During the 18th century, every Pa. Dutch farmscape included an outdoor bake oven. Because Pa. Dutch farm women did not yet have woodstoves, they had to devise a way to bake. Most farm kitchens contained large open-hearth fireplaces over which family meals were made, but baking in this fireplace was impossible. Often shaped like a small hill, bake ovens were constructed from brick or native rock. A wood fire was built in the bottom, which was separated from the top half by a stone shelf. With the advent of wood burning cook stoves, the outdoor bake oven fell into disuse.