How to cook food in a Russian oven. Brick oven for bread: practical tips for construction

Electric ovens, for the most part, are not a source of heat for heating, but also a source of heat for cooking. Thanks to electricity, the evolution of the simple oven took two paths. Some in this “branch” of equipment development have become electric boilers, while others have become electric ovens, mini stoves, compact tabletop appliances for heating food or mobile devices for these purposes. Often in large and small settlements you can find homemade devices for heating water or food: the design is simple, reliable, proven over years of operation.

To describe everything possible options This equipment will not be enough for all Internet sites. So we broke it down into large groups and highlighted the most important ones. When you decide what to buy, what exactly you need, then you are welcome to go shopping and choose the appropriate model, of which today there are more than 20 thousand options in the product lists only based on a preliminary superficial assessment.

Let's go back to basics: in old houses from the 50-60s of the last century you can find ovens in simple ovens. Not Russian stoves where bread was baked, but ovens: an iron box with a handle built next to the combustion chamber. They became the progenitors of the first electric ovens, which were placed outside the oven.

The situation with this type of equipment is as follows: the development of technology also took two paths. Some became built-in ovens with a lot of functions (grilling, baking, drying fruit or meat), others remained only separate ovens. Of course, many modern freestanding ovens have additional functions(the same grill), but in all honesty, let’s note that few people use them.

Spacious multifunctional electric oven

Baking is a traditional business. And when buying an oven, housewives pay attention to two parameters: whether it is possible to cook a pie/cake/cookies in it and whether it is possible to bake meat. The grill functions are used 1-2 times to check the equipment, and then forgotten - people prefer meat on a real grill, with smoke, in the fresh air.

The evolution of ovens also led to the creation of things like toasters (a simple device, but what an elegant design!) and bread machines.

Electric toaster

Electric oven: what could be simpler and more reliable?

Largest equipment sector:

1. Built-in (only oven).

Built-in electric oven

2. Ready for installation as part of a traditional stove (classic layout: 4 burners + oven electrical cabinet) and separate tabletop baking ovens.

Separate electric baking oven

3. There are examples with burners for heating food.

Electric stove with oven and burners

4. In this article we do not consider industrial ovens that are installed in mini-bakeries and pizzerias, huge bakeries and other industries. Let us only note that this powerful equipment is a real heat source capable of heating the workshop.

Industrial electric oven

By power consumption household electric ovens can be divided into three segments:

• Low-power (600-700 W). They are also distinguished by their small volume - no more than 35 liters. They are rare, but you can find them.
• With a power of 1200-2000 W - one of the most represented ranges in terms of power. Such stoves are purchased by families. Average volume up to 50 l.
• Powerful electric ovens consuming 2000 W and above. More often found in the segment of built-in ovens. With this technique, you can already set up a simple baking business.

Pricing

Equipment prices:

1. A small stove will cost you about 3000-5000 rubles, depending on the manufacturer, electronic components and quality. This minimum threshold for the price of a new electric oven.

Small tabletop electric oven

2. Then the price increases depending on availability various functions and degrees of control. A device sufficiently packed with electronics will increase in price by at least 20-30%. The name (fashionable name) also adds weight - about 30%, no less. Total: a medium-power electric furnace from a popular brand will cost you from 6,500 rubles. In return, the manufacturer offers stable operation of the device, a guarantee, and a beautiful design.

3. Built-in ovens. The minimum price with a minimum of functions is from 15,000 rubles. Advantages: large volume. The units are basically all designed for 3-3.5 kW of power. The price range for models of famous brands is from 18 to 30 thousand rubles.

4. Electric ovens as part of stoves for cooking. The layout “4 burners (or gas, or electricity, or a combination of both) plus an electric oven” will cost from 8-9 thousand rubles at a minimum. The following are possible options: gas stove with an electric baking cabinet, on average, costs from 12,000 rubles. Full options electric stoves(4 burners + oven), from famous manufacturers, they start selling from 18 thousand rubles.

