Mud Igloo

Goats were living in this mud igloo.  It is Alice's oven, but since her husband died last year, she hasn't had the money to buy any flour so it hasn't been used for a long time.  We told her that we wanted to buy our bread from her and gave her enough money to buy the flour so she could bake it.  She was thrilled and invited me to become her apprentice and learn how to bake the bread. 

She mixed the bread dough on Friday and built a fire in the oven 3 hours before we arrived on Saturday.  She promised to give me the recipe if I became a master baker. 

The dress that she is wearing is the official dress of the baker.  She made it out of 5 flour bags.  It is required by the village where she lives.  If the council comes to inspect while she is baking and she isn't wearing it, they can curse her with Juju - or make her go to court and pay a fine.    

My first assignment was putting her design on the large loaves by snipping them with scissors.  You can identify different bakers by their unique design.

She was satisfied with my work of her design.  So far, so good!

She was "back in business" with a variety of sizes to choose from covering the floor of her house.  When she ran out of pans she used green palm leaves.  She will be able to sell enough loaves to replace the ingredients and have plenty to eat.  Never mind the flies all over the loaves - the oven will take care of them.  I'm kinda glad I wasn't there to watch her make the dough.

Meanwhile, Alice removed the remains of the fire.  She tested the oven temperature by putting her hand inside.  I touched the outside of the igloo and was surprised that the grass covering didn't catch on fire! 

My next assignment was to bring the loaves from the house to the oven so she could place them in the oven with the paddle on the end of this long stick. 

She put the biggest ones in the back of the oven first and worked forward with the smallest loaves in front. 

We closed the oven door (rusty, broken 50 gal drum lid that she used to remove the fire); and sealed it (wet burlap sacks held in place with sticks).  Now we wait 30 minutes.

Meanwhile Elder Asay is entertaining the children who always seem to gather around him where ever he is.  We brought animal wrist bands instead of the usual Toffee (any candy) for the children.  Is this little guy excited or what?

We only had about 40 of the bands, which unfortuneately wasn't enough for every child in the village because a mother came to yell at us because her 1 yr old son didn't get one.  One of the older girls gave him hers.

Somehow everyone in the village knew when the bread was done and started to show up to buy it.

Alice used this metal hook fastened onto the end of a long pole to remove the bread from the oven.  She carefully inspected each loaf and blew off any soot as she removed it from the pan.  My next assignment was to take the bread back into the house.  (I also made sure the flies didn't get on them by covering them.)  After the oven was empty Alice smeared margarine and then glucose water on each loaf of bread before putting them in plastic bags.  She explained that the glucose kept the fevers away.  All that snipping made a crunchy and sweet crust - ymmmm.  (You'll be happy to know that I passed and will get the recipe.)