How to build your own hands a pizza oven for wood-fired pizza
Pizza has honestly earned the right to wear the status of a favorite dish, which is served in specially created pizzeria establishments. It has evolved from a representative of fast food into a full-fledged component of lunch or dinner.
Today, pizza is not only cooked in an Italian restaurant, semi-finished products are not difficult to find in a store or in a cafe. But since everyone considers himself a true connoisseur of natural cuisine in Italy, preference is given to establishments that use the word “real” in their slogan. That said, many people argue that if you build a wood-fired pizza oven, you can easily make the most that is a real pizza yourself.
Pompeian clay oven
It is possible to build the Pompeian furnace not only from bricks, but also using clay as a dome material. This is not a particularly complicated process. The foundation and base of the oven are laid in the usual way, and coarse sand is used as a model for the dome. Put the clay mixture on top of it. Clay, of course, is more reliable to buy in a specialized or construction store. All other stages of making a clay oven are no different from the usual construction. After the dome is completed, the chimney is installed on it, which can be of any material, including brick.
Interesting! Is any kind of oven suitable for making pizzas?? Unfortunately, no.
Pompeian oven can also be made of clay To cook a good pizza, the oven must maintain the required temperature. it is 320-350 degrees, and for Neapolitan pizza oven heated to 450-500 ° C. The higher the temperature in the oven chamber, the juicier the finished pizza and the faster it bakes. Baking for too long causes the dough to dry out and harden. One extra minute in the oven equals 1% moisture loss from the pizza. That is why the wood-fired oven is the ideal way to bake pizza in the right way, tried and tested by years of Italian tradition. A quality Pompeii oven should bake a pizza in 90 seconds. The main role in this process is played by the material of which it is made. Professionals who know their business always prefer clay ovens.
Clay is a natural, durable material that can last a very long time and retain its properties. There is a well-known story about a clay oven that was made in Italy in 1988 for a family-run pizzeria. It still manages to bake excellent Neapolitan pizzas for residents and visitors.
A clay oven should be fired for a long time before it is used for its intended purpose
Clay pizza oven will have the necessary heat capacity only if it has been fired for a long time and all the proportions of the dome have been observed in its construction. It can really make crispy, crispy and tender pizza crust. You should be wary of counterfeit, which floods the market in Russia.
Interesting! Nowadays, unscrupulous manufacturers who make non-clay ovens add various impurities to the materials. This improves the heat capacity a bit, but when heated, such an oven can release toxic substances that are detrimental to human health.
If you want to buy an authentic Italian clay oven, you need to find out where the production is located. If it is not made in Italy, it is better to refuse such a purchase. Be sure to study the composition of the materials from which it is made. Finally, it will be useful to ask the seller if his oven passed the pizza test. Can you cook a pizza in 90 seconds at 350 degrees in this oven??
An important function of the oven is to maintain a high temperature for a long time
How to make a Pompeian wood-fired pizza oven with their own hands
Dear visitors of the site “At Samodelkin’s Home” in the proposed article we will talk about how to build a miracle oven for baking loaves and pizzas as you have probably guessed from the name. Today is a very developed country building, a lot of people want to live close to nature, to breathe fresh air drink pure spring water, and just enjoy life)
How to Build Your Own High-Performing Wood-Fired Pizza Oven from Bricks
Encouraged out-of-town construction and by the authorities, as well as businesses, that is, power permits, well as businesses provides all the necessary material for the construction of a house, or any other building.
So in addition to building private houses and cottages, people try to bring as much as possible to the site comfort and warmth of the home, namely building all kinds of grills from different types of material, from iron or bricks, make barbecues, tandyrs, all kinds of stoves, all these different structures, every owner is trying to do something unusual and unique.
With the fireplace on the site the rest becomes doubly enjoyable, you can always cook a lot of delicious dishes), and just sit near an open fire with a cup of tea and meditate on various topics, what could be better?
That’s our author was inspired by the idea of creating an oven for baking loaves and pizzas at his dacha site. The main task which was to make a master to make a small oven and quite compact, as well as to maximize savings. After a lot of thinking and searching, he came across an article on the Internet, where a photo of a small functional oven with a detailed description of the stages of construction. This oven was invented in Italy and is called Pompeian, as it is known Italians are great fans of pizza and they actually gave the whole world this cheesecake)
The size of the author liked it very much, in addition, this stove does not require a foundation, under its base you can make either a metal table or some kind of a structure from a board and bar.
