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Antimo Caputo 00 Flour + Forno Bravo Wood-Fired Ovens = Exceptional Pizza!

3/2/2018

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If you haven’t tried this remarkable flour you’ll be surprised by it’s soft light crust and extraordinary taste! Caputo 00 Flour Bags are 2.2lbs. Since 1924 ” We have produced the best flours for three generations, made from wheat and wheat alone and a passionate and generous interpretation of Neapolitan culinary tradition”.  Caputo is the Mill of Naples- Ideal flour for making authentic italian pizza dough, pasta, focaccia, breads and more.

It’s best to call ahead at 828 253 5455  to find out what we might have in stock and to pre-order as necessary.   A good discussion about why all  flours are not equal for pizza, gluten levels in flour, the 00 rating for the grind of the wheat can be found in this blog entry by Saveur magazine.

They use only the “heart” of the wheat in the Caputo flours which is a family owned and operated mill dating back to 1924.

Combine this superb flour with a Forno Bravo wood-fired oven and you have a pizza that can’t be duplicated in other ovens. Once the heat is absorbed into the mass a Forno Bravo oven provides reflected heat, convection and conductive heat to bake the perfect pizza in just 90 seconds!  All three- the crust, cheese and the sauce is cooking at the same time. The live fire arcing over the interior dome browns the top of the pizza with a rich brown color and imparts a deep flavor. The Convection heat combined with the moisture in the oven helps steam and puff up the cornicione (the outer rim or crust) of the pizza, and with the intense floor heat direct heat extracts moisture from the dough of the pizza resulting in a unique crisp crust. This is hard to achieve in a conventional oven.  That said,  these flour choices will improve your pizza crust in any oven!

Wood-fired ovens combine all the best conditions! For a more detailed explanation of Forno Bravo’s oven operation and cooking benefits click here.
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Come by The ARCH for your Caputo 00 flour today!

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American Clay’s Humidity Buffering Qualities Contributes to Healthy Air Quality

3/2/2018

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​The importance of air quality continues to reinforce our great feeling about American Clay Earth Plaster. There are some interesting advantages that American Clay offers to those wanting  more consistent humidity levels and the reduction of potential mold and mildew, as well as a quieter space.From personal experience we have lived with clay plaster in our own home and have experience with a broad variety of applications and placement of clay.

We have American Clay plaster in a kitchen/dining area, sun room, bedroom and in two bathrooms.  We’ve enjoyed the benefits clay provides in every space and have witnessed, felt, and breathed in it’s ability to absorb  and release water vapor when high levels of humidity are present without a spec of mildew appearing anywhere -EVER! What might seem to be a vulnerable location is where we applied clay along the top 18″ above the tiled walls in two shower areas but absolutely no problems have resulted- instead it benefits these areas.  In contrast,  if a  painted wall experiences high levels of humidity such as in a bathroom the surface will eventually develop condensation from water vapor creating an environment favorable for mold and mildew growth. 

​Another more extreme experience that we had was with several large 3′x6′ foot display panels we made and applied with clay plaster for an expo.  After a three day event we drove home and with the onset of a rain storm we rushed the panels into our (less than perfect) garage several years ago.  We had an unfortunate heavy rain that evening that ultimately flowed into the area where these panels were situated.The panels were trimmed  with wood for presentation purposes. After about a week we noticed a mold made its way up the wood strips  but did not touch the clay. The mildew completely avoided the clay.  If ever conditions were ripe for mildew this was it.   

The more clay there is in a given space the greater the humidity buffering. We called a few customers that have applied the clay in wine cellars  as this is an excellent application choice to assist in maintaining a consistent humidity so critical in a wine cellar.

In reading about climate control in wine cellars, efforts must be made to maintain a certain temperature as well as humidity level.

If the humidity rises above 70% in a wine cellar this is when the potential for mildew on the corks can develop which may create a problem for the wine.
There are several benefits when using the American Clay plaster- it assists in maintaining consistent humidity levels, assists in preventing mold and mildew, helps purify the air which is also important, and it is beautiful!
One of our customers shared that he has had no problems and added that he also selected the clay for the old world look. Most of the wine cellars include applications on the ceiling contributing to humidity buffering benefits.
The benefits of American Clay go well beyond those mentioned here; in fact they are nothing short of amazing!
Article shared by Catherine Silver of The ARCH Architectural Finishes, Flooring and More
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    The ARCH

    2000 Riverside Dr. Ste 10, Asheville NC 
    ​(828) 253-5455

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THE ARCH
2000 Riverside Drive
, Unit 10
Asheville, NC 28804
Phone: 828.253.5455 

Email: cmsilver@thearchnc.com

Showroom Hours:
 Tuesday and Thursday 10-2
or by appointment  


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