How do you unlock and craft the Stone Oven for advanced cooking?

The Stone Oven is a crucial upgrade for advanced cooking in Valheim, allowing you to prepare high-tier foods like bread, lox meat pie, and fish wraps. To unlock and craft the Stone Oven, you must first progress through the game''s tiers, specifically reaching the Iron Age. This requires defeating the second boss, The Elder, and exploring the Swamp biome to gather Iron Scrap. The Stone Oven is not available immediately; you must first unlock the Artisan Table, which is tied to the Plains biome and requires defeating Moder, the fourth boss.\n\nTo begin, you need to craft a Blast Furnace, which is essential for processing Black Metal Scrap and Flametal Ore. The Blast Furnace requires 20 Fine Wood, 10 Iron, 5 Surtling Cores, and 20 Stone. Fine Wood can be obtained from Birch and Oak trees in the Meadows or Black Forest biomes, while Iron is mined from Muddy Scrap Piles in the Swamp biome. Surtling Cores are found in Burial Chambers or dropped by Surtlings in the Ashlands biome. Once you have the Blast Furnace, you can smelt Black Metal Scrap, which is dropped by Fulings in the Plains biome.\n\nNext, you must craft the Artisan Table, which unlocks advanced crafting recipes, including the Stone Oven. The Artisan Table requires 10 Wood, 2 Iron, and a Dragon Tear, which is dropped by Moder. Moder is found in the Mountain biome and is a challenging boss, so ensure you have Frost Resistance Mead, high-tier weapons like the Draugr Fang bow, and strong armor such as Wolf Armor. Once you defeat Moder, you can craft the Artisan Table and place it near your base.\n\nWith the Artisan Table built, you can now craft the Stone Oven. The Stone Oven requires 15 Iron, 4 Surtling Cores, 20 Stone, and 10 Fine Wood. Iron and Fine Wood are gathered as described earlier, while Stone is abundant in most biomes. Surtling Cores can be farmed efficiently by creating a Surtling Core farm in the Ashlands biome or by repeatedly clearing Burial Chambers. Once you have all the materials, interact with the Artisan Table to craft the Stone Oven and place it in your base.\n\nUsing the Stone Oven requires Barley Flour, which is made from Barley grown in the Plains biome. Barley can only be cultivated in the Plains, so you must establish a farm there. Use a Cultivator to plant Barley seeds, which are dropped by Fulings or found in Fuling Villages. Once harvested, process Barley into Barley Flour at a Windmill, which requires 20 Wood, 30 Stone, and 1 Iron. With Barley Flour, you can now craft advanced recipes like Bread, which provides significant health and stamina boosts.\n\nA common challenge is surviving in the Plains biome while farming Barley. Fulings are aggressive and can overwhelm unprepared players. To mitigate this, build a secure perimeter around your farm using stake walls or stone walls. Additionally, consider taming Loxes, which can defend your base and provide Lox Meat for cooking. Always carry healing items like Honey or Sausages, and wear high-tier armor such as Padded Armor to increase survivability.\n\nIn summary, unlocking and crafting the Stone Oven involves progressing through the Iron Age, defeating Moder, and gathering materials from multiple biomes. Focus on securing Iron, Surtling Cores, and Barley to ensure a steady supply of advanced food. With the Stone Oven, you can significantly enhance your Viking''s capabilities, making it a worthwhile investment for both new and experienced players.