For the construction of the master gathered used bricks, 2 pallets from which he made the base for the oven, as well as prepared all the related materials. And so to understand how the author was able to construct this miracle should be very carefully read the photo made by the author for his followers, as well as a list of necessary materials and tools for further work.
1) used bricks 2) 2 pallets 3) cement 4) sand 5) gravel 6) clay 7) buckets
1) spade 2) mallet 3) trowel 4) trowel 5) hammer 6) hacksaw 7) axe
And so the first thing the author prepares the site for the location of the future oven.
Then prepares mortar and staples 2 pallets together.
On top of a thick plywood nailed and makes the edges of the board, where subsequently the cement board will be poured.
Pouring and leveling the foundation.
Leave it to harden for a week, then decided to test whether the foundation can withstand the weight of the oven, for the simulation put all the bricks prepared.
Everything is fine) took it apart.
Has begun masonry.
Made an arch and an opening.
He does everything very carefully and measured.
Step by step.
Prepping is ready.
Then moves on to laying the dome.
Pay attention to the pipe, the author made it from a simple bucket. Row by row lifts the dome
Row by row, the dome rises.
For convenience of masonry under the inside of the cone laid a pile of sand wrapped in plastic film.
Just a little bit left.
And now the dome is ready.
Then the master plastered the stove.
Let it dry for a day or two.
That’s what happened.
Furnace inside.
Tries to flood and check the draft.
Everything is fine, we can already move on to serious business.
According to tradition, the first pancake is a bit tricky)
Trying
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How much will it cost?
Pompey oven with their own hands. quite an expensive design, even if you decide to do all the work yourself. This is due to the high cost of the materials from which it is made. Since tandoor construction consists of several components, it is easiest to calculate exactly the cost of each of them.
The price is based on the purchased materials, and does not include construction debris and materials that can be found near the house (clay and sand):
- A bag of cement is 250;
- Slag blocks will cost about 300;
- Chamotte bricks of 350 pieces will cost 17,000;
- Thermal insulation will cost about 500;
- Cutting disc for stone costs about 250;
- Polyethylene for waterproofing will cost about 200.
In total, the erection of the entire structure, assuming that will be used for masonry dome chamotte bricks, will cost about 18 500.
Storing firewood
In addition to choosing the right wood, you also need to know how to store it, so that there are no problems in use, and retain the characteristics during the burning.
Storage location
The first thing to do is to determine the storage location, but this usually does not take much time or effort.
The place of preservation of firewood should be as convenient and accessible as possible when using, along with good protection of the logs from the weather.
The following points must be considered for comfortable use:
- The location of the place should be close to the location of the stove, so that the material for the firebox can be conveniently taken in any weather with little time;
- The firewood must be properly stacked, before it is sawn and chopped, so that it does not have to be done in the winter time;
- the logs should be dried before use, or stacked in rows in a special pattern so that they dry during storage.
Preserving the qualities of wood
To preserve the qualities in wood, it is necessary to consider the following nuances:
- Do not arrange the stack in places of possible accumulation of moisture, so that they do not get damp and do not start to rot;
- it is mandatory to build a shelter in the storage place, so that the logs do not fall on the atmospheric precipitation;
- billets in the pile are stacked a little apart, for air ventilation;
- for good preparation of firewood for use in the stove, cut trees during the cold season are not stacked immediately after sawing for storage, but are left to dry for six months;
- If the wood was cut in the spring or summer, it is dried before stacking for about a year, it all depends on the location of the firewood and the weather conditions during the time.
Other tips
When stacking the logs in a storage location, you should pay attention to the rules that have developed over the years:
- covering the roof, for the place where the firewood will be stored;
- finished logs can be stacked after they lie in bulk for a while in a well-ventilated place under sunlight;
- If there is no structure for firewood, and it will be stacked in the open space, then under the lowest row is placed a support in the form of long straight trunks of wood with a medium diameter;
- the first row of firewood is stacked 2-4 cm above the ground, so that the ends of the logs touch the parallel trunks;
- Every new row should be pitched to the existing one;
- Vertical rows of logs on the sides, stacked lengthwise and crosswise;
- if the firewood is stacked in the open space, it must be supported by vertical props in the form of pipes and covered with tin or slate over the top.
