How do you unlock and craft bread using the stone oven in Valheim?

Unlocking and crafting bread in Valheim is a multi-step process that requires progression through the game''s crafting system and exploration of specific biomes. Bread is one of the best mid-to-late game foods, providing high health and stamina boosts, making it essential for surviving tougher biomes like the Plains or Mountains. To craft bread, you need to unlock the stone oven, which is a late-game cooking station. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from gathering materials to baking your first loaf.\n\nTo begin, you must first unlock the stone oven. The stone oven is a crafting station that requires the artisan table, which itself is unlocked by defeating Moder, the fourth boss in Valheim. Moder is found in the Mountain biome, so you''ll need frost resistance mead or wolf armor to survive the cold. Once Moder is defeated, you''ll receive dragon tears, which are used to craft the artisan table. Place the artisan table in your base, as it is required to build the stone oven.\n\nNext, gather the materials needed to craft the stone oven. You will need 20 stone, 4 iron, and 4 surtling cores. Stone is easily obtained by mining rocks or picking up small stones scattered across the map. Iron is found in the Swamp biome, inside sunken crypts, where you''ll need a swamp key (dropped by the second boss, The Elder) to access them. Surtling cores are commonly found in burial chambers in the Black Forest or by defeating surtlings in the Ashlands biome. Once you have all the materials, interact with the artisan table to craft the stone oven.\n\nWith the stone oven built, you can now focus on gathering the ingredients for bread. Bread requires barley flour and cloudberries. Barley is a crop exclusive to the Plains biome, so you''ll need to venture into this dangerous area to farm it. Be cautious, as the Plains are home to deadly enemies like fulings and deathsquitos. Once you''ve collected barley, use a windmill (crafted at the artisan table) to grind it into barley flour. Cloudberries are also found in the Plains biome, growing in clusters near water or in open fields.\n\nNow that you have barley flour and cloudberries, you can craft bread dough at the stone oven. Place the barley flour and cloudberries into the oven''s inventory, and it will automatically begin crafting bread dough. Once the dough is ready, you can bake it into bread by placing it back into the oven. Each loaf of bread provides 40 health and 40 stamina, making it an excellent food choice for extended exploration or combat.\n\nOne common challenge players face is surviving in the Plains biome to gather barley and cloudberries. To mitigate this, ensure you have high-tier armor, such as wolf or padded armor, and bring strong weapons like a blackmetal sword or atgeir. Additionally, always carry healing mead and stamina mead to recover quickly during fights. Building a small outpost near the Plains can also help you farm resources safely.\n\nIn summary, unlocking and crafting bread in Valheim requires defeating Moder, building an artisan table and stone oven, and gathering barley and cloudberries from the Plains biome. This process is time-consuming but rewarding, as bread provides significant health and stamina boosts. By following these steps and preparing adequately for the dangers of the Plains, you can efficiently add bread to your food rotation and enhance your survival in Valheim.\n\nPractical tips: Always carry a portal with you when exploring the Plains to quickly return to your base. Use a cultivator to plant barley near your base for easier farming. Lastly, consider pairing bread with other high-tier foods like lox meat pie or serpent stew for maximum health and stamina benefits.