Leonis Adobe hosts bake day

HOME COOKING- Nita Standke uses old-time baking methods to prepare bread at the Leonis Adobe Museum, which will be the site of an historical baking social on March 10. Guests may take part in communal baking in the rancho tradition.

The Leonis Adobe Museum will host a baking social from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat., March 10 at 23537 Calabasas Road, Calabasas.

Participants may bring a preprepared item with a maximum two-hour cooking time to bake in the museum's beehive adobe oven.

During the event historian Nita Standke will discuss the history of California ranch baking and cooking in a horno, an outdoor beehive oven made from adobe clay. On baking day, a fire was built in the back of the oven until it was very hot, about 500 degrees. Ranch cooks would allow the horno to cool a bit and then begin baking, using a long wooden paddle to handle loaves of bread, stews, beans, pies and other foods for feeding the ranch hands.

In some towns, families would bake in one large outdoor community oven.

"It was a social event and an opportunity to share recipes," said Standke, who will bake several items for museum guests to sample.

The social is included in general museum admission of $4 for adults, $3 seniors, and $1 for children 12 and under. Infants and members are admitted free.

Baking participants are asked to RSVP with their item to Standke at (818) 3486405 or email garystandke@hotmail.com.

For information, call (818) 222-6511 or visit the website www.leonisadobemuseum.com.