Making an outside pizza oven

[cowoman]

My friend made an outside pizza oven a bit like Jamie olivers.He used fire bricks for the base where you cook the pizzas because these keep the heat in.He said he would make one for us in France but has anyone any idea what the firebricks are called,where I could get them or any info on them as I am trying to price this project up.If anyone has done one of these I would be grateful for any advice on materials

thanks in advance

[Théière]

You should use briques refractaire (spelling) and the same with the mortar.

[cowoman]

thanks teapot

Have you made one yourself?

[Clair]

http://www.gralon.net/articles/maison-et-jardin/jardin/article-construire-un-four-a-pizza-555.htm

[Théière]

No, just assisted Bro in-law, it's a pride thing.

[Dog]

We built a bread/pizza oven - couldn't live without it.

In older ovens they did not use fire bricks.

Ours is a repro of a traditional beehive Roman oven using terracota tiles, clay, sand and refractory cement. Viking ovens are a cheaper alternative but do not last long.

If we built another it would be indoors as it is so efficient and easier to use all year.

The pizzas, bread and naans are incredible it is also great for roasting and cost peanuts to run - I highly recommend building one. We no longer eat out - the downside is we have lots of visitors wanting wood oven cooked food.

[petitpois]

http://clayoven.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/8-firing-the-oven

I have found this.There is a step by step guide on the right hand side on how to make one

I am not sure where you could get the clay though in the Haute vienne area.You might be lucky  enough to be able to dig it out of your garden.

I might have a go at one myself

 

 

[Dog]

It isn't difficult to build a wood oven - ours looks very similar to the one top right in that website.

We found our terracotta tiles in one of our barns - we are in a clay rich area so that was no problem and there is also sand locally - the base was built from stone from a fallen out building.

We did buy some very expensive refractory cement next time I would buy some lower temperature cheaper stuff.

Next one will be indoors a slightly improved design with a built in flue.

Do beware - do not build an oven too large as it will take much longer to heat up and use more wood.

Cooking bread - after getting the oven hot leave the embers, (having made a cover for the door) and put the bread in then block up the door.

We made our pizza paddles but have found a UK company that sells them.

[petitpois]

Reading through the stages of making one of these ovens, I notice that it says to dig up the clay like they did on River cottage and there is no mention of firebricks or fire cement. Once the base is in then you build an upturned bowl of sand shape then cover this with clay and sand. Do a layer of slip(water and clay) then another clay and sand layer. It really sounds so simple

Is there a photo of yours?

[Dog]

That sounds more like a Viking oven - a much earlier oven than a roman oven. They do not last more than a season or too at the most as the clay quickly gets erroded.

The Roman oven uses tiles to form the base of the oven and beehive/bowl shape and is held together with refractory cement then sand is used for a heat sink and then clay forms a cover - this does also suffer from errosion but it it is not structural..

Ours looks outwardly just like the one top right in your link. There is no reason why you could not add more embellishment/brickwork on the dome for aesthetics or better insulation.

If you want a cruder simpler modern oven go for a steel barrel oven.

[petitpois]

Where did you get your info from about these ovens?

I bought a book but it was more like building a house than an oven.

[Dog]

There is lots on the net about building wood ovens - you have to look around as most want you to pay for a book or for plans.