Greenbelters Jeannie Bellina and Melissa Ann Ehrenreich traveled on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11 to Pearlstone Retreat Center in Reisterstown to learn from former Greenbelter Joe Murray how to make an earthen, smokeless pizza oven using natural materials.
Inspired by stories of how
Toronto public parks have created almost 20 pizza ovens for community use surrounded by gardens of tomatoes and basil, the duo registered for a Pearlstone Adamah service project to learn Cob Construction 101.
Murray shared materials, design specifications and wisdom on how to assess clay composition in dirt gathered locally, how to achieve the best mixture to create a thermal layer that could support temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit to meet kosher standards, and tips for success (a covered oven is key to preventing the oven from eroding when it rains).
The small team of five volunteers onsite created the final 6-inch layer on top of a sturdy sand dome, fire brick and cob brick base that was previously constructed. After this final thermal layer fully dries for two weeks, Murray will cut an oven opening out of the clay structure, remove the sand inner core and then light a fire to cure the inside of the oven.
Participants were delighted with the hands-on approach and accessibility of construction, to say nothing of the low costs made possible by sourcing materials straight from the earth. They immediately began to think of ways to engage and bring this concept back to Greenbelt. Could our community build a community oven here to host pizza parties for all? Maybe so.
