A tabun oven, or simply tabun (also

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus '' trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or ...

taboon, from the ar, طابون), is a

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

oven upA double oven A ceramic oven An oven is a tool which is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been us ...

, shaped like a truncated

cone A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines con ...

, with an opening at the bottom from which to stoke the fire. Built and used in

biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

times as the family, neighbourhood, or village oven, tabun ovens continue to be built and used in parts of the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

today.Negev and Gibson, 2005, pp. 91-92. Nowadays, some of the tabun ovens are also made out of

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

Usage

The taboon oven has historically been used to bake flatbreads such as

taboon bread Taboon bread ( ar, خبز طابون, khubz ṭābūn) is Levantine flatbread baked in a ''taboon'' or '' tannur'' 'tandoor' clay oven, similar to the various tandoor breads found in many parts of Asia. It is used as a base or wrap in many cuisi ...

and

laffa Laffa, also known as lafa or Iraqi pita, is a large, thin flatbread in Israeli cuisine with an Iraqi origin. Laffa is a simple bread that is traditionally dairy-free and vegan and cooked in a '' tannur'' (tandoor) or ''taboon'' oven. It is mos ...

, and has been in widespread use in the greater Middle East for centuries.

Fuel

Many types of fuel or a combination of fuels can be used to heat a Tabun. Dried animal dung, dried bird droppings, chopped and dried tree branches or tree trimmings, wood chips, charcoal, dried tree leaves, fabrics, and other materials are potential fuels.

Firing

The top opening is covered and a layer of fuel is spread on the outside of the shell and lid. Once the fire takes hold, the fuel is covered with a layer of ash. The fuel will smolder for hours, usually all night long. The smoke also helps in repelling insects and mosquitoes. In the process the heat gets stored in the foundation. The amount of fuel varies depending on the size of oven.

Baking

When the smoke stops, the lid is removed and chunks of dough are hand flattened and placed directly on the limestones. In most ovens, 4 to 5 loaves can be baked at the same time. Then the opening is sealed and the fire stoked using the hot embers and ashes. When the bread is ready, the lid is removed and the bread taken out. The process can be repeated, or other dishes can be baked using metal or pottery trays. The bottom of the bread will take the shape of the pebbles or other materials used in constructing the oven floor. This baking process is unique and economical and produces aromatic and flavorful food. In some clay ovens, the flattened dough is applied to the inner-wall of the oven, after the wall is dampened with a wet cloth, allowing for adhesion. After baking, the bread is removed.

Construction

Shell

Made of yellow pottery clay soil. The best is from Aaroub or Al Aaroub. The soil is wetted and made into a thick clay mixed with chopped stubble and straw from harvested wheat. The clay is hand-formed to make the dome-shaped shell. It is about 30 to 40" in diameter at its base, about 15 to 20" high, with an open top, approximately 15" in diameter. The shell wall is about 1 to 2" thick. The shell is sun baked for weeks, before it is fired.

Foundation

About 4 to 5' in diameter and about 15 to 20" in depth. Usually filled with compacted locally abundant materials known to handle and store heat,such as broken glass, sand, rock salt, beach stones or ''Suwan'' stones (flint stones).

Lid

Made of clay or a sheet metal piece large enough to cover the top opening.

Process

In a sheltered area, usually a clay hut or a cave, the foundation is dug in the ground filled and compacted. The shell is placed, wider side down, on top. A layer of clean smooth limestone pebbles about 1" in diameter is spread on top of foundation inside the shell to form a clean baking surface.

References

Bibliography

*{{citation, title=Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land, first1=Avraham, last1=Negev, first2=Shimon, last2=Gibson, publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group, year=2005, isbn=9780826485717 Arab cuisine Palestinian cuisine Jordanian cuisine Fireplaces Ovens Firing techniques