How to make Bread

One of our friends has built himself a Bread Oven, although the reality is something else!

The building isn't finished but it is operational and we were invited to 'help' bake a batch of loaves.
Bernard had been up at 7am to presumably start the fire to warm the oven and to start the dough.  We assume the dough was left to rise (we missed this early session), was then portioned into loaves and left to rise for a second time.

The fire had to be watched and stoked until the fire-brick roof of the oven was the correct colour (white and not black). At this point the embers were raked out and then the floor of the oven 'cleaned' with a wet piece of sacking to avoid lumps of charcoal and ash sticking to the bottom of the loaves.

The temperature of the oven was checked by putting a piece of newspaper in to see if it went brown.  So then the loaves could be put into the oven, spraying them first with water to give a darker brown colour to the crust.

After about 8 minutes, when the colour looked right, out they came ...

... a baker's dozen of large loaves.

At this point some people would say, "Isn't it easier to go the local Baker's to buy a loaf?"  But the answer is NO!  The flavour is better and also, it is what you do with the residual heat in the oven ... bake pizzas!  It is all an excuse for a meal with friends.

I never thought baking bread could be so complicated!