Research

Building a bread oven There are many different ways to build a bread oven. Firstly, you can use various materials that each mason uses in a different way according to his preferences. Then there is the clients wishlist to be taken into account. Lastly, there are no detailed instructions to be found in manuals and as far as shape and building styles go, there are no rules. The MOT created this manual to help out people who want to build their own bread oven. Although our method serves as a guideline, we offer you a choice between different solutions whenever possible. You'll find a list of materials together with the quantities that you will need to build this type of oven. In terms of construction, we prefer to follow the most authentic building method, unless we think there are better and easier solutions at hand. You can find more information in the chapter additional information. We collected the information for this manual using books (see bibliography) and records of oven builders...

Calculating the amount of concrete Foundation In order to know the amount of concrete, you will first need to calculate the volume of the foundation slots. You multiply: the length of the outer foundation wall the depth of the outer foundation wall the height of the foundation Do the same for the inner foundation wall and subtract both outcomes. Multiply the needed volume by the number of kg of components, knowing that you will need for approx. 1 m³ of concrete with concrete strength of 250 kg/m³ mortar and a proportion 1 : 3 : 4  you will need the following: Portland cement ( CEM I and class 32,5): approx. 250 kg Rhine sand 0/2: approx. 750 kg gravel (aggregate size 4/14): approx. 1000 kg Example (by means of building plan): length outer foundation wall = l(a) = 1,69 m length inner foundation wall = l(b) = 1,09 m depth outer foundation wall = d(a) = 1,69 m depth inner foundation wall = d(b) = 1,09 m height of the foundation = h = 0,60 m (l(a) x d(a) x h) - (l(b) x d(b) x h) = volume...

A bread oven is a brick oven used to bake bread. These characterful old bread ovens and bakehouses are under threat. Not only the buildings themselves disappear, but also the knowledge to build and use such bread ovens. With this project the MOT would like to do something to prevent this. Here, we offer a multitude of technical knowledge on the restoration, build and use of bread ovens.

Choosing the right location This text can only be consulted in Dutch.

Supporting layerThis text can only be consulted in Dutch.

Covering the vault with loamThis text can only be consulted in Dutch.

Vault base (3-4 layers) This text can only be consulted in Dutch.

Substructure This text can only be consulted in Dutch.

Types of bread translation under construction To the way which type of flour is used There are countless types of bread. Hence, we will only describe the most well known and most typical types in Belgium. The type of flour that is used determines the type of bread. We can identify two major groups: wheat bread and rye bread. Wheat and rye both give different types of bread, depending on how much the meal has been sifted. The sifting of the meal is also called “bolting”: the flour is separated from the bran to get a fine white flour. With wheat meal you can get wholemeal bread, brown bread, white bread and luxury breads. With rye meal you get rye bread, also called horse bread or black bread. A lighter brown bread can be obtained from bolted rye flour. At the start of this century, wheat bread was a luxury that only the rich could afford. The ordinary people ate rye bread or bread made from barley and oats among other things. Traditionally, white wheat bread is considered to be the best...