Hello from Cornwall AND A QUESTION

[ianrichards]

Three years ago I decided to build a wood fired bread oven and today I have finally made a start.
The main problem being, that after carrying out loads of research years ago, I've lost all the data and I now can't remember what size I had been advised to build.
So, what size should it be?
We run traditional skills workshops on our smallholding, natural dyeing, spinning, foraging that sort of thing and at some time in the future we plan to do workshops on baking. At any one time there will be four students plus the tutor baking 2 or three loaves each, so max number of loaves will be about 12 baked at a time.
Based on this ... what size?
The oven is likely to be vaulted as it's location is adjacent to a granite barn with access to the oven through the wall (door on the inside of the building, oven outside under a lean to roof.

Any advice much appreciated and I promise this time not to loose the info.

TIA
Ian

[spider44]

Welcome Ian, good to have you on the board. I like the sound of your smallholding. I'm a complete novice so can't answer your question as to size but two points from my reading is that for baking bread you'll be looking at more thermal mass in the floor of the oven - perhaps two layers of fire brick and a barrel shape to make best use of the floor size? Having said I've seen an dome oven used by a village baker in France and he seemed to get excellent results with that though it was about 8' in diameter!

I'm sure someone will be along to help with more specific advice and I'll look forward to following your progress.

best wishes

Patrick

[rivergirl]

Hi ian, your place sounds fab. Somebody will be along who can help .