Okay, folks, let’s talk about my adventure in building a brick pizza oven. I’ve always loved a good wood-fired pizza, and I figured, “Hey, I’m pretty handy, why not build my own oven?” Let me tell you, it was a bigger project than I initially thought, but totally worth it.
Getting Started: The Base
First things first, I needed a solid base. I didn’t want this thing sinking into the ground after a few rainstorms.
I dug out a good-sized area, maybe about 4 feet by 4 feet, and a bit deeper than I thought I needed, like 10 inches.
Then i filled with gravel for drainage, making sure to tamp it down real good with a hand tamper. Lots of work.
Next, I mixed and poured a concrete slab, reinforced with some rebar I had lying around. I’m no concrete expert, so I just followed the instructions on the bags and hoped for the best.
I let that cure for a few days, keeping it damp with a hose so it wouldn’t crack.
Building the Oven Body
This is where the real fun began, and by fun, I mean a lot of heavy lifting and careful bricklaying.
I chose to go with a simple dome shape.
I sketched out a rough plan on paper, just to get an idea of the size and how the bricks would fit together.
I used regular firebricks, the kind designed for high heat, and fireclay mortar, don’t use regular cement,it won’t working.
I started laying the bricks in a circle, slowly building up the walls.
It was kind of like putting together a giant, heavy puzzle. I did my work.
Each brick had to be carefully placed and mortared, making sure everything was level and plumb.
As I got higher, I started angling the bricks inward to create the dome shape.
This was tricky! I used a wooden form as support,it’s my old shelf.
I built the form inside the oven, and the bricks rested against it as the mortar dried.
The Dome and the Chimney
Building the dome was definitely the most challenging part. Getting the bricks to stay in place while the mortar dried took some patience, and maybe a few choice words.
I worked slowly, adding a few rows of bricks each day, letting the mortar set overnight.
For the chimney, I just left an opening at the front of the dome and built a small, square chimney stack using more firebricks.
I made sure it was tall enough to create a good draft, but not so tall that it looked out of proportion.
Finishing Touches
Once the dome was complete, I removed the wooden form and let the whole thing cure for about a week.
Then, I built a small fire inside the oven to slowly dry out the mortar and bricks.
I started with a tiny fire and gradually made it bigger over a few days.
Finally, the moment of truth! I fired up the oven to a good pizza-making temperature, cooked about 700-800 degrees Fahrenheit I guess.
The first pizza was… well, it was a little charred around the edges, but it tasted amazing!
It’s been a few months now, and I’ve gotten a lot better at controlling the temperature and cooking the pizzas just right.
There’s something really satisfying about eating a pizza that you made in an oven you built yourself.
If you’re thinking about building your own brick pizza oven, I say go for it! Just be prepared for some hard work, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice along the way.
It is all worth it.
