the kitchen

Converted from one of the schoolhouse’s original classrooms, the kitchen is around 35 square metres in size with a central work bench for communal cooking. It has electric ovens and gas cooktops, with the centre-piece undoubtably being the Alan Scott designed wood-fired masonry oven.

The late Alan Scott was a world renowned oven designer and builder with his ovens spanning the globe and used by the world’s best artisan bakers for naturally fermented bread. Scott’s ovens are direct fired, where the fire is created in the same chamber that the baking will be done after the ashes are removed. This type of oven has been used for a millennia, producing bread that has sustained cultures through feast and famine. Scott’s ovens have improved upon early designs, creating a highly efficient heat mass that will stay warm for days. This allows a progression of food to be cooked long after the bread is removed, from braised beef ribs and slow roasted pork belly, to biscuits, muesli and slowly drying tomatoes.

Anybody serious about understanding bread baking and masonry ovens should read his book, The Bread Builders, co-authored by Daniel Wing. The Agrarian Kitchen oven was built by Alan’s son Nick and for plans and information on building your own visit Ovencrafters.