How Many Matches Does It Take to Light the Oven?

(by Linda)

First let me remind you that our oven does not have an electric starter. Instead this is the process to light our oven:
1-Open the oven door
2-Light a match (This is the hardest part!)
3-Turn on the gas
4-Place lighted match into the hole in the oven floor
Presto! The oven is lit.



Now for some additional info on step 2. Egyptian wood matches come in boxes, the same style container used in the U.S. In the 50's. It's not unusual to reach into the box of matches and pull out a match with no red head. Okay, pull out another one. This one may ignite but just as quickly extinguish. Another common occurrence is for the match head to fly off when struck.



It usually takes 3-4 matches before there is a light strong enough to ignite the oven.

Today I wanted to bake bread and it took an unusually high number of matches to achieve success with the oven. From right to left: no match head, match head flew off when struck, too short and not enough match head, again no match head, tiny bit of match head and with the 6th match I struck pay dirt and lit the oven.



Twenty minutes later we had classic dinner rolls.