Baked in the ground

Brandishing a sturdy, iron-tipped shovel in one hand and a small metal pot tucked under his arm, Hilmarsson took me out to his baking area to provide a first-hand demonstration of his unique method. Once on the pebble-ridden lakeshore, he set the pot of dough down on the ground and began to dig a hole. Within seconds the hole had filled with a roiling froth of water.

Hilmarsson continued to dig until the hole was about 30cm deep, at which point he hoisted the pot of dough with his shovel and gently placed it upright in the sputtering pit. He then set to the task of covering the pot, patting the earth into a small mound, which he topped with a single stone.