Oven Building

Yesterday we finished rebuilding the Cobb oven that we have been working on for about 2 weeks. The brick foundation was already there from the last oven (that was broken during the hurricane) so we had to add the clay dome, the insulation and the final plaster. It was a fun project that allowed everyone to get covered in mud and then have a delicious baked treat to reward ourselves with in the end! Cobb ovens are also really cool beacause they cost nothing to power (assuming that you have readily available firewood...) and they retain their heat for about 6 hours. This makes them a good tool for developing economies because they are cheap to make (all of the materials we used came from their yard), easy to maintain, very eco friendly, and practical for cooking.

The brick archway and the sandform that we used as a mold for our first layer of material. Once this layer was dry we dug out the sand and had a beautiful clay dome!

Collecting clay to use for the first layer

The boys and I mixing up the first layer of material-a mixture of finely sifted sand and clay in a 3:1 ratio. It was hard work and involved dancing while reggae music played in the background to help cover up the burning in my legs and my incredibly terrible coordination...

The first layer going on over the newspaper covered sand form. The newspaper was useful when we had to dig the sand out so that we knew when to stop. This layer was about 4 inches thick the whole way around and will hold the majority of the heat from the fire.

Suzy being useful...



Mixing up the secong layer, which is a mixture of mostly sawdust and just enough clay slip to make it stick. This will be the insulation layer.

Agape making clay slip for the insulation mixture

The finished insulation layer, about 4 inches thick. This layer should be light and springy while it is still wet, and when in doubt opt for less sawdust than you think you need.

 

Our first fire in the cobb oven (We jumped the gun a bit and did it before we finished to insulation but we just couldn't wait for fresh bread)! If you light a good blazing fire and let it burn for 2-3 hours, your oven will stay hot enough to cook in for up to 6 hours. It is helpful to have a door to keep the heat in. Ours is covered in tin to keep the wooden door from burning.



We had some help finishing the oven from the wedding party staying next door! It was a good group project and a fun way to get to know some new people. The final layer was about an inch thick and made from a mixture of .5 parts horse manure, 1 part clay, 3 parts sand.

Agape, Joshua, Enoch, and Kofi putting shells collected on their beach for the finishing touches on the new oven

Finished cobb oven!

Our first coconut cake made in the new oven! delicious!