Building the Rail Trail Cafe’s cob oven was a hands-on process that blended  earth, fire, and craft.  Our friend Shawn DeRyder designed and directed the building of the RTC cob oven via community workshop a few years before the cafe started. As I remember, we had a committed group of about 5-6 workshop participants who, over the course of a few months,  put in the hands on work to create this beautiful community oven.

First, a foundation of stone, old pieces of a barn foundation, rammed earth and gravel were laid to create a stable base. On top of this, a layer of sand was laid to help retain heat and create a base for the firebrick cooking surface. The oven’s hearth is formed with firebricks, providing a smooth surface for baking. A dome-shaped mold of damp sand was then sculpted over the firebrick surface to define the oven’s interior. Over this form, cob—a mixture of clay, sand, and straw—was packed by hand, creating thick, dense walls that absorb and radiate heat. Once the cob set the sand is removed, revealing the hollow chamber. After drying and curing fires, the oven became a great bread oven for Shawn’s amazing sourdough loaves and then later a wood-fired vessel for making our signature pizza.