Okay, guys, so let’s talk about building a pizza brick oven. I’ve always wanted one of these things in my backyard, you know? The idea of making your own wood-fired pizzas just seemed so cool, and well, tasty! So I finally decided to just go for it.
Getting Started
First, I spent a ton of time looking at pictures online. Just trying to figure out what style I liked and what would actually fit in my yard. I decided on a basic dome shape, nothing too fancy. Then came the fun part – buying stuff!
Gathering Supplies
I headed to the local home improvement store and loaded up a cart. Let me tell you, firebricks are HEAVY. I got a bunch of regular bricks too, for the base. Oh, and tons of bags of concrete and mortar mix. My car was definitely riding low on the way home.
- Firebricks – a whole pile of them!
- Regular bricks – for the base and some extra support
- Concrete mix – you’ll need a lot
- Mortar mix – gotta stick those bricks together
- Sand – for mixing with the concrete
- Gravel – for drainage under the base
- Some tools – trowel, level, that sort of thing
Building the Base
This part was tough. I dug out a spot in the yard and poured a concrete slab for the foundation. Then I started laying the regular bricks, making a big square base. My back was killing me after this, I won’t lie. I let that thing dry up for a few days, you know, it is important.
Constructing the Dome
Now for the tricky part – the dome. I built a form out of plywood and some scrap wood to support the firebricks while the mortar dried. Slowly but surely, I started laying the firebricks, one by one, cutting them with a saw when I needed a weird angle. This took forever, guys, seriously. And it was messy. There are other ways you can try, but I just wanted to do it this way and see if it works.
Finishing Touches
Once the dome was done, I removed the form and added a chimney. I also built a little door out of some leftover metal I had lying around. I let everything cure for like a week, then I fired that baby up! I was not sure it would work, to be honest, but it did!
Pizza Time!
The first pizza I made was… well, it was a little burnt. But hey, I was still learning! It took some practice, figuring out the right temperature and cooking time, but I eventually got the hang of it. Now I can make some pretty awesome pizzas, if I do say so myself. It’s so satisfying to cook in something you built with your own two hands, you know?
So yeah, that’s my pizza oven story. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. If you’re thinking about doing it, just be prepared for some sore muscles and a whole lot of brick dust. But trust me, the taste of that first homemade pizza makes it all worthwhile. It’s a great thing to have in your backyard, you know? You can have your friends, your family, and everybody around to have a good time. If you don’t know how to start, just follow the steps I just wrote down and try it out!
