Bread oven in Honduras

[carloswlkr]

I travel to Honduras for work on a fairly regular basis, and stay in a small, rural town about 30 minutes south of the capital, Tegucigalpa. My work takes me out into the countryside to meet with landowners with whom we need to work for our project. I've come across many Cobb ovens, and will take pictures next time I visit someone who has one in their home.

Meanwhile, this afternoon I came across a half-barrel bread oven, and snapped a few pictures to share. The owner was very proud of the design. Apparently the half barrel is used quite a bit farther south of here, but in this area, all of the ovens are domes. Her husband decided that he wanted one like he had seen in Sabana Grande, so they had this one built. The bricks are actually adobe. A wooden frame was used to support them, and was left intact during the curing. The frame was burnt during the first firing, leaving the barrel arch. This oven is about 2 meters long, and has openings on either end. She said it can cook two batches of bread with one firing.

Hope you enjoy!

[carloswlkr]

These are a few pictures of the Profesora Albita's oven. It is one of the larger ones I've seen. Very typical dome bread oven for the region... high dome, with openings on opposite ends, and a very small smoke hole towards the top that is left open while the wood is burning, and sealed off when the coals are raked out and the bread is baked.

[carloswlkr]

One of my colleagues just had an oven made for her. In the pictures you'll see her holding the typical broom that is used to clean out the ashes. It's made from a particular type of branch, with the green leaves still in tact. The man standing in front of the oven with the long coal rake is the maestro who built the oven. It cost 1,500 Lempiras, and took him about 4 days. (1,500 L. is around US$80). I was excited to see the very first fire built in the oven! In the kitchen, they are preparing the 'roquillas', a crisp, doughnut shaped cheesebread, made from ground corn and fresh cheese, which will be baked in her new oven.

[james]

Very nice thread Carlos. Thanks for doing this. I have moved the thread to Other Oven Types.

James