comes with experience as you gain familiarity with your wood-fired oven. However, having the right tools is also important to achieving success. An infrared thermometer to take the temperature of your oven can help give you an idea about how long your bread should bake. You'll also want to use an instant read thermometer (like the Thermapen) and test your bread for doneness; if you are baking a basic rustic bread, shoot for 190-195 degrees F in the center when it has finished baking. A baker's peel will also be a handy tool to have so you can load your bread into the hot oven and rotate it while baking. If you find that your bread is browning too quickly while the center stays uncooked, you may consider baking the dough in a heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron works well for this). For more tips and detailed instructions, please call our Baker's Hotline at 855-371-BAKE. Kye@KAF

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