Oven as part of an electric stove

Mini ovens for the kitchen: when all the shelves are occupied

The prefix “mini” denotes the volume of the oven - it fluctuates around 25 liters. Accordingly, the device has smaller dimensions. The price of such a stove and its energy consumption do not fall into the “mini” category. The cost and expenses of electricity are comparable to conventional electric ovens in the middle segment: for 1500 W you need to pay 3-4.5 thousand rubles.

Small electric oven

But they are sometimes in demand by consumers. A mini oven for the kitchen is an indispensable gadget when there is no gas and the kitchen is rarely visited. This applies to buildings such as a dacha, summer cuisine and other places remote from gas supply. Alternatively, you can use it as a mobile oven during trips to the sea, if you plan to cook yourself: it really saves space in the car, and is enough for quickly baking simple dishes.

Features of electric mini-ovens

We study consumer reviews

We won’t feed you laudatory paid reviews of famous brands, but will show you the trend of consumer sentiment collected on forums. So, what we managed to collect:

1. All housewives want a bigger oven. Initially. Replacing the oven with a larger one is always a priority. Therefore, it is better to take a larger volume. If you have two electric ovens in front of you, for example, with a volume of 50 and 54 liters, then feel free to fork out for the one that holds 54 liters. There are two advantages to buying such an oven. Firstly, you delay the purchase of the next, even larger stove, for 3-5 years (this is the time it will take for the housewife to master the most full use given volume). Secondly, you do not hear complaints that the oven does not fit a baking sheet, a cake pan and other attributes that allow you to diversify a family dinner. Remember: a small cake is not interesting.
2. No obviously negative reviews were found about stoves of famous brands: warranty conditions, repairs - everything is fine. Mostly well-known brands are let down by our vaunted service. All the problems come from there: they change something wrong, or they miss deadlines. But they are repairing it. As for the unknown inexpensive models, then nothing is written about them (manufacturers of such equipment probably do not order reviews to be written on the Internet).
3. There are a lot of praising reviews. Especially for expensive models.

Compact electric oven

Tips for choosing the best electric oven

DIY electric oven

Is it possible to make an electric oven with your own hands, like a Zanussi or a Bosch? Can! Provided, however, that the hands are attached to a correctly trained head.

You will need:

1. Knowledge of components (heating elements, fans, basic equipment) and what to do with it.
2. Skills in tinsmithing, plumbing and electrical operations.
3. Concepts of thermal insulation and electrical safety.

Accessories (minimum set):

• Heating elements
• Temperature controller
• Thermocouple (connected to controller)
• Relay (using regulator signals to turn the coils on or off)
• On/Off button (backlit)
• Fan (optional, optional)

Craftsmen make the body in different ways: some make two casings and fill it with thermal insulator, others suggest placing fireclay stone in the body and installing spirals on it.

DIY electric oven

The designs of oven doors are also different: from simple hinged to parallelogram canopies.

We watched two dozen videos on this topic - it’s very interesting, there are working options. Degree of execution homemade devices– from beautiful and “wow” to “even scary to approach.”

Bottom line. After reviewing a lot of videos, we conclude: this is work for amateurs and professionals, it is really feasible, but only if the performers have certain skills. It is very difficult to save: mass assembly still outperforms private owners in efficiency. It’s difficult to make it beautiful, which is important so that the housewife will happily use this product in the kitchen. Design is beyond the capabilities of most craftsmen.

But to use such things in the industrial production of pies and buns, this is a very interesting option. If you set the goal of building a business on baked goods or other products that require an electric oven, you should study these materials thoroughly: on large volumes of ovens you can save 30-40% of the cost compared to an industrial model.

Description of the built-in electrical ovens Gorenje BO 5333 RW

According to the unspoken distribution of responsibilities, the process of cooking is considered the responsibility of the housewife. And in this regard, a woman cannot be reproached, since every day, in any conditions, she tries to please her household with something special.

In Russian folklore we see the praise of bread as a symbol of prosperity, the fertility of the earth, and the care of Mother Nature. Today, bread is obtained in a mechanized, even automated way, so rarely does anyone think about the hard work of a grain grower when purchasing a loaf or loaf of bread in a store. But through genetic memory, we have been given a love for the aroma and taste of fresh baked goods, so the most favorite way to pamper the family is considered to be baking bread, pies, and pies.

