Baking Bread in the Earthen Oven Part 2 - 18th Century Cooking Series 

For more on bread baking in the 18th century www.townsends.us/products/the-art-of-bread-making

The History Channel: plays the same 4 or 5 shows over and over and over, until Ice Road Truckers comes on. O.o Meanwhile, an incredibly well produced series that features historical details in every regard, starring a very gifted instructor, languishes relatively unknown here on RU-vid. Sometimes the world just isn't right. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, Jas!

how can you possibly do this vid and not show the cutting of the bread?

It's 2019 and I'm still waiting for that bread to be cut.

I have seen illustrations of these ovens and always wondered how the heck the fire and the food go in the same place. This was massively informative!

I grew up at the German-French border and we have a traditional dish called Flammkuchen (or tarte flambée as it's called by the French). It literally means flame cake. It's a very thinly rolled out bread dough topped with sour cream (often spiced with pepper and nutmeg), bacon dices and onion rings. At least the traditional version. Just like a pizza you can top it with anything you like. Many restaurants offer a sweet variation with apple slices and cinnamon. In the old days they were baked right before the bread to check the temperature of the oven. Just as the last flames went out, hence the name flame cake. If the oven was too hot they would brown too quickly. If they took to long to get crispy the oven needed to be fired again. And most of my friends and relatives still bake them in a wood oven made out of bricks or metal on the porch or in the garden. It gives the Flammkuchen a wonderful smoke flavour and you can sit near the warm smoky oven later and enjoy a few glasses of wine without getting bitten by moskitos.

It's 2017. I'm still waiting for the part where you cut and eat the bread.

Here in Romania countryside: we have huge ovens of these and our grandparents use them every week to make bread and also delicious meat dishes. They burn straw, corn and vine in them, leave all the burning charcoals in to settle for 30 or 40 minutes and after that they introduce the bread and the other meals they need to bake. We also use for bread large copper hand made pans

You didn't break open the bread! You missed the money shot

Love this video! We've come back to it again and again - we wanted to build our own oven, but ended up buying one. Now we'll be able to bake that great looking loaf of bread for our channel!

That's some beautiful bread. Being a baker for a half century teaches me it takes great skill to produce that good a loaf without modern technology (such as a modern oven would provide). More power to you and gratitude for teaching the rest of us. The information at the end about not wasting the available heat was very useful.

Your skills are needed in the world. Thank you for being you.

+Townsend You might already know about this, but a way to measure when the bread is cooked is to seal the door edge with a small amount of dough, when the dough if baked, the bread in the oven should also be baked.

Love your videos, something about them is so calming and enjoyable to watch.

Checking the temperature tricks was my favorite part!

Thank you, Jas. I love your joy of just doing all this and look so pleased with yourself at the end. That's how I feel with food and cooking/baking. It's a precious part of my life and body!

Hi Jas! Im from the North of England in the UK.Ive been watching your podcasts for awhile now and I think they are Fab! I would just like to add that quite a few of the old techniques and recipes that you show in your blogs are still in fairly common use around certain parts of the UK and Ireland even today. The clay oven itself has had a huge reawakening over the last few years all over the UK. Yorkshire curd tart made near where I live is indeed very similar in ingredients and prep to your cheese tart you make in another episode. Scotch eggs are still sold everywhere and are almost identical to the ones seen on your blog. And in Melton mowbray in nearby Liecestershire, the hot water crust pork pie is still some of the finest you will find!. Irish soda bread and boxty. And of course amazing Sourdough loaves!!.. Delicious!!! I think it just goes to show the endearing universal quality of these basic but simple foods from yesteryear. When they can still serve to excite the tastebuds of modern generations who have become so jaded with the frozen generic and over processed bland junk foods on offer today. Keep it up Jas. You are doing sterling work my friend!

The best choice is a small metal roof over the oven. You could also try a lime plaster coating on top. A portland cement stucco plaster is not recommended.

The two episodes on the Earthen Oven were fantastic, thank you.

WHY DIDN'T YOU CUT THE BREAD AT THE END! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO US

Amazing video I really enjoyed all the information, especially the bit about the progression of foods they would cook in the oven to take advantage of the heat as it decreases in temperature over time. Brilliant stuff

Brilliant tips all around, especially for how to tell the temperature of the oven without a thermometer. The bread turned out beautiful as well!

I only discovered this channel a few days ago and I love the production value and subject matter of your show, well done sir

It is such a beautiful thing to see someone build a successful empire out of their passion. I can see how much he truly loves what he does, and it inspires me to do what I love.

I loved this video, thank you so much for bringing something like this here. Now I will try to build this oven in my garden. Big thanks from Slovakia :)

Simply wonderful! I've just found the next summer project for the boys and I! Thanks so much for the series!

Thank you from the Republic of Panama. Making my oven tomorrow and when it's dry, I'll be making that bread.

I love your videos!!!!!! They are some of the best viewing on You Tube. On my channel I have a lot of historical videos but I tell you what yours are totally amazing. I stumbled across you quite by accident early today and have been watching ever since. Thank you so much for your amazing work in preserving history! God Bless!!!!!

I love this channel!

These channel is just so awesome!!!

