In Iceland, a nation of volcanoes and hot springs, baking doesn't require a kitchen or oven to produce a nice loaf of bread. The only necessities to transform raw dough into baked glory are a cooking vessel, shovel, and hole in the ground. This short film from Alison Grasso introduces Viktor Sveinsson, who prepares a nice, dark rye.
Sveinsson says the temperature in his natural oven is 100 degrees Celsius (212 Fahrenheit), warm enough to get the job done in 24 hours. His recipe calls for four cups of rye flour, two cups of wheat flour, two cups of sugar, four teaspoons of baking powder, one liter of milk, and a pinch of salt. The final product appears to have a caky texture; it's served with a healthy portion of butter. Grasso says "it was surprisingly sweet, way more than I expected for a 'rye' bread," and "delicious."
• Volcano Bread [YouTube]
• All Video Interludes [E]
