Visitors to Qormi on Saturday week are in for a big treat when around 200 kilos of flour, large amounts of yeast, water and salt will be used in an attempt to bake the largest loaf in the world – a ħobża tal-Malti weighing an incredible two tons.

“The loaf to be baked on May 7 will serve as a dry run for next year’s attempt to beat the world record. We baked a loaf this morning which measured eight feet by seven and a half. It took two and a half hours. The loaf on May 7 would probably take three hours. The oven will be wood fired,” a spokesman for the organising committee said yesterday.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest loaf was baked on November 13, 2008 in Curitiba, Brazil. It weighed 1.57 tons. The loaf to be baked next year in Qormi is expected to be nearly half a ton heavier.

This attempt will be held in the village known for bread-making and old bakeries by the Kumitat Festi Esterni San Ġorġ Martri.

For this dry run, a stone oven was built in Main Street next to St George’s parish church. It took three weeks to complete and is a first for Malta. Ten people worked day and night on the project, under the guidance of George Galdes who used to repair the traditional stone ovens of bakeries in Qormi.

The oven required 320 bricks, 345 limestone blocks, three planks and plenty of insulating material.

The oven is 10 feet by 10 feet at its base and it is planned that the loaf will be slightly larger than nine feet in diameter. It will rest on a steel bed on rollers that will be towed out of the oven when the loaf is ready.

A major stumbling block was the generation of enough heat in the oven. Initial tests showed it could maintain a heat of around 300 degrees Celcius.

These tests are being conducted by the constructors of the oven and experts from Ta’ Ġormina Bakery, who will be responsible for baking the loaf.

This project is backed by Kamoy Engineering, Ballut Blocks, Vella & Farrugia Builders, Vassallo Builders, Philip Pace & Sons together with Federated Mills.

The local council is supporting this event, which forms part of The Malta Springfest 2011, held in Qormi between May 7 and 8. The Springfest is also supported by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Local Councils and the Malta Tourism Authority. It now remains to be seen how much capers, olive oil and tomato paste will be needed to turn the loaf into delicious ħobż biż-żejt.

For more details visit www.festiesterniqormi.org or call on 7906 2455.

World’s biggest loaf?

200 kilos of flour
Two tons in weight
10ft x 10ft oven
300 degrees Celcius

All the tomato paste and olive oil that can be mustered