When heating the oven, the logs are usually stacked near it for preliminary drying, with a reserve for two fires.
What kind of wood to use?
Use hardwoods that do not release any resin when burned. Otherwise it would spoil the taste of the dish.
It is strictly forbidden to use conifers: pine, spruce, fir. As they burn, they emit resins that will make the food unfit for consumption.
To heat the stove after a long period of inactivity, use small pieces of wood, gradually raising the temperature. It is necessary to let the accumulated moisture, which is absorbed by the ceramic tile serve to evaporate. If the temperature rises sharply, cracks can appear. The cooking process will not be affected, but it is better to avoid it.
Pompeian oven with their own hands, or how to taste pizza from a wood-fired oven
After I tasted a real pizza, the number one task for me was to build a Pompeian oven with my own hands. I will not say that it is easy and simple, but I will explain to you in detail, how to build such an oven on your plot and what is needed for this.
Real pizza can be made only in a wood-fired Pompeii oven.
Pompeian (Italian) oven, used for cooking all kinds of food (including pizza), baking loaves, roasting meat dishes. However, this type of furnace is not used as a heating element of the premises.
That to know where to start the construction you need to understand the construction of a Pompeian stove.
- base (foundation);
- Reinforced concrete slab acting as a base for the oven itself and a place for cooking;
- Dome made of refractory bricks;
- the bottom of the stove, on which the fire is initially kindled, and the cooking process goes on;
- chimney. It is installed over the entrance arch, which distinguishes the Pompeian furnace from other types of furnaces;
- arch;
- The casing on the outside;
- thermal insulation layer.
The main advantage over a Russian stove, it is considered a quick warm-up. You can start cooking in the Pompeii oven 30-40 minutes after the start of heating.
Pompey clay oven
It is possible to build the Pompeian furnace not only from bricks, but also using clay as the material for the dome. It is not a particularly difficult process. The foundation and the base of the furnace are laid in the usual way, and coarse sand is used as a model for the dome. A clay mixture is placed on top of it. Clay, of course, it is more reliable to buy in a specialized or construction store. All other stages of making a clay oven do not differ from the usual construction. Once the dome is complete, a chimney is installed on it, which can be of any material, including brick.
Interesting! Any pizza oven will work? Unfortunately, no.
To cook a good pizza, the oven must maintain the necessary temperature. it is 320-350 degrees, and for Neapolitan pizza oven heats to 450-500 ° C. The higher the temperature in the oven, the juicier the cooked pizza will be and the faster it will bake. Baking too long causes dough to dry out and harden. One extra minute in the oven equals 1% moisture loss from the pizza. That’s why a wood-fired oven is the perfect way to make the right pizza, proven by years of Italian tradition. In a quality Pompeii oven a pizza should bake in 90 seconds. The main role in this process is played by the material from which it is built. Professionals, who know a lot about their business, always give preference to the clay oven.
Clay is a natural, durable material that can last a very long time and retain its properties. There is a well-known story about a clay oven that was made in Italy in 1988 for a family pizzeria. This oven still manages to bake excellent Neapolitan pizzas for residents and visitors.
Clay pizza oven will have the necessary heat capacity only if it has been subjected to a long firing and during its construction all the proportions of the dome are observed. Such an oven can really make airy, crispy and tender pizza crust at the same time. We should be wary of the counterfeit, which floods the market in Russia.
Interesting! Nowadays, unscrupulous manufacturers who make non-clay ovens add various impurities to the materials. This improves the heat capacity slightly, but when heated, such a stove can emit toxic substances that are detrimental to human health.
If you want to buy an authentic Italian clay oven, you must find out where the production is located. If it is not made in Italy, it is better to refuse such a purchase. Be sure to study the composition of the materials from which it is made. Finally, it would be helpful to ask the seller if his oven passed the pizza test. Can a pizza in this oven be cooked in 90 seconds at 350 degrees?
