Did Field ovens for bread baking exist?

[Tarbicus]

Why not just make flatbread? All you need is an oiled hot surface and they cook quickly.

[D B Campbell]

Any info known on field ovens either carried by mule or cart or temporary wood and earthen ovens build in march camps? (Assumes some very busy overnight bread baking details I suppose)

First off, many temporary camps were perhaps occupied longer than overnight, judging by the amount of effort expended in their construction, and the general to-ing and fro-ing of armies in certain areas (which would logically lead to re-use).

Traditionally, excavators have concentrated on the defences of temporary camps, ignoring the interior. So it's not really surprising that we have no data on the likely length of occupation.

Having said that, excavations in the interior of the camp at Kintore (Scotland) turned up superb evidence. The only on-line report I can find is this one (PDF file), but it gives you a flavour. Many more of these field ovens (over 100) were subsequently identified, along with a fragment of rotary quern. Nice.

[M. Demetrius]

I wouldn't suspect an earth oven to leave much of a noticeable hump after 1500-2000 years or so of disuse. It would be easy to overlook.

[jkaler48]

So perhaps some of the "frying" pans found were actually for use
baking bread in the earthern field ovens contructed in the temporary camps?

[Paullus Scipio]

So perhaps some of the "frying" pans found were actually for use
baking bread in the earthern field ovens contructed in the temporary camps?

........any flat pan can be used for making bread over a small open fire - no oven needed...in India, a flat griddle(karhai) is used to make chappatis, pooris and many other kinds of flat bread, and is also used as a 'frypan', griddle etc for general cooking.

Here in Australia, a 'camp oven' ....the bushman's essential cooking device, consisting of a cast-iron casserole dish with a flat lid, so coals can be heaped on top,..... is used to make everything from bread, through full breakfast, stews, dinners and anything you care to name!!
There are whole cookery books....dozens of them......filled with recipes to be cooked in 'camp ovens'......a relatively small one suffices to cook sufficient for half-a-dozen drovers (cowboys).

I don't doubt a 'camp oven' would keep a contubernium well fed indeed, and if married to a flat griddle for quick,'flash' cooking in a hurry ( the slower camp oven for more leisurely occasions), all needs could be met......

[D B Campbell]

So perhaps some of the "frying" pans found were actually for use baking bread in the earthern field ovens contructed in the temporary camps?

Undoubtedly. Anyone for pizza?

[M. Demetrius]

Oil the skillet. Mix up your favorite bread dough, make a big pancake that fits the bottom of the skillet. Brace it against a rock or something so it's about 45 degrees to the fire, dough toward the fire, not too close, so it just browns and won't burn. Then turn the skillet so the other half browns. Now, if you've oiled your skillet, you can flip the loaf over and brown the bottom side. Once that's done, your bread is ready to eat.

You can even use one of those "Bisquick" mixes if you want. (Don't know what that's called in UK, but over here, we call cookies biscuits, and biscuits cookies. Uppity Colonial rebellion, I think, caused that.)

[Guy Stiebel]

In the field the Roman used to bake bread in the ashes - so one would expect not to find any installation. At the siege camps of Masada there are small hearths - stone circles - in front of the contubernii used for cocking and seemingly for such simple baking. You would like to consult Marcus Junkelman's Panis Militaris with much information regarding the discussed topic.

[D B Campbell]

Reconstruction of one of the (hundreds of) field ovens excavated inside the Roman marching camp at Kintore.
(Background and evidence from Kintore noted here.)

The oven is stone-lined, presumably to preserve heat and contain the fire; ashes can be raked out into the adjoining pit, where the "baker" can supervise the cooking process (and ensure that nearby tent-lines don't go up in flames).

Rather than the traditional clay cover, experiments were (successfully) conducted with greenwood saplings and turf covering.

[Marcus Cassius LegioXIV]

I'm wanting to make a turf/mud/clay field oven, something you would see in a marching camp, any idea on how to? Nothing fancy either, just something simple that could be made in the field fairly quickly.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

you could use the plentiful supply of stone near you Sean.....!

[rusty myers]

There qwere several clay ovens in the pompeii display in Mobile, not sure if anyone got some... secret.... pictures of them, but they were relatively small and could be transported in a cart, I have a mind to try making one for events to display. I am sure it was a civilian model, but the design was remarkable. About 24*15" at the base, maybe 18 inches tall, think geodesic dome with burn chamber underneath. Whne we bought Flavia's kiln I made sure it was big enough to do these. also saw some terracotta "grill" or Trivets for holding pots and pans above the fire.

[D B Campbell]

I'm wanting to make a turf/mud/clay field oven, something you would see in a marching camp, any idea on how to?

I think the picture (above) is pretty clear. Isn't it? :?

[Marcus Cassius LegioXIV]

Yeah, I didn't see it until I got logged in and I guess the oven is no longer at the park too. Thanks.

[jvrjenivs]

Here a reconstruction of one from krefeld made by the Legio XV primigenia.

[url:3c0i459d]http://www.legio-xv-primigenia.de/projekte/Feldbackofen.php[/url]