Having just a small outdoor space is enough to start imagining. Who hasn't thought at some point about having their own outdoor oven to cook homemade pizzas and breads? It is not just a matter of cooking; it is the creation of a meeting point, a ritual that begins the moment we light the first splinter of firewood and ends with the unmistakable aroma of a meal made with the soul.
Cooking in a clay oven is a task that takes us back to the origins of humanity, where possibly the first men to use heat as a method of cooking food did so in simple campfires, later seeking more effective methods such as holes in the mountain or in the ground, which have since evolved into modern systems like today's microwave or gas ovens. However, the clay oven has something more than technology; the cook's satisfaction is indescribable when they see their food emerge from the oven's mouth, knowing well that reaching that point involves a refined art and the experience of knowledge accumulated through centuries of culture.
Primitive cooking methods never stopped being used and coexist with modern technology. Many cases can be mentioned, from the grill so widespread today, which gives meat a delicious smoky flavor from the firewood, and where every "asador" has their own method to make it the best. Another case is cooking bread by making a hole in the sand, as the Berbers do in the North African desert—an ingenious cooking method that we could easily use on a beach. A separate chapter is the clay oven, which consists of a vault that accumulates heat during the heating process and then returns it during cooking, allowing for all types of dishes, from meats to pastry products.
Clay ovens today are made of bricks and other materials, but they are called "clay" (de barro) because they were originally made of adobes. Considering that the material used to make bricks is clay and that, on the other hand, a brick is a fired adobe, we could consider the name "clay oven" still appropriate. Furthermore, the heating can be traditional with firewood or a bit more modern with gas injection.
The Secret of Thermal Inertia
What makes a clay oven superior to any conventional oven is its ability to retain heat. Once the structure reaches the ideal temperature, the brick and clay walls return the heat constantly and uniformly. This generates an enveloping cooking process that seals in the juices of the meat and gives bread that crusty exterior that is impossible to achieve in a modern kitchen. Additionally, the subtle smoky touch of the firewood brings a dimension of flavor that connects us to our deepest history.
We provide you with two manuals: one for building a traditional clay oven and another for a drum oven. Choose yours and build it!
Manual 1: The Traditional Vault Oven
With more than ten years of experience in the design and construction of clay ovens and approximately 500 of them built throughout the country, Ricardo Miguel Elías, Master of Works and professional decorator, contributes a new concept with his book when it comes to installing a clay oven. These, in their different eras, marked an essential characteristic in the life and customs of humanity. From ancient Egypt, through Europe, and reaching American territory, the insertion of clay ovens accompanied the gastronomic development of peoples.
The premise of this book calls us back to the "authentic" sources, attempting to put into practice a series of old and ancestral ways of cooking, almost forgotten today. Through its reading, you will learn all the secrets of clay ovens told from the actual practice of construction and constant use. A delicious roast and bread with the aroma of being freshly baked constitute an offering of love and friendship toward our family and friends.
Download the PDF manual by Ricardo Miguel Elías 
Manual 2: The Drum Oven (Economic and Efficient)
If you are looking for an option that is faster to build and has excellent thermal performance, the drum oven is the ideal choice. This model uses a metal cylinder as the cooking chamber, surrounded by an insulating structure. It is a very popular solution in rural areas due to its low cost and its incredible ability to cook large amounts of food with very little firewood.
This option has been developed and perfected by technicians from INTA in Argentina, aiming to optimize resources and guarantee a durable construction that anyone can carry out in their backyard.
Download the INTA Argentina manual
However, the most important thing is the subtle: the time we dedicate to it, how we do it with all that flowing energy that will turn every meal into a true delicacy. If the clay oven is a means to make the aforementioned a reality, its mission will be fulfilled. Don't wait any longer; choose your model, find the materials, and get ready to be the host of the best gatherings of your life.
