I’m interested in homemade, wood fired ovens, as well as community baking. I’ve read a few books on these topics, and one that I always wanted to get a copy of was called The Bread Ovens Of Quebec. I’ve looked for a reasonably-priced copy for years with no luck. But I just learned that the whole book is available online now for free as a downloadable pdf.  Here’s the link:

http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/barbeau/mbp0501e.shtml

The book is about the traditional outdoor ovens built by french settlers in Quebec and the culture around them. It is broken into four sections:

1. The Ovens
2. Building An Oven
3. The Bread
4. The Oral Tradition

If you share an interest in homemade ovens and breads, it’s worth a look. You won’t find it cheaper than 100% off!

We’ve been planning a bread oven at the field school for a few years. We do a lot of baking in reflector, Dutch, solar and wood fired ovens, but I’ve always thought a large oven to make a week’s worth of bread in a single firing would be a great addition. After reading this book, maybe next year will be the year.