Clay Cob Oven

During the winter/spring (June to November) of 2011, I built a clay cob oven, from materials mainly sourced from my backyard.

During construction I filmed it, and produced a YouTube video.  Please take the time to watch this one.  It is something very special.  I took over 9 hours of video footage and compressed it into 8 minutes.

To date we have cooked wood fired pizza, jacket potatoes in foil, garlic bread, and roasted vegetables, all with a wonderful smoky flavour.

I have also written an eBook titled "Build Your Own Backyard Clay Oven" which documents the method and measurements and the materials that I utilised during the build.  Here are the details;

Build Your Own Backyard Clay Oven

It seems like just about everyone wants to cook outdoors these days, and what better way to do it than in your very own backyard clay oven.

This book shows how easy it is to make a clay oven from scratch, and includes detailed instructions, with over 60 photographs and illustrations.

It is time for the humble Barbecue or Grill to move over, and for the backyard oven to step into the role of the ‘must build’ outdoor cooking accessory for the 21st century. 

Available at Smashwords in multiple eBook formats, Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Kobo, WH Smith (UK), and Sony ebookstores

US, UK, CA, NZ, AU

or 

Available Direct as a PDF 

Bon Appetite!

Reviews:

Bob Rich on May 13th 2013 from http://mudsmith.net

This delightful little e-book is a good recipe for two kinds of fun: building a dome oven, and cooking in it. As you read, you can hear Gavin chatting to you about it, explaining things in simple, no nonsense terms.

The illustrative photographs make the book easy to use.

The step by step instructions are meticulously thought out and clearly presented. I wish I had instructions this detailed for building my first house!

His choice of materials and techniques were environmentally sound. For example, he used clay dug out from his own soil (during the construction of Cluckingham Palace, the place for the chooks), and when he could, he got free or second hand bricks and things. This is a good example to follow.

I approve of a lifestyle of doing things for yourself, living a varied, full life instead of the one-dimensional existence most people unthinkingly follow. Although building an oven in your backyard may superficially seem like a luxury, it is not. It is part of returning to the meaningful, enjoyable way of doing things humans evolved to do.