Bread baking process

Masterpiece abilities must be applied at the test preparation stage. This is where ancient recipes and all sorts of tricks come into play. But it plays a key role good oven, which ensures uniform baking of products throughout the entire volume. It should be noted right away that gas oven is far from being a leader in this regard, since the peculiar action open flame leads to inevitable burning of products. If you don't consider industrial production, then an electric oven for the kitchen will be the most suitable device, allowing you to prepare almost any dish and bake bread

Classification

The classification will help to recreate a picture of the distribution of capabilities and functions among the wide variety of all stove models presented, as well as make a choice when purchasing for specific purposes. However, there is no single classification, and no one sets a goal to create one. But according to some specific characteristics, there is an elementary division of models into subtypes. It should be noted that we will be interested in electric ovens for the home in which you can bake bread.

Depending on the scale of cooking and the equipment, everything kitchen stoves are divided into stationary electric stoves with ovens, ovens and mini ovens. There are also some hobs, but in this issue they are not relevant.

• The mini oven is universal device, which you can take with you to the dacha during the season. Among other functions, it has the ability to bake flour products. For these purposes, heating elements are built inside the oven. The presence of heating at the top and bottom is just an indicator that pies can be cooked in such an oven. However, their number is limited by the dimensions of the oven.

Small universal device

• The oven is not intended for transportation. It can be made in a single structure with the slab or installed separately as a mortise device. Inside, the heating elements are more powerful than those of compact models, since for heating large space more energy is required. The oven tray can accommodate a huge pie, pizza, or a dozen pies. We can say that the dimensions are hallmark division of ovens into types.

Classic oven option

How else can you divide electric furnaces into types:

• Classification by volume. Even electric ovens belonging to the same type differ from each other in oven volume. It can range from 9 to 45 liters in compact ovens. This parameter is selected based on the size of the family. Ovens up to 15 liters will meet the needs of two adults. A family size increased to 3-4 people will require the purchase of an electric baking oven with a capacity of at least 20 liters. It’s not hard to guess who the larger models are designed for.
• Classification by power. You should immediately cut off such false truth, which establishes proportionality between quality and power. Great importance in some cases it can play a cruel joke when cooking. For baking bread, it is important to raise the temperature sharply, but subsequently it should gradually decrease. The oven baking bread warms up quickly, but then difficulties arise at the stage when the product must simmer, since it is difficult to regulate the temperature. When choosing a power value for a future furnace, consider its dimensions. For the smallest values, a power consumption of 800 W is suitable. A stationary electric oven for the kitchen is equipped with heating elements with a total power of 1.5 to 2.5 kW.
• Quantity heating elements. The operating mode of the oven depends on the number of heating elements turned on. They can be connected individually or in combination with each other. Any electric oven for baking at home must have at least two heating elements located in the upper and lower parts of the chamber. Only their joint work will lead to high-quality results. This secret was known back in the days of using the Russian stove. Its arch is made in such a way that heat is evenly concentrated in the area where the bread is “planted”.

Bulk baking of buns

• Temperature adjustment. The most simple models The ovens did not even have a temperature regulator. Theoretically, it was possible to bake pies in such an oven, but how inconvenient it was to do this in practice. I had to swap baking sheets, rotate them, and turn off the power. Such models did not last long, since the circuit of an elementary regulator is quite simple. You can set the temperature required in the recipe, and the thermostat will take care of maintaining a constant value.
• Presence of convection. Electric ovens, inside of which it is provided forced convection, are more adapted for baking flour products. It is the movement of air that ensures the distribution of heat throughout the entire volume, and this, in turn, is the main requirement for baking.
• Other functions. The subsequent classification points become less interesting to us, because they do not affect the baking process itself, but only provide convenient handling of the device. The timer produces automatic shutdown oven after a certain time. Some recipes are based on strict temperature control times, so this function relevant when baking biscuits, meringues and other culinary masterpieces. The camera illumination provides visual control of the process. It implies the presence of a glass window or glass door. Furnaces are also classified according to the control method. Instances with mechanical parameter adjustment knobs are considered more reliable. Electronic control complements the device with many small options.

