Alright, folks, gather ’round! Today, I’m gonna share my little adventure of building a brick oven, specifically for making some killer outdoor pizzas. It was a bit of a journey, let me tell you, but hey, who doesn’t love a good DIY project, right?
So, first things first, I needed to find a good spot for this bad boy. I picked a nice, level area in my backyard, far enough from the house to avoid any smoky situations, but close enough that I wouldn’t have to run a marathon to get my pizza. Once the location was locked in, I got to work on the foundation.
I dug out the area, making it a bit bigger than the oven’s footprint. Then, I built a wooden frame using some 2x10s – this was to hold the concrete. Our pad is eight. I mixed up a bunch of concrete – and let me tell you, that’s a workout in itself – and poured it into the frame. After letting it cure for a few days, I had a solid base ready to go.
Next up, I built the base structure using cinder blocks. I’m no mason, but I managed to stack those blocks up, making sure they were level and sturdy. This was going to be the foundation for the actual oven, so I took my sweet time with it.
Now for the fun part – building the oven itself! I used regular old bricks for the walls and whatnot. I learned that firebrick is best, so I used these for the oven floor. They say that helps to distribute the heat evenly. I also had to cut some bricks to fit the dome shape I was going for. I just used a brick saw to get the shape I needed.
For the inside of the oven, it’s all about the clay, sand, and straw mixture. This is what really makes up the bulk of it all. I mixed these together to form the inner dome. It was messy, it was a bit chaotic, but hey, it worked! I also installed a stove pipe and a chimney cap for ventilation. I used a chimney brush to clean it.
- Pros:
- Once it’s built, it’s awesome for cooking.
- Looks pretty cool in the backyard.
- Cons:
- Takes forever to heat up, especially since I went with wood.
- It’s a lot of work to build, not gonna lie.
- And depending on your energy source, installation and maintenance can be a bit pricey.
Once everything was set, I let it dry and cure for a good while. Then came the moment of truth – the first firing! I built a small fire inside, gradually increasing the size to get that oven nice and hot.
In terms of cleaning and maintenance, I found that having an oven brush and a scraper is key. And some food-safe cleaning products, of course. Gotta keep it clean to avoid any nasty stuff and keep things safe.
And there you have it! My homemade brick pizza oven. It was a challenge, no doubt, but totally worth it. Now, I can whip up some mean pizzas right in my backyard. If you’re thinking about building one yourself, just be prepared for some hard work – but also a lot of fun, and some delicious rewards!
