SC - Re: Bee Hive Oven
Librarian
betpulib at ptd.net
Tue May 5 13:35:06 PDT 1998
Bob & Bobbe Crain wrote:
>
> I have been interested in building a bee hive oven. Can any one help
> me find a reference to the proper design and construction of a bee hive
> oven? Thank you.
> bob
> --
> \\\\|////
> \\ ~ ~ //
> (/ @ @ \)
> o------oOOo-(_)-oOOo------o
> | Bob & Bobbe Crain |
> | yeti at harborside.com |
> | oooO Oooo |
> o------( )----( )-----o
> \ ( ) /
> \_) (_/Try Regia Anglorum's web-page far an excellent article and
illustrations/photos of a bee-hive oven, plus a step-by step account of
how one was constructed from historic finds, and used at re-enactments
to bake bread.
I am currently workingon a simpler version, which, though not
historically correct, may well be easier to construct and/or transport
and re-use. It involves a large clay flower pot ($10.00-$20.00 in my neck
of the woods) with a 6-8 inch hole knocked in the top rim and a smaller
one with the entire bottom knocked off (about $1.50). Place the large
one upside down in the fire-pit and the smaller one in the side hole,
with this 'mouth' facing the interior of the fire-pit. Cover with damp
earth and top with sod taken from the fire-pit, leaving the hole in the
top uncovered ('Bread and Salt' refers to the hole in the top being used
as a "burner" in Eastern Europe. In non-slavic areas I gather this was
not necessarily the case. For a cooking burner for pots, tho, the hole
would need to be larger, and you would need an alternate 'vent'. Don't be
alarmed if fire shoots out the hole. I surmise this is normal). Build a
fire inside. Let it get hot enough to mostly dry the mud. When ready to
bake, rake out the coals and put your bread dough or other item inside
(on a flat rock, bakestone, or pan unless you like to eat cinders. I
can't see why you couldn't rest the oven on one a paving flint). Allow to
bake as needed.
I havn't tested this, mind you, but have read reports that the flower-pot
works well on it's own, and it was a small leap for my mind to make it
into a bee-hive oven. If it ever stops raining I am going to test this
thoery, to see if it works. It's worth a shot, and I havn't much to loose
except time and 2 clay flower pots! I have shamelessly stolen the
flower-pot idea from an article in Stefan's Florilegium, a gathering of
history-related re-enactment articles, mostly from the SCA newsgroups,
containing useful information. One file is on construction bake ovens,
and there are some excellent ideas. Your search engine should be able to
find the Florilegium for you, if you are not already familliar with it.
L. Herr-Gelatt/Aoife
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