Hearth loaves, live-fire cooking, flatbreads, and overnight baked bean pots are just a few of the many potential uses of the wood-fired masonry oven made popular by Alan Scott. This workshop will explore the history and construction of masonry ovens and the mixing and baking of wood-fired bread. Over the four days of the course, we will build a 27" x 36" (interior dimensions) rectangular barrel-arch style oven, starting with hearth insulation and construction, followed by the oven walls, arches, doorway, façade, arch, and chimney. The building of the foundation and base will be explained, as well as the insulation and finishing work. Interspersed with oven building we’ll be mixing dough and baking bread! The focus of this portion of the class will be long-fermented whole grain breads. By class end you’ll have bread to take home, plus the knowledge needed to build your own oven and bake in it.

As time allows, we will also learn to make pizza in a brick oven by way of a lunchtime pizza bake. We will also discuss the details of starting your own natural leaven from scratch and other techniques that will help you make great artisan bread at home, with or without a brick oven.

At the close of the course, the student-built oven project will be for sale at a defined price to an interested student. Note: The masonry core of the oven is approximately two tons.