Just had a fun encounter on twitter when I was twittering about books I wished I had…I mentioned the Earth Oven book, and got something even better–a description from someone who has already done all the research and put it into action, even documenting it with great photos! They have posted it here for anyone else who wants to make one. I wish I could but I have to find somewhere else to live first, I think…. But I love to live vicariously through others so if you make one let me know 🙂 Or if you build one in your backyard, invite me over for dinner sometime….

Earth Oven

Last October I finally got around to building the earth oven I’d been talking about. It took longer than it needed to because I didn’t have a frogking clue what I was doing. I’d read The Book and seen all the websites, but none of it was particularly useful at understand what was really going on. So at a friend’s request I’ve written the Bread Oven Saga.

An earth bread oven is just a lump of earth with a hollow inside. Its purpose is to hold the heat of a fire and release it back in to the food. This has been done since prehistoric times using rocks, clumps of dirt, clay, metal, and ceramics. The quality of construction only relates to the oven’s efficiency and longevity of the oven, but even the worst built oven can bake good bread.
Earth ovens are comprised of 5 parts: Pedestal, floor, interior shell, exterior shell, and door.

I’ll let you read the rest of it over here, as there are lots of great photos showing the various steps. Also great tips on what material to use and where you might get it as well, the author also says if you have any questions, feel free to ask!