Oin the bread ovenmy wife and I have been thinking for a long time. Immediately after the construction of the house, when we were planning to arrange certain attractions in the garden, I designated a special place for it. At the time, however, I had no idea what it should look like. After six years of living and organizing almost the entire garden, the time has finally come to make your dreams come true.
Work planning - project
It was known thatbread ovenshould be built according to the old technology. So I used the knowledge of my grandfather Wiktor and in the winter I started making a project based on his childhood stories.
- The building was to be built of fireclay bricks,
- traditional brick foundation,
- "floor" made of fireclay mixed with broken glass,
- and the top - insulated with clay mixed with straw.
This method of construction was to provide the right amount of heat during baking both from the bottom and from the top.
There was only one problem. Since we have recently discovered the wonderful flavors of our own smoked dishes (just in a barrel), we decided to adda real smokehouseto the oven. And as a smokehouse, you know - it should also have the option " grill ". And this is how a small "combine" for the production of delicacies was created!
Building a bread oven step by step
- The first step was to build agazeboto cover the building. To refer to the rustic style of the whole, I covered its roof with Portuguese clay-colored tiles.
- After pouring the foundations, abread oven pedestalandsmokehousewith a smoke channel and a hearth were created. In the smokehouse, I installed rods for hanging sausages under the vault, and on the walls - grate guides. Thanks to this, the smokehouse also gained the grill function.
- Finally, I was able to startbuilding the furnaceIt stood on a traditional brick foundation and a poured concrete slab. I made the base of chamotte mortar mixed with broken glass. Then I covered it with fireclay plates. It was only on such a prepared foundation that I started building the furnace dome.
- Scaffoldingwas made of thick polystyrene and wet newspapers. For the construction, I used fireclay bricks and stove-fitting mortar, and in the final stage I warmed the stove with specially prepared clay, which I trampled on with straw. As a result, a natural reinforcement against cracking was created in the clay.
- The most important thing at the end, however, waspouring water over the clayand mashing it by hand every day. It took three weeks, but thanks to this, the stove is not cracking now.
- The doorclogging the inlet to the stove, made of beech boards, and from the inside there is mineral wool and acid-resistant sheet. The door to the smokehouse was also made of the same board.
- Finally, there were pizza carrying boards and bread scoops that needed to be made. It was, however, pure pleasure.
The reward for the time and money invested in the construction of my oven is a really great pizza, smelling of wood and smoke, and crispy, ruddy bread! Not to mention smoked, cured ham …
Jarosław Radziszewski