An oven for baking homemade bread is often built under a canopy on the street, but, if desired, it can also be built in the house by connecting it to a common smoke exhaust duct.

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She has small sizes, is inferior in functionality to a traditional Russian oven, but the warm and fragrant bread from it is much tastier than from an electric bread maker or gas-powered oven. And, if you also make the firebox door transparent from fire-resistant glass, you will be able to observe the fire in the hearth without fearing for the safety of your home and your family.

About the future design

The design of the oven for baking bread consists of the following parts:

• hearth (bottom or floor of the stove);
• vault (dome);
• entrance arch;
• chimney.

The device is installed on a special stand, which in turn rests on a foundation slab. The chimney pipe is located at the front of the structure. This position of the chimney helps to simultaneously heat the bread during baking from all sides.

This is explained by the fact that, under the influence of draft, the flames rise to the dome roof, envelop and heat the entire inner surface of the stove.

Photo of a wood-burning oven for bread

Unlike a Russian stove, such a device has less thick layer masonry (12 cm), so it warms up faster. Bread can be baked within 45 - 60 minutes after the start of the combustion process.

Materials

To build an oven for baking bread with your own hands with a diameter of up to 110 cm you will need:

fireclay bricks - 260 - 300 pcs.;

cinder block measuring 20x20x40 cm for laying a podium under the device;

fatty clay and sand or ready-made fire-resistant masonry mortar Mortar “SHA-28”;

reinforcing steel with a diameter of 10-12 mm;

cement M50;

basalt mineral wool slabs 5 cm thick;

expanded clay - it can be replaced with perlite or silicate-calcium slab;

OSB or moisture-resistant plywood;

crushed stone and sand;

pipe with a diameter of 100 - 130 mm from of stainless steel or ceramic;

boards for formwork;

waterproofing material- polyethylene or roofing felt.

Tools

The set of tools must be prepared in advance and consist of:

tile cutter;

Bulgarians;

containers for preparing mortar and concrete;

• electric drill with a mixer attachment;

  trowel;

  mallet hammer;

  rubber hammer;

• clamps;

  tape measure, plumb line and building level.

Scheme and dimensions

Its cost directly depends on the size of the device. The smaller its dimensions, the less building materials are consumed and Money. However, there are certain sizing standards that, if changed, may reduce the efficiency of the furnace.

The most optimal size is considered to be a stove with internal diameter from 80 mm to 110 cm. The width of the arch at the entrance should correspond in size to the height of the dome, and its height should be 0.6 radius.

Diagram of a wood-burning oven for baking bread

Schematic view of the stove

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions

The process of constructing a stove consists of several stages:

foundation design devices;

erection of a stand;

pouring the base slab under the stove;

masonry of the furnace itself;

installation of a thermal insulation layer on the surface of the dome;

facing works.

Before you start laying the foundation, you need to choose a place for construction. Then dig a hole measuring 140x140 cm and 50 cm deep, level and compact the bottom. Next, you need to pour a sand-gravel cushion or crushed stone 30 cm thick with layer-by-layer compaction and watering.

After this, a layer of roofing material is laid.

The next step will be the installation of formwork from boards. The formwork will be only half buried, and its top part will rise above the surface of the earth.

To knit a reinforced frame, reinforcement bars or factory-made reinforcing mesh with a cell size of 10x10 cm are used. The inside walls of the box are covered for waterproofing plastic film. Concrete is poured 5 - 8 mm above the box and the upper plane of the foundation is leveled using a plaster rule.

When the concrete has set, the formwork can be dismantled.

