Okay, guys, so I’ve always wanted a pizza oven in my backyard. I mean, who doesn’t love a good homemade pizza? I finally decided to take the plunge and build one myself, using bricks. Here’s how it went down.
First things first, I needed to figure out where to put this thing. I picked a nice spot in my backyard, a bit away from the house, and most importantly, not directly on a wooden surface. I definitely didn’t want any fire hazards. I opted for a concrete slab base – seemed like the safest bet. Granite would have been nice, but concrete was more in my budget.
Next up was the design. I spent a good chunk of time online looking at different pizza oven shapes. Apparently, the best shape is like an ellipse, not a perfect circle. Something about the way it distributes heat. I went with this kind of stretched-out circle shape, aiming for the recommended height-to-radius ratio. It wasn’t too hard to work out, and it’s supposed to help cook the top of the pizza better.
Now for the fun part – getting my hands dirty. I ordered a bunch of fire bricks. These aren’t your regular bricks; they’re made to handle super high temperatures. Regular bricks will probably crack or even explode, no thanks! I started laying them out on the concrete slab, following my rough elliptical design. Honestly, this was the hardest part. Getting the bricks to fit together nicely and form that dome shape took some serious effort, lots of aligning, adjusting and more adjusting.
- Gathered my tools: a trowel, a level, a mallet – the whole shebang.
- Mixed up some mortar. I used a special kind that can withstand high heat.
- Slowly but surely, I started building up the walls, brick by brick. I made sure to check that everything was level as I went.
I decided to add a little chimney to help with the smoke. Figured that would be better than having smoke billowing out the front. I built that up using more fire bricks, making sure it was nice and sturdy.
After a few days of hard work, the oven was finally taking shape. I let the mortar dry for a good while, following the instructions on the bag. You don’t want to rush this part, or the whole thing could fall apart.
The Big Test
Once everything was good and dry, it was time for the moment of truth – firing up the oven for the first time! I started with a small fire, gradually adding more wood to get the temperature up. Then, I threw in my first pizza, using a long pizza peel. Man, the anticipation! And you know what? It worked! The pizza cooked perfectly, with a nice crispy crust and bubbly cheese. It tasted amazing, way better than any takeout I’ve ever had.
Building a brick pizza oven was definitely a challenge, but it was totally worth it. There’s something really satisfying about making something with your own two hands, and then getting to enjoy the delicious results. If you’re thinking about doing it, I say go for it! Just be prepared for some hard work, and make sure you do your research beforehand. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go make another pizza!
