Mud Oven
At the far end of a path through my garden I now have a large cob oven. Family and friends gathered on Sunday for the construction. It is only temporary, of course! So instead of a masonry foundation it is set on a table of oak 2X10s set on a double row of verticle walnut log sections. (The walnut log sections are from the 80 ft tree that fell onto my electric utility pole the other night. But thats a 'nuther story.)
First a nice egg shaped, sorta, pile of sand was rounded out and covered with wet newspaper to shape the inside of the oven. Next the whole thing was covered with four inches of cob. That's clay and sand and chopped straw. Tish was the sculptress and her boys were the mud stompers. Today we pulled out the sand to open the oven cavity and built a fire inside to start it drying. The overall shape is the classic Canadian "crouching beaver". Or, if you are from Puxatawney, PA, the "crouching groundhog". I will keep firing it this week and Saturday evening is PIZZA time. If it is too hot we will start with pita. After the pizza it should be the right temperature for sourdough loaves.
From this trial, two more cob ovens will prolly get built. Every garden needs one.
BJ
Gardening, cooking and woodworking in South'n Murlyn'
Gardening, cooking and woodworking in South'n Murlyn'
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(post #11507, reply #1 of 14)
sounds fabulous! Think you'll have time to help us make one when you come up? We got tons of clay soil, straw should be fairly easy to get as well as sand!!!!
have you got any pics?
(post #11507, reply #4 of 14)
I would love to help you make a mud oven. Last week end's experience has made me leery of temporary foundations. We could make an oven in a day but the foundation needs concrete and masonry work. Tish and I are planning that for her oven. Kiko Denzer's "Build Your Own Earth Oven" is a good start.
BJ
(post #11507, reply #7 of 14)
The spot where I would like to put it has a concrete pad underneath the grass-never-grows area. I finally figured out why the grass would die there every summer when I started digging down about 4" and hit concrete. The lid to our septic tank is also nearby so we couldn't cover the area permanently. I think the mud oven is a perfect thing for that area, the only thing that I think I'm missing is fire brick.
(post #11507, reply #8 of 14)
Firebricks are about $5 each at Home Hardware Nanook.
No trouble on th ecanoe plans BJ. Let us know when you are in the area, and see if you can schedule in an afternoon of sailing. Could be a fun diversion. We are about 2 hours north of Nanook.
If it can die, I can kill it.
Certified Brown Thumb, 4th degree
(post #11507, reply #9 of 14)
thanks Dagwood!
why don't you guys come down as well for the day when beejay arrives, we can have a bbq or something!
(post #11507, reply #10 of 14)
Oven report.
Gathered friends and family proofed the oven on Sat evening. First two loaves of Tish's whole wheat sour dough came out of the oven on the pizza peel looking like perfection. We then put fire back on the oven while Tish's pizza dough rose. Fire was pushed to one side and pizza slud in on the peel. Once the bottom firmed up on the hot fire brick we could manuver the pizza so that all side were exposed to the flames. 90 to 120 seconds and the pizza slid onto the peel and back out to waiting conosewers. Little kids learned how to rolling pin the dough and to flour the surface so that things don't stick and to put all kinds of toppings on the dough and that you better build it on the peel 'cause it doesn't want to be moved till it's cooked. They didn't learn not to crowd the cook at the oven because a long handled peel is likely to come sliding back and knock your raw pizza onto the dirt. Oh yeah, Tish's fresh mozzalella was awesome on the pizza!
I'm still trying to download pics from the friend who has forgotten that dial up does not equal broadband and a couple of megs is not going to download in real time.
But Friday night I stoked up a fire and mixed a small dough to rise while I mowed. I made a small test pizza and threw th rest of the dough in the oven while I had supper. After 20 minutes I had a nice dinner roll, browned and thick crispy crusted. I sat on the screen porch with my pizza as the Japanese iris faded into the dusk. The nicotiana that volunteers in the cracks of the brick wafted its perfume around me. Life is good.
BJ
(post #11507, reply #11 of 14)
That sounds absolutely wonderful!
I went and googled mud oven and printed out instructions. I have them for future use,( got your e-mail)_ we can enjoy the few days without real work. I got most of the huge work of weeding done this weekend, dh has worked a triple shift with 4 hours between the 2nd and third so I was up at the crack of dawn and started the humongous task of weeding which was originally finished about ten days ago. We've had so much rain that the weeds are practically growing before my eyes, I unloaded about 8 wheelbarrows this past weekend and I still have the north border to do and the front, I was able to contact my old place of work at the garden centre and the sent me out 20 bags of hemlock mulch within a half hour. I haven't finished planting all my new treasures yet but soon as they go in the mulch is following. I wish I could call in sick tomorrow!!!!
(post #11507, reply #12 of 14)
I finally figured out how to re-size the photos that BeeJay's friend took. Hopefully, these will come through in a reasonable size file.
These are the pictures taken the day we built BeeJay's oven. The belt of bricks around the base was put on to contain the slumping we had with the soft cob. Most of the other pictures feature the photographer's children. They are wonderful children and very nice to look at, but I don't have permission to post them.
(post #11507, reply #13 of 14)
very cool pics!
I was going to get dh to build me a pizza oven made from solid brick, I'd seen one featured on the gardening channel, but since I've seen the mud oven I think I like the look of the mud oven more!
(post #11507, reply #14 of 14)
Long live BeeJay and the oven!
New Mexico home organic gardener
Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience. Emerson
(post #11507, reply #2 of 14)
In keeping with nanook's theme - whatever happened to your canoe plans?? Did you find a route that looked appealing to you? Am i coming along? Am I leading?
"How many were there, which way did they go, and were they running? These things I must know, for I am their leader..." (or something similar ~ I can't remember the exact quote)
If it can die, I can kill it.
Certified Brown Thumb, 4th degree
(post #11507, reply #5 of 14)
Sorry, Dag, after we emailed about a canoe trip I got caught up in a trip to Hawai'i and if forgot to get back to you. I'm taking DGD to see Niagra Falls the last week in June. At this point I'm not sure when she will finish her Summer job and be free again.
BJ
(post #11507, reply #3 of 14)
BeeJay, this is exciting! How long is temporary?
I have always wanted an outdoor oven but have come to the conclusion it will only happen in my dreams.
Reading your posts in CT on this subject, I was thinking it was made of corn cobs.
cheers,
rl
(post #11507, reply #6 of 14)
Ruth, it has famously been determined that 'temporary' is a very long time indeed. I think that the research has been done by housewives waiting for kitchen upgrades and other home improvements. The wooden foundation has shifted slightly under the weight of the mass of bricks and clay so we will hafta seehow it stands up. The prototype was built at my place because I could easily dispose of it if didn't work.
BJ