Further construction is carried out in the following sequence:

cinder blocks are laid in four rows, forming a U-shaped structure 80 cm high. The blocks of this building material are hollow. To increase strength, you can insert pieces of reinforcement into them and fill them with concrete mixture;



Construction of the pedestal

the arch is formed from brick as follows: 8 pieces of brick are placed on the sides on the mortar, then a semicircular template is installed and bricks are laid out for the vault of the arch;

a reinforced layer is made on top of the podium concrete slab 10 cm thick. Moisture-resistant plywood or OSB is used as the bottom of the formwork; the walls of the box are formed from boards 20 cm wide. Reinforcement mesh you need to raise it above the bottom of the formwork by 4-5 cm using pieces of brick. The process of pouring concrete mortar is the same as when installing a foundation slab;



Formwork and reinforcement

After the concrete has gained its initial strength, thermal insulation is installed. To do this, a silicate-calcium slab is laid dry on top of the base slab. Then the bottom of the furnace, the outer edge of the dome and the base for the entrance are laid out of fire-resistant brick. It is advisable to schematically depict the position of all elements on paper, as well as number each detail. Then mark the contour of the hearth, cut off the excess parts of the brick and heat-insulating board using a tile cutter;



the remaining unfilled part of the formwork also needs to be filled with a cement-sand mixture;

after the solution has hardened, the formwork boards of the base slab are dismantled;

then the hearth elements are placed using mortar. The perimeter walls of the hearth must be protected from heat loss using basalt wool cut into strips;

now formwork is installed around the perimeter of the base slab and poured into it concrete mortar, so that a single plane is formed on top with the upper surface of the hearth. The formwork can be removed in approximately 8 - 10 days;

To create a dome you will need a template. As a template, you can use a strip mounted on a hinge mechanism in the center of a plywood circle. You can tighten the limiting corner to the rail using a clamp;



Template for masonry

then a metal axis is installed in the center of the circle. A piece of plywood is attached to it, one edge of which repeats inner circuit vault. This sector can be moved in a circle to the part of the dome that will be laid out at the moment;



Start of masonry

then lay the first row of fireclay bricks, cut in half;

from the 2nd to the 5th row they continue to form a dome from halves of bricks, while inside hemisphere bricks are laid end-to-end, and with back side There should be a small angle between the edges. This distance is filled with mortar;



Continuation of masonry

simultaneously with the construction of the dome walls, they form entrance opening in the oven;

from the 6th to the 8th rows are laid out from the third part of the bricks. On the outside of the structure, wooden wedges are inserted into the seams to prevent distortion in the masonry. At the same stage, a semicircular vault of the arch is formed;



Completion of masonry

for laying subsequent rows, the brick is cut into smaller segments. For the crown, you can buy a ready-made disk from fireclay bricks. At the installation site of the chimney there must be a hole of a size corresponding to the cross-section of the prepared pipe;



Chimney pipe installation

Before arranging thermal insulation, the furnace is dried and fired in small portions fuel for a week;

to level the outer surface of the dome, it must be coated with a layer of mortar 2 - 3 cm thick;



waterproofing material - foil - is laid on top;

a reinforcing mesh is attached to the top of the foil;

coat the structure with a 5-7 cm layer of mortar consisting of 5 parts perlite and 1 part Portland cement;

Now the dome can be covered ceramic tiles for outdoor work (optional).

A few examples ready-made structures on the picture:









Features of operation

Before baking bread, the oven is heated for 2.5-3 hours, and then the ash residues and ashes are swept out of it. Another thirty minutes should be spent on uniform distribution of heat throughout the dome. You can then check the temperature using bimetallic thermometer and start preparing the product.

The lining layer of fireclay bricks with a porous structure is able to quickly absorb moisture and release it evenly during cooking, so baked goods from such an oven have a unique aroma.

Conclusion

The construction of such a furnace is not a quick task and requires considerable effort. However, lovers of fresh homemade baked goods are ready to work hard and build such an oven. In addition, a design of such an original shape can become a real decoration of the local area.

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The Russian stove is multifunctional: it heats the house, cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner, bakes pancakes, pancakes, bread and pies, prepares feed (swill) for livestock, and heats water. Grain, herbs, mushrooms and other gifts from the forest and garden are dried on it. In severe frosts, newborn pets are kept warm near the stove. Colds are treated on the stove. The beds cannot be warmer than on the stove or on the floors near the Russian stove.

