Pizza Oven / Wood Fired Outdoor Oven

[VirginVegGrower]

I built 2 earlier this year (one at the school, the other for me). Both out of clay mixed with sand. They have both cracked to some extent, the school one was rendered in cement but that still has cracks. Ours we might render in lime mix next month as that should have some give in it to cope with the expansion etc.
You have to have a cover of some sort over the clay ones to hold out rain and insulate, probably brick ones would last longer too if you cover them.

They are great to cook in, get VERY hot, lots of fun and don't use a great deal of wood either

Maybe the firebricks weren't a silly idea then.

[Mikey]

I'm looking to build the base and central core with fire bricks and a refractory mortar.

I'm planning on covering this core with some actis triso super 10 which I have left over from our loft conversion, to ensure I can keep the heat in. I believe it was originally designed to cope with shuttle craft re entry to keep heat out so should do the job.

Over this I'll be laying some chicken mesh also left over, and covering with a cement and wood chip coating, the insulation should stop the outer layer from cracking and give the core has some room for expansion.

If anyone has some more recipes and experiences they would be greatly received.

Sorry haven't managed any pics yet as its very wet here.

[chris]

Have umbrella's not made their way out to the valleys yet?

[VirginVegGrower]

I'm looking to build the base and central core with fire bricks and a refractory mortar.

I'm planning on covering this core with some actis triso super 10 which I have left over from our loft conversion, to ensure I can keep the heat in. I believe it was originally designed to cope with shuttle craft re entry to keep heat out so should do the job.

Over this I'll be laying some chicken mesh also left over, and covering with a cement and wood chip coating, the insulation should stop the outer layer from cracking and give the core has some room for expansion.

If anyone has some more recipes and experiences they would be greatly received.

Sorry haven't managed any pics yet as its very wet here.

Why don't you use it as a bread oven too - can post you pizza dough recipe. Toppings are personal I feel - we like anchovies, capers, olives, pesto, sliced meats which are not everybody's taste. Bread making am not so good at. You could also use for long slow meat cooking.

[Seahorse]

PW's pizza oven is fab but I know he's mentioned making modifications for next time - I'll get him to have a look at this thread.

As an aside, while we were in France last week, we saw a similar idea constructed on a trailer - total winner for markets and festivals!

[pigletwillie]

two main points really:-

1) the base needs to be really smooth, I used a smooth slab bought from a diy shed. If its not smooth then you will properly struggle to get stuff in and out without damaging it especially pizzas.

2) refractory bricks are really expensive but the best, clay is good but it will fall to bits the first time it rains hard or gets frosted. In the end I reached a happy medium and used a strong mix of 10mm concrete with shredded up fibreglass roof insulation in it.

first off after ensuring your base is smooth and has dried or is positioned if it is a slab, make your oven shape out of damp sand (shaped like half a tennis ball ish). Next make an opening out of timber, make sure its big enough to easily fit a pizza peel in, something between 18-24" wide and 10-16" high will do. Position the opening and then mix the concrete, this needs to be well mixed but not sloppy. Apply about 3" of this mix all round to form your dome, use some old mesh or chicken wire as reinforcing than add another 3-4" of concrete. Allow to dry out for 24 hours then remove all of the sand and the opening former. After another 24-48 hours of drying it should be ready for a gentle firing. Once completely dry give the dome several coats of a good masonry paint. A chimney positioned at the front is optional but once its up to temp there is no smoke so the choice is yours.

To keep the fuel to one side I just use a bit of angle iron, the fuel is just kindling sticks made from old pallets and a good session will use 3/4 of a bag. The oven will take about 2 hours to get to 300-400 degrees celcius, it will get immensly hot and cook a 16" pizza in around 180 seconds.

If you need any more help just holler.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Sheesh, all that work for three minutes?

[chris]

Sounds like my life, AP

[Mikey]

Cheers PW, I think I've watched at least 50 you tube videos so far on how to do it, but they never really give you any dimensions.

I'm plumping for a dome of approx 1000mm diameter by 500mm high, and I'll take on board the opening dimensions cheers.

Just so you all realise I'm a little way off yet I'll attach some picies for you in a minute.

Oh and Chris, what's the point of having a brolly in the valleys, it rains uphill round here!!

[Mikey]

So as you can see the weather is hindering me a bit, I think we are forecast a dry day on Monday, typical I'm in work!!.

The wall will be the same height as the left hand brick one, as thats roughly worktop height, the pizza platform is the stone one on the right hand side. I thought about adding somewhere to store wood but I have a verandah behind where I'm taking the photo so will probably keep it all up there.

I have a slate seat which will be cantilevered off the wall, so I'll have somewhere to sit when cooking.

For all those who don't realise, when the oven reaches temperature its perfect for cooking pizzas, after this you can apparently cook a joint of meat, and finally when its cooler loaves or use it as a slow cooker. Its not just a pizza oven.

[chris]

Out of interest, what sort of foundation did you put down? I'm thinking of building a brick bbq - can't decide to do it after we've had a patio done and site it on the patio, or dig a trench and do it just off the patio.

[Mikey]

I made a 6" dry concrete mix 1 part cement, 2 sand to 3 chippings 6mm, and built straight up off it.

The foundations don't have to be substantial as they are only there to support a low wall.

If you have the space take it off the patio, that way if you ever decide to put a roof over the patio the bbq is still outside.

[Mizjazzi]

Free instructions and foum for wood fired ovens and much ,much more!

Hi there,
Sorry this took so long, but I had to find this!! I had a virus a while ago and had to dig this out of my backups?
Here are some great search results I came across.
Instructions and FREE PLANS for building a wood fired oven, including a FORUM and recipes !!!
Anything and everything about Italian food and cooking, which is why I found it.
The links are to searches, so just click on the relevant link.I am not shure how to get the actual url. I tied to put in a shotcut and that did not work!?
Welcome to Italian Food!
Forno Bravo Forum: The Wood-Fired Oven Community - The Pizza Oven Installation and Cooking Community
Hope this helps,
Mizjazzi!!!

Pizza Oven | Brick Oven | Wood-Fired Pizza Ovens

[taff]

don't know about anyone else but i just had half hour of fun looking at all the oven builds....

[RedThorn]

Couple of things, make sure it'll fit your logs in, I know it sounds daft, but think how you'd build your fire and remember to give some clearance.Also, never use firelighters in the oven, build the fire from kindling

Try phoning around any local glassworks eg OI or united glass and ask when their next furnace rebuild is. They throw all their old refractory bricks away and they work a treat. They also make a great floor if you lay them nice and flat. A lot of their bricks are also shaped for a curve