A horno is an outdoor oven made of adobe or clay, found in archaeological sites worldwide. It has a flat cooking surface and can be constructed by using a mold or stacking adobe bricks. The shape allows for even heat distribution and moisture retention for baking.
A horno is a type of outdoor oven made of adobe or other natural clay mixtures in the shape of an elongated dome. Although the word “horno” is the Spanish name for the oven, it has been found in archaeological sites around the world, including Africa and Hungary, where it is known as kemence and is still occasionally used into the early 21st century. The hollow interior of the structure usually has a flat cooking surface at the bottom into which the fire or coals are stoked until hot and then removed, after which the food to be cooked is placed inside the oven. The opening inside the kiln can be closed for the firing period by covering it in mud or, for more modern implementations, by placing a door over the hole. The properties of the adobe used to make the kiln allow it to retain a large amount of heat and maintain a good level of humidity inside the kiln despite the dryness caused by the initial fire.
There are two common ways a horno can be constructed. The first is to build a mold or structure out of wood or other material in the characteristic curved shape of the oven. Adobe can then be pressed into the mold, allowing a seamless base to be built, after which the individual bricks can be stacked and sealed with more clay to create a solid surface. This method can work very well, but it can also lead to flaking inside the kiln if the adobe isn’t formed or cured properly.
The second method that can be used to create a horno is to slowly stack adobe bricks in a circular pattern, working from the base. As each layer of bricks is laid, mud is used to fill in the gaps created between each brick. This method potentially takes longer to implement, but may result in better heat retention and longer life than other methods.
The shape of a horno is designed to allow heat to build up inside and then be evenly dispersed within the oven. Irregular shapes or those with sharper angles tend to allow heat to build up in certain areas, potentially causing uneven cooking. The porous nature of the adobe in the oven walls will also naturally absorb moisture from the outside air and then slowly disperse it as heat penetrates the material, creating an environment suitable for preparing breads and other dishes that require moisture during cooking. baking.
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