Page 34 - Guide_EN

Oven The oven was used to bake bread either weekly or every other week depending on household requirements. Baking the bread was “women’s work” and hard work! On baking day the preparation of the dough and the heating of the oven had to be timed exactly. The oven was heated with wood. The charred remains of the wood were scraped into a large pan using an “Ofenkrukn”, a scraping implement with a long handle. Moist brushwood was used to sweep out the oven and it was finally wiped clean with a wet cloth. The temperature of the oven was regulated by the blow holes. The overhanging stone roof prevented sparks flying up. The temperature of the oven was measured with newspaper – the paper should not burn but turn brown and crinkle. The oven was an essential piece of standard farmhouse equipment although there were many different variations in style. Bread was one of the most important basic foodstuffs so a botched bread baking day was a catastrophe. The bucket which contained the dough was always taken out of the pantry and into the warmer kitchen on the evening before baking day. Flour and water were added. The dough was a sourdough left over from the previous baking day which had been stored in a conical or tapered cask. Whilst the oven was warming up, salt and herbs (cumin, coriander and maybe fennel) were added to the bucket of dough and it was kneaded. It was then placed on a wooden board, covered by a linen cloth to protect it from draughts and left to rest. 32