Okay, so I’ve always wanted a real, wood-fired pizza oven. I mean, who doesn’t? But those pre-built ones are crazy expensive. So, I figured, why not build one myself? That’s where this brick oven pizza oven kit came in.
I started by clearing a good-sized space in my backyard. This thing was going to be heavy, so I needed a solid foundation. I dug down a bit, laid down some gravel, and then poured a concrete slab. It wasn’t pretty, but it was level and sturdy. I have to make sure that’s completely done before I do anything else.
Next up, the kit arrived. Let me tell you, it was a LOT of bricks. Like, a whole pallet full. The kit came with these curved forms to help shape the dome, which was a lifesaver. I’m no bricklayer, so those forms were super useful.
Building the Base
- First, I built the base. It’s basically a square box made of cinder blocks. This raised the oven up to a comfortable working height. And I added a little shelf underneath for storing wood. Because it needs to be somewhere, right?
Building the Dome
- Then came the fun part, the time to build the dome. I started laying the firebricks, using the forms as a guide. I mixed up the refractory mortar, it’s like cement, but it can handle super high temperatures, and started sticking the bricks together.
- Slowly but surely, the dome started to take shape. I had to cut some of the bricks to fit, especially around the top. Used an angle grinder for that. It was dusty, I’ll be honest, but got the job done.
- Once the dome was complete, I added a layer of insulation. This helps keep the heat in, I bought this ceramic fiber blanket and covered the whole thing. Then, another layer of mortar over the insulation to kind of seal everything up.
Finishing Touches
- Finally, I built a little chimney out of some leftover bricks, and added a door. The door I just made out of some scrap metal I had, not super fancy, but it works.
The whole process took me a couple of weekends, and yeah, there were some frustrating moments. But, seeing that finished oven, it was all worth it. And the first pizza I cooked in it? Amazing. Seriously, way better than anything I could get delivered.
So, if you’re thinking about building your own pizza oven, I say go for it. It’s a project, for sure, but totally doable. And the results? Delicious.
