Oven In Progress

It's a new day and the temporary metal ring to support the top slab has been removed. Probably insulation will separate the slab from the stone base because it would make no sense to transfer heat from the slab to the base.

Oven In Progress (con't)

The family is back at it today, and they completed a top slab upon which the firebricks will rest. The top slab will give the oven more mass, and it is essential for serious bread baking, but if you were just making pizzas and flatbreads, you could skip the top slab.

 Temporary metal enclosure to support the sides of the slab

The little red beast beautifully mixes the concrete for the slab

There is nothing like watching the work get done

The top slab is done and the metal ring will be removed when the concrete hardens

stay tuned for the next installment

Oven In Progress (con't)

The happy oven builders (I hope they're) are at it again for another session. They have just finished filling the void between the stone base with rubble and topped off with perlite insulation. They used 8" of perlite insulation with some bottles in the middle which may add to the insulation value. 
It looks like they mixed Portland cement in with the perlite, but none is necessary. Portland cement creates thermal pathways for the heat to escape, so it is best left out of the base. The perlite alone will easily support a top concrete slab. 
If you're insulating the outside of the dome with perlite, then you need some Portland cement to hold it all together. 6 parts perlite to 1 part Portland.

                                 

 Stay tuned for the next work day

Permit To Build

Before spending any time designing an oven for your property, find out if you can legally do this.
In two weeks I was prepared to build an oven for someone, and it was suggested that it might be a good idea for the property owner to speak to the code enforcement officer first. The officer gave an emphatic "no." He said the location was too close to the lake. That was it. No oven. Do your homework

"Smoked" Bread

Taking the cover off the Dutch oven was not really a pleasant sight. Sure, the crust is burnt. I can't get away with simply saying "rustic," but you know, it's very difficult to destroy a bread. Slicing through the crust, a beautiful crumb was revealed, and the taste was smoky and delicious. 

An Oven In Progress

In this post and in following posts we'll see an earth oven being constructed in Maine by a couple who took one of my oven building workshops. Looks like the kids are helping out.

Beginning excavation

Excavation finished. Don't underestimate the amount of work this takes

Gravel added for good drainage

Concrete slab poured

Beginning flat stone base, and flat stones are the easiest stones to lay up.

Base complete

Stay tuned for the next phase which should happen in a couple of weeks.

Rainy Workshop

In spite of the persistent rain, we just held another successful earth oven workshop in Waterville, Maine. I was wet and cold, but the group enthusiasm really elevated my spirits. For me, there's nothing more enjoyable than teaching a workshop with such eager participants. 
If there were a way to transfer such willingness and craving for knowledge to our public school systems, everything would change in the United States.

 Insulating the earth oven

Constructing the simple brick oven

An Oven Destroyed

To protect your oven from the elements, it's essential you keep it dry, and keeping it dry doesn't mean covering it with the "blue tarp."
The earth oven shown was covered in the fall to protect it from the rain and snow. Yes, the tarp protected the oven from the rain and snow, but it did not protect it from condensation that got between the tarp and the dome. 
The result: When the tarp was unveiled (you can see it in the bottom left), we see that the oven reverted to its primal substance. MUD.

This oven needed a roof

Earth Oven Workshop

Another successful workshop in Waterville, Maine. 

Thanks to all who attended

Bread/New York Times

Check out the New York Times for some excellent articles about fine bread baking. Included in the Tartine bread section is a conversation with Chad Robertson on how to make Tartine's Country Bread.

Tartine Bread

photo by Eric Wolfinger