Baking Bread in Khiva

I had the opportunity to see how the traditional bread is baked in Khiva, an old town in Uzbekistan.

The traditional oven is made of clay. It is heated from within; wood ist thrown into the fire in the oven from above. The walls and the hot embers below bake the flat bread / roti.

The dough had been prepared before and are formed round and flat; some parts on one side are pierced with needles, that are put together looking like a brush. The dough is watered on the other side and then padded on the interior wall of the oven. Soon one can buy the fresh bread.

Actually the day has been hot and the heat of the oven has been nearly unbearable. I admire the ladies doing the work!

Two traditional ovens

Heating the oven

To needle the dough

The bread is taken out of the oven

Fresh bread