Food was cooked in the oven, and it turned out amazingly tasty and nutritious. The secret is that the heat of the oven is distributed evenly and the temperature does not change for a long time. Dishes containing food do not have direct contact with the fire, allowing the contents to heat up evenly on all sides without burning. In addition, mushrooms, berries, and fish were dried in the oven. On the stove itself the old people, who were constantly freezing, slept, and children slept on the golbets and sheets attached to the side. From those times it remains unclear to modern man saying: “Did you fall off the stove or something?” This is what they say about a person who begins to talk nonsense or behave inappropriately. Indeed, falling from the stove was very, very painful, and even falling in a dream: you will inevitably become inadequate. Therefore, along the edge of the stove, good owners always made barriers and fences from slats or boards so that people would not fall from the stove.

Kitchen decoration in a Russian house. There is a charcoal iron on the pole, and near the mouth there are grips and a frying pan. On the bench there is a wooden shovel, a trough, a kitchen board for cutting vegetables and meat, for making pies, a samovar, two clay pots, a coal samovar on a metal tray, a pumpkin. Under the bench there are two clay pots and a large clay pot. On the wall on a long stick there is a chopper used to chop cabbage, meat, fish, and a shelf with dishes. Bunches of medicinal herbs and a small bunch of dried mushrooms or roots are hung on the wall to dry. Photo from the site: http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/

Firewood was piled into the Russian stove in the evening. At the same time, not far from the mouth, a cage of logs was made like this: two logs were placed along the stove at a distance of 30-35 cm from each other. Two more logs were placed perpendicularly (across the stove) on them, and a pile of 5-6 logs oriented along the stove was placed on these two logs. In the morning, burning dry splinters were placed in the cage under the logs at an angle of 45 degrees to the hearth. When the firewood flared up, the cage with the burning wood was moved with a large grip or poker deep into the stove towards the back wall, making room for pots and cast iron. Photo from the site: http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/o…

Russian stove in peasant hut it was heated every day in winter and summer. The dimensions of the Russian stove were very impressive. Two-bucket cast iron passed freely through the wide mouth. A clay pot with malt for beer also passed quietly along the height. But the most important thing is that a hefty adult could crawl into the oven through the mouth in order to steam to his heart's content in the evening with a birch garlic broom.

The Russian stove was truly the heart Everyday life families. In the evening, the housewife piled firewood in a certain way into the stove closer to the mouth. They dried out overnight. Early in the morning, when it was not yet dawn, the housewife was the first to get out of bed and light a fire in the stove, put cast iron pots and pots in the stove, in which potatoes, cabbage soup, and porridge were always cooked; in a clay bowl or in a frying pan she baked pancakes or pancakes. After an hour, the three pieces of firewood were almost completely burned, and it was possible to rake out the coals and ash, sweep under and place bread and pies in the oven, and also place pots of food. The mouth was closed with a valve.

A grip is required for extraction hot dishes(pots and cast iron) and to put them in the oven. The frying pans were placed in the oven by a frying pan (chapelnik). The wooden shovel (or gardener) was mainly used for planting molds with bread dough and baking sheets with raw pies into the oven. Molds and baking sheets were removed from the oven using a stick (poker). Pots were also used for cooking different sizes, pots, ducklings, goose bowls, bowls. To care for the stove, maintain the fire, and remove coals and ash, pokers, dustpans, and a pomelo (broom on a stick) were needed. They used a broom to sweep the ash out of the oven. You can still hear the saying: “You have a tongue like a broom” - this means not only a talkative person, but also not very clear in expressions. Pomelo, in a word.

Beautiful pancakes and pancakes were baked in a Russian oven. The heat on the dough is affected not only from the bottom and sides of the frying pan, but also from above, since the air in the oven is very hot. Pancakes and pancakes like those in a Russian oven cannot be baked in the oven, much less on the stove. The frying pan was controlled using a frying pan - a metal potholder mounted on a long stick. Such a frying pan, as well as grips of different girths, were available in every home.
This stove has a firebox with a stove built into the hearth, which is called a subtopok (Russian stove with a subtop). The floodbox has its own chimney, in which there are 3-5 wells for circulating smoke, after which the smoke from the floodbox enters a common pipe with the Russian stove. Before leaving the chimney, the smoke must transfer all its heat to the bricks of the chimney - the so-called heating shield. When the firebox of a Russian stove ends, 2-3 firebrands that are not completely burnt out often remain in it. These firebrands are transferred to the firebox, some firewood is added and an additional source of heat is obtained. The podpechka stove is also the hearth of a Russian stove. When the flood is heated, the pipe of the Russian stove is closed, and no heat comes out of it. But the flood pipe is naturally open at this time. In the summer, the Russian stove is not heated - it is hot even without it. To cook food, use a flood. Or they even set up a temporary oven in the yard in the summer kitchen.



