The old bread oven of Premantura

The real story of bread in Premantura was related to the bread oven. Once there were many bread oven in the village. The most common bread ovens were built as stand-alone facilities. As a stand-alone facility furnace – the bread oven had a stone roof. Entrance and access to the furnace was also covered with stone roof and protected by two walls. Access was built with semicircular openings without doors. On the inner side, into the walls trade were incorporate several pairs of stone slabs on which the Premantura inhabitants postponed the board with bread. The bread was baked by hand. In those times, for fermenting  was used yeast of homemade production. Vinegar and flour was mixed separatly . When the  fermantation reached the desired degree, the yeast was used in the bread. Ussually the inhabitats of Premantura knead round forms of bread which they called “lib”.

The old bread oven Premantura

Bread is kept covered on specific time and then it would be carried to the furnace. The usage of the oven was arranged in advance, there could not be any delay. The fuel used to make a fire into the oven was a tree called “Crnika” (lat. Quecus ilex). Women of Premantura had an internal agreement of their harvest area.

Today, there is just one remained old bread oven in Premantura from 18th century.

Infomation source

Photo credits: Glas Istre, Nacional, Private collection