How do I bake bread without an oven?

I get this question from time to time. Post-disaster, folks may not have a working oven - most are electric or gas, so it can be an issue. Many folks don't have a stove top oven - the most common is the Coleman folding oven. Another choice is a reflector oven - I cover these in a bit.

An answer for the how do a make bread is to steam the bread and not bake it. This is a classic for Asian buns and dumplings. Here is a video I found that walks you thru (with recipe) for so-called Yankee bread. You have seen this - it is the same thing as the B&M brown bread.

This viedo shows how to use an empty vegetable can as the cooking vessel - so no new or fancy gear required. Upcycle anyone?



Note - make bread this way is fuel intensive, keeping a pot of water boiling for 2 hours can use a lot of fuel. If, however you are using a kerosene heater to keep your shelter/home/hovel warm, this isn't normally an issue.

Use the search string 'steamed buns' for many more recipes and ways to make steamed bread.


The folding Coleman stove - for baking can be used on

A Coleman gas stove


A wood burning rocket stove


or on a conventional wood stove


A Sterno burner won't work as these produce low heat. A alcohol burner stove, like a Trangia will work, but again, this is fuel intensive, so an alcohol stove should only be considered if your fuel supply is plentiful.

Reflector ovens, if outside, work well - after some practice.

You can make your own from sheet product


or use some sticks and a sheet of Aluminum foil


A more conventional approach is to make a 'camp' oven from upcycled coffee cans or #10 cans


finally, use your imagination - a lot of things will work as a small oven - for short term use in baking

even a cardboard box, soda cans & aluminum foil....

 

Metal box that fits on the top of my wood stove with a couple of vents to open and close to control the temp in concert with maintaining the fire in the stove. Working on a stone oven outside that I will finish someday................. And I just fry the biscuits now days

 

Dutch oven, plus fire.

You can make big corn bread and muffins. So I think it will do bread.

 

I'm trying to post content for visitors, new board members and anyone that is new to cooking with a woodfire or campstove (Coleman) - which is a lot of folks. Plus this content increases the hit count to the site as folks search for these kind of cooking tips.

I tend to post how to videos as a meme (in this case- making bread without an oven) as most folks these days seem to learn (better?) when shown as opposed to looking at text and trying to sort out what is really being said....

I fully understand for that most of he old heads here this is old stuff/coals to Newcastle.

But for the noobie - it is not.

Perhaps an image of your 'metal box' would give folks an idea of what you are using. A fry bread video would be nice as well. As much as I love frybread, it's bad enough that I eat as many biscuits as I do - let alone fried!

As a matter of fact, I just finished off a (small) bowl of hot biscuits with my lunch. With the butter and jam....oh, yes. Must be all the cooking videos. It will be all cleaned up before DW gets back home

 

Solar Oven. Same way I cook beans, roast etc.

 

love that 1st video!

Great thread!

 

This is a great idea! I bought a volcano grill last year for exactly this reason. We're hispanic, so we'll be ok as long as we have rice, but I stink at making tortillas and bread will be a great treat in SHTF.

 

My daughter got one of those - the whole outfit to include the dutch oven, propane burner and so on.
She loves it. When camping that is there main 'oven' I use dutch ovens & charcoal for bread, cobbler, pies, buns, pineapple upsidedown cake - the whole enchilada, so to speak. . I was in a Scout troop where one of the adults ran a 'cooking school' for the troopies.

Want I should post some good tortillas videos? Pretty easy, once someone shows you the tricks....

 

I would love the videos, for anyone because handmade tortillas are so much better than anything you buy in the store. We're hispanic, so my grandmother and my husband's abuela and tia have all given me tips and lessons. I'm quite hopeless, my tortillas always end up like fat pancakes. My mom says that's because her side of the fam is french and I'm predisposed to making crepes. Hey, my carnitas are to die for and my pecan pie is the thing people ask me to make for holiday meals, so I guess I can't complain.

 

Pecan pie trumps tortillas every time.

 

SEX !!!
Duh !

 

We have used a dutch oven and a tri pod. Bread, corn bread, corn pone, biscuits etc. Pre heat the oven, put in the dough, then add coals on the top. You can adjust the tri pod height so you dont burn the bottom.

 

I've resorted to biscuits in the microwave for quick single servings.

Recipe - Basic Recipe for Keto Breads, muffins, cake and desert

 

make your own...

Build Your Own $20 Outdoor Cob Pizza Oven | The Year of Mud

 

3 ways of making a tortilla - two different presses and with a roller.


this video uses a skillet rather than a classic griddle, both will work, this is why i have a large cast iron fry pan, for large tortillas.

 

handmade tortillas - this is a real skill, make no mistake about it.
no palote used.

 

skillet bread - aka artisan bread . About the easiest way I've seen to make skillet bread!

(it is baked in an oven, but this is an easy recipe)



cooking bread on stovetop (nice point make about covering the frypan..)


and

improvised stovetop 'oven' - this describes several ways to bake using a stove top and different cooking pans etc...

Finally, making bread with tea candles. A bit messy, but in a pinch....
not perfect, but cooked..