Boiled fish cooked in a cast iron pot in a Russian stove is much tastier than cooked on the stove. I think it's a pike. During my childhood, every standing man in our village knew how to fish. And the strange thing is that the fish in the river were not transferred. Now no one is fishing, but there are no more fish in the river. On average, each family in our village ate 2-3 kg of fresh river fish in Week.

Russian stove in the Arkhangelsk region. To the left of the stove there is a tub for water. To wash clothes, water was heated in it by throwing red-hot cans into the tub. Then ash obtained from burning alder or aspen in a furnace was added to the heated water, and this is how lye was obtained. Linens, sheets, and curtains were washed with lye in the absence of soap.

Fish soup cooked in a Russian oven had a special taste. You can never cook something like this on the stove

Pies in the oven. In every Russian stove temperature regime was special. In order for the pies to turn out successful, each housewife adapted to her oven: what kind of wood and how much to burn, when to rake the coals into the firebox, when to put the pies in the oven, how tightly or loosely to cover the mouth with the damper, how long to keep the pies in the oven.
Such (and even thinner) pancakes can only be baked in a Russian oven. Previously, housewives preferred to bake pancakes from oatmeal
Porridges and casseroles cooked in a Russian oven are very tasty. One crispy crust is worth it

Baked milk with real foam can only be prepared in a Russian stove in a clay pot. On a stove in a city apartment, milk often runs away when boiling, pours onto the stove, burns on it and stinks throughout the entire apartment. In a Russian oven, even if the milk escapes from the pot, it’s not scary. It will burn and the smell will go down the chimney along with the smoke.

To put heavy cast iron and pots into the oven and take them out, they used this simple device. The cast iron was lifted slightly using a lever and then rolled on this wooden roller. Everything ingenious is simple!

Russian stove with heating. To the left of the flood door there is another door. This is the oven door. In the summer, when the Russian stove was not heated, but was heated only by flooding, it was possible to bake bread and pies in the oven. Valenki - Russian invention. I am different - warmer than felt boots - I don’t know shoes. No high boots compare to felt boots

I hope that with this story about what kind of food was cooked in a Russian oven, I aroused nostalgia for that life among older people and envy among young people. We, the elderly, at least keep this in our memory, but the young, if they have ever seen something like this, have only seen it in a museum. Having a Russian stove, our not-so-distant ancestors, without electricity or gas, had warmth in the house and food that was tasty, varied and hot until late in the evening, which did not even need to be heated. Was always in the house hot water. And what fun it was for the grandchildren when the grandmother used special tongs to pull red-hot stones out of the oven and throw them into a tub or a tub with 3-4 buckets of water! The stones hissed terribly, and the kitchen was filled with clouds of steam. I remember how I sat on the stove in the morning, my grandmother was baking thin oat pancakes, pouring the batter into a hot, oiled frying pan with a ladle. The dough hissed and bubbled. And a minute later the pancake was ready, and I received it piping hot in a plate directly on the stove.

The Russian stove was located almost in the center of the hut and heated it evenly. In five-walled houses (cut into two huts), a slot was made in the wall separating the halves of the house, and the stove was placed so that one side could heat one hut, and the other the other. There was a mandatory sunbed on the stove. The dimensions of the Russian stove were such that two adults could easily fit on the sunbed. The saying was: “Come look for me, I’ll sleep on the stove.” A golbets was traditionally built next to the stove - a plank bed next to the stove, but slightly lower than the stove bed. If it became too hot to lie on the stove, you could climb onto the golbets. Inside the cabbage, like in a closet, household utensils were stored. In addition, through the golbets there was an entrance to the underground. A person, without bending, could go through the cabbage into the underground, where potatoes, vegetables, pickles and preserves were stored