plant pot oven

A few weeks ago, after being inspired by pictures of beautiful bannocks, I had a go myself. I succeeded not only to waste some perfectly good dough, but also depositing a big lump of carbon on my billy can lid - not good!

The problem was that the food, in direct contact with the pan only managed to burn, not cook. Therefore I made this oven to try and get a circulation of air around the food and prevent it burning It was dead easy to make, just a pile of earth really (the chicken wire was included later as it started to colapse :rolleyes: ) The only important thing is to add a chiminey pointing away from you at the back then set it going. It took about an hour from the start to finish in terms of cooking.

The oven is essentially a terracotta plan pot and terracotta saucer a little smaller to act as a lid.


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As the oven was rather small, I had to make my own baking dish from aluminium foil. This was cheap and worked fine. Here it is straight out the oven.


P9010031Small.jpg



And the inside...


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The oven was dead cheap, very efficient and the bread tasted nicer from this one than the other half that came out of my electric oven! :) Can't wait until I try a roast rabbit or something in it!

Give it a try...

woodwalker
 

Ed

Admin
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Aug 27, 2003
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The problem was that the food, in direct contact with the pan only managed to burn, not cook.
Yes, it will..... If you are cooking bread in a billy, you need two billy cans (one that fits inside the other). Place a couple of stones in the bottom of the bigger billy, and you dough in the smaller one, place the smaller billy in the bigger one.... the stones will allow air to circulate around the smaller billy so it wont be in direct contact with the heat.

Great pics by the way.... havn't made a plant pot oven in years.....

:D
Ed
 

Ed

Admin
Admin
Aug 27, 2003
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South Wales Valleys
Yep... just like that.... or you can just place the billy on the fire like a normal cooking pot as long as you are using the 2 pot separated by stones method.

:)
Ed
 
Ed said:
If you are cooking bread in a billy, you need two billy cans (one that fits inside the other). Place a couple of stones in the bottom of the bigger billy, and you dough in the smaller one, place the smaller billy in the bigger one.... the stones will allow air to circulate around the smaller billy so it wont be in direct contact with the heat.
:D
Ed

I personally only use one!

Clear away hot coals until you reach bare ground. This ground will be very hot. Place the billy can lid upside down on the ground and place you dough onto the lid. Then place the billy can onto the lid, move hot coals around it and place some on top. After 30-40 minutes you will have perfect bread ;)
 

Tadpole

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Nov 12, 2005
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Fenlander said:
I’m sure I’ve seen a Ray Mears episode where the camp cook does the very same thing but with two pound loaf tins and a aluminium cook pot. Ray laughs as the cook starts the fire with half a pint of petrol.
 

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