I loved your two videos - the whole explanation of oven construction, cooking and video production was first class. It made my day, thank you so much for raising my spirits. This is how I wish to evolve my life away from the city cooking foods through simple economic healthy means. Thank for sharing.

great second part this series was right on. loved the videos keep them coming!!!

This came up in my recommendations... and I’m VERY thankful it did! I watch a few of your videos before I pass out for the night and it’s so soothing (:

It's a pleasure to watch your videos.

Great information! Thank you! I'm learning new, productive stuff today!!

I want to thank you. I found your channel today and and not only are you entertaining and informative, but you have managed to solve my Christmas gift conundrum.

Thank you for all these great videos.

man i am so strung out on these videos awesome job

i had a big smile on my face when you pulled that bread out. this oven is awesome

Thank you so so much for your videos. I bloody love it!!!!!

Absolutely loved this video

Absolutely wonderful!

I really learned a lot from you. What an interesting process to build the oven. Hobbies like this are fun! Thank you for showing how to do that.

I love this channel so much. I can't wait to try all these things once my family moves to a property with more room for these projects.

This is wonderful info for all of us preppers. Thanks, I enjoyed this.

This is making me nostalgic for simpler times.

Very informative as always, thanks

I wanted to see you cut the bread!

More videos like this are needed!

Oh wow I'm so going to make this oven, can't wait to try baking in it. Thank you!

love your show and videos!

Okay, I absolutely love your stuff and I can’t fault you for anything. In my mind you can do know wrong. But Watching you eat the products you produce is an important part of the process for me. The happy on your face when you take the first bite is something that I feel transfers to your audience. It’s a must.

That was exceptional. Great videos!

Hi Townsends, I've learn not only history but a lifesaver knowledge. Thank you much, that bread must taste delicious.

Thanks for this!

Really useful and entertaining. You Sir, have a great sense of presenting things. Cheers

Unreal! Looks really good! ty

I don't know how i found your channel but it deserve to keep watching the amazing job you are doing which almost disappeared nowadays and only few maybe people knew how to use the nature sources to create life .. thanks a lot for the great info you are giving :)

Thank you for sharing such informative videos. I am in hopes to try building an oven someday.

This is an amazing. gorgeous video. Thank you.

You guys are awesome . I love it.

Love your videos keep up the good work

@buyerofsorts The door did have a bit of a gap at the top that didn't seem to hurt much. I have since added sheet metal to the inside of it to protect it from the heat and it extends a bit at the top and fills the gap.

This was very interesting! I think I'm going to put Earthen Oven on my to-do list for the back yard. If anything, it will give the family something to try over the summer months.

BEST ONE i have ever watched....Thanks alot!!!

Many if not most of the 18th cookbooks have information about the techniques used in preparing the food. At time you have to read between the lines. Many of these books are available as free ebooks at google books.

Almost 2 million subs!! Congrats my fellow.

Thank you so much. Great video, very informative.

I'm building an oven similar to this and needed to see how to make bread. This was perfect! Thank you for the video!

Nice videos (part I and II). Very informative and interesting. I was searching for a way to make an oven. I think this is all the information I need. Thanks.

Im going to build one of those ovens in my backyard now thanks to you. Cant wait to make some bread

This channel is amazing! ❤

That bread looks absolutely amazing thank you for the video very informative

This is the best channel I have found in years .

Thank you so much your bread is lovely!

I can't believe this video is over 12 years old. The production quality is really good.

A lime plaster would probably be better. I don't know if bentonite would keep it from washing away. Definitely not cement. On the temporary 24 hour oven I just threw a tarp on it and it is doing fine, although we probably haven't had an inch of rain in the 4 months since I made it.

You're amazing! Thanks for the videos

Excellent. Thank you.

Awesome, bread looks wonderful 😋

Great job. Thanks

Very good! Thank you.

@b26maurader Flour, many grades or levels of flour were available, course darker for the poor and whiter flour for the rich. As for baking powder - There are some late 18th century references to pearl ash or spirits of hartshorn, as a leavening, but baking powder and baking soda as we know it are definitely 19th century.

I love your channel!

man, this is great! well done!

So so awesome work..poetical... humanistic... peaceful... extreme gratitude

one of the single most fascinating things I've watched (this and the preceding one) in a long time.

Awesome & inspiring Jas. Im gonna build one and do 18th century woodland baking days with the kids.

I love you man. You are great & amazing inspiration. I really need you in my life!

Amazing! I really want to build this oven. Thank you for making this video!

you know the expression "always leave them wanting more"? Well sir you definitely achieved this!

Great videos!

Earth oven 1 &2....2 of the "coolest" videos I've ever watched on youtube... I would love to give this whirl.... thanks!

well done,great job.so intresting.

I still live in a place where this is a perfect way to bake stuff. Thanks a million

So Wonderful!! Love it! You are Amazing!! 😃😃🙏🏼🙏🏼🌺🌹🌺

You are one of my favorite youtube guys. And ivy is flip-diddly adorable.

So cool, I'm planning on building an outdoor kitchen, gonna add one of these to the plan!!

This is the best informational vid, I watched vid 1 and 2, VERY well done, from building to bread baked, I AM going to build one , YOU convinced me.

every time I watch these videos. I get hungry