The Bread Oven

Participating in community activities is an important aspect of life in France.

Three years ago, our local council floated the idea of a community bread/pizza oven, to connect communities and generations.

The idea gained traction and an initial plan was formulated to build an oven at the rear of Bazens Chateau.

After much discussion and research, an alternative proposal was put forward ... a mobile oven.

This oven, made of sheet metal and weighing several hundred kilos, would ultimately be transported around the district on the back of a trailer.

If people could not go to the bread oven, then it would go to them!

Bérangère Lassevils, from the association Vivre Mieux Ensemble  at Port Saint Marie, took the reins and organised funding for the project. 

Money came from the Conférence des financeurs (Lot et Garonne department) and Carsat, which finances projects involving pensioners.

But who would build the oven? Plans were downloaded from the internet, as an open source document from a website that involved an identical oven fabricated by country bakers. 

The plans made the task look highly complex and specialised. At first blush, the plans looked like a NASA moon-module!

A local ironsmith, Solene Huet, rose to the challenge. She possessed impeccable credentials, being the creator of a life-size elephant that stands by the roadside a few kilometres from Prayssas.

The project progressed slowly but steadily. Then Covid hit and work came to a halt. 

When it resumed, a few local volunteers participated in workshops to assist Solene and learn new skills. These included the measuring and cutting of materials from plan specifications, welding and assembling.

I attended a few of these workshops with my neighbour and friend Remy. Jacky, the Deputy Mayor, also got involved.

All the hard work came to fruition in the spring of this year. It was with great excitement and a sense of satisfaction that we gathered at Solene's for the inaugural bread-oven firing and pizza lunch.

A local baker, Fabrice, brought the dough and oversaw operations. 

The fire was lit at 8.30am and by midday the interior temperature was ready at 300 degrees.

While Fabrice kneaded the bread dough,  a cast of eager helpers chopped ingredients for the pizzas. We worked in the shade of a giant Lime tree, as the outside temperature rose into the high 30s.

Fabrice kneads the dough

People made their favourite pizzas

Hot work

Pizzas for all

The oven proved a great success and we all thoroughly enjoyed the lunch. Families took home freshly baked bread.

Crowd-funding of the trailer to transport the oven is underway. It will provide so many opportunities for residents to come together, learn more about the ancient practice of communal baking and enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Fabrice, the baker

Solene, the Iron Lady 

Remy, Solene and Jacky

Bérangère

Our bread oven was a long time in the planning and construction ... but it was worth it!