Cob Oven Complete despite the Storms

Our last workshop of the year was scheduled for the last weekend in September, usually a dry and calm time of the year.

Not so this year; climate change definitely put some unexpected excitement into our Cob Oven workshop!

Thankfully, all 7 participants were resilient and ready for the inclement weather.  The tarp held and our mixing area did NOT become a mud bowl even though the rain and wind rarely relented throughout the Friday and Saturday.

As you can see, we completed a gorgeous Cob Oven, complete with a sleeping clay kittie on top and an arching, decorative rock design around the door.

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The photo to the right shows the oven after the first day.  The oven bricks are about to be laid on top of a thin layer of cob that covers 99 (empty) bottles of beer.

This insulating layer keeps the heat where we want it: in and near the oven; and it reduces the amount of time and wood needed to get it ready for baking.

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To the left, you can see how we built the oven foundation.

Instead of using all large stones, we built a rock circle and filled the middle with smaller stones, greatly simplifying the process.

We also decided to build the oven bigger than this foundation would have suggested, so we cantilevered the cob out over the foundation (with the use of wire racks from dead fridges in the local dump) to provide some useful shelving for the hot items coming in and out of the oven.

Not recommended, but again, Cob comes through with its flexibility and adaptability, even in the worst of weather!

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And then there was bread...and more bread...and croissants, and...

Our baking day at Nadine's was simply stuffed full: full of great instruction, food in our belly's, and fun for everyone.

Seeing an expert use a cob oven firsthand increased my use and skill enormously.  The incredible list of recipes we received would inspire even the most hardened of bakers.

Eating a hand-rolled and topped mini pizza hot out of the cob oven was a delight not many will forget.

The amount of breads we took away could have stocked a small store!  The amount of bagels and croissants we ate kept us energized for the entire day, despite the non-stop baking action.

Thank you Nadine for sharing your gifts, skills and passion.  Truly a day that won't be forgotten by any of our cobbers!

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