Free-standing baking-oven from the Ennstal Valley

Reconstructed: 1995 (original from the 19th century)

Baking ovens were often built outdoors as they reached 250 to 300 degree temperatures and could therefore present a fire hazard. To get the right temperatures for bread baking required a good deal of skill. First a fire was built in the oven. After about an hour and a half the oven reached the required temperature to bake bread. The chars and ashes were then removed and risen dough placed in the oven with the help of a wooden paddle-like spatula. The bread was then left to bake for about one hour.