Katywil hosted 3 workshops to build an earthen oven, a century’s old technology still used today in small villages and communities around the world. These ovens are made from simple materials, clay, sand, straw and limestone. They hold heat beautifully, reaching 700-800 degrees, enough to cook a pizza in minutes. As they cool they can be used to cook bread and at still lower temperatures slow cooked foods like beans or stews.
The first step in building an oven, and for our first workshop, we built a sturdy foundation to support the oven and raise it to a height that makes it easy to use. We chose a natural foundation using stones found onsite at Katywil. Under the guidance of Justin Korby, workshop attendees learned basic stone wall building skills.
After the foundation was built we were ready for the oven. In our second workshop we learned the principles of oven building, paying attention to thermal characteristics that make an oven fire efficiently. Our instructor, Ashley Schenk, along with Joshua Freund, encouraged us to use bare hands and feet to mix clay in order to feel its consistency and to get in touch with the earthen materials which made for wonderful, muddy fun!
Once the completed oven was dry, for our next workshop we protected the surface of the oven from the weather. Our instructor, Ryan Chivers, visiting from Boulder, CO, taught us an ancient, lime plaster technique. We prepared the oven surface and mixed and applied the first layer of lime. In about a week we will apply another coat and then give it a good lime wash, experimenting with colors.
In our final, upcoming workshop from June 10-12, we will build a timber frame structure over the oven to provide shade, a place to store wood and further protection from the elements. We are also very excited about using green roof technology on this structure. Stay tuned for more pictures.
We will be honing our new skills and teaching the next group in July, where we will be building an oven down the road at Lyonsville Valley Farm. Check back at katywil.com for workshop registrations and details.
