The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

diy out door pizza oven plans and ideas

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

diy out door pizza oven plans and ideas

Hello all, Was hoping someone has experience with a brick "style" pizza oven as far as plans and material. My idea is to build a rectangle base of cinder blocks and a floor of unglazed tile or fire brick. I would like to not work with any adhesive or mortar In the actually cooking area. A few of my ideas is to cover all but the ceiling in the tile or brick.... The ceiling would remain cinder block or I could line it with tin? Another thing I thought of was having a fire box on the side which would be brick, tile or tin lined.   

 

Obviously safety first, What would be the safest route as far as food contamination and burning of chemicals ect, The idea I got in my head will be solid I built a cinder block fire pit and sitting area that turned out very nice for the budget. But when it comes to Cooking and consuming food I'm a little lost.

 

So guess I'm asking the safest way to line the inner part of the oven, will the outer cinder block have any risk as far as tge cooking of the food?

 

Fire inside or a side fire box?

 

Fire brick, tile or tin for the box, floor walls and ceiling? I would even go as far as lining it and buying actual pizza bricks for the cooking if there isn't a safe alternative. I also plan on building a grill this spring of cinder block, tin pan and grate, I could also just put stones on there but I'm guessing without the roof it will not be the same.

 

Thanks for your ideas and help.... Glad I came across this site. I did a lot of searching and there is not much out there for diy and a budget.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

There is lots of information.  Try searching and site searching TFL for:    WFO  or  wood fired oven  

The selection is enormous and for all budgets.  Also:   Earth Oven  

Temperatures can get pretty hot in such ovens so be sure your materials can take the heat.  There are a few books out there and some you may find in your local library.  

Welcome to TFL!

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

Awesome, Will do thank you for the info!

fotomat1's picture
fotomat1

undertaking...I too thought I would like to build one for bread and pizza but did the research and it was daunting to say the least. I build furniture for a living and have constructed the better pert of a house but just make sure you look before you leap. Also make sure it is permitted by the local authority. Good Luck plenty of info out there....and the materials are not cheap.

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Outdoor/Pizza-Ovens/?state=5385

 

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

I'm starting to see this..... And it definitely wouldn't be built for looks lol

This all started because I seen a video on you tube from a guy with a channel called garden fork and he threw a little oven together. So I started thinking well if he can do that I could do this etc etc to make it easier on the eyes and more stable. It all comes down to making sure the kids don't croak from chemical poisoning lol.

It sounds like the Nonglazed tiles are safe but at this point I'm think removable pizza stones would be the best bet since they attend to break. I know you have to think about how to clean ashes out etc also.... Was hoping to have one brick removable and blow it out with a leaf blower lol.

Things fell together for me in the past hopefully this is the case again!

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

I would imagine tin is safe and the fire bricks/tiles both from what I've read. Heck the peeling on my gas grill and smoker is probably more dangerous! :D

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

Hard to tell with the beautiful weather, But would build it like the fire pit but taller of course and single layer of cinder to frame the walls then fire brick floor and walls. I'm still thinking a tin roof and smaller cap bricks like I used on top the cinders on the fire pit. 

I could be way over my head here or missing something simple that would totally kill my idea. 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

of tin.  I think I would rather build with mud, clay to be more specific with lots of grog.  The cinder blocks might make a good under support to raise the oven to a comfortable height, but I think they should not be part of the baking part of the oven.  I would line the inside floor with firebrick and perhaps the opening.  A fall door at the front is the place to drag ashes.  Using a leaf blower will only make a nasty dust cloud to breathe in.

Did you check out: Earth Oven?   Also might want to look up Pueblo mud oven  or Outdoor Adobe oven

DIY outdoor oven      backyard oven     http://www.ehow.com/how_8068406_diy-outdoor-ovens.html 

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

Checking out earth ovens and others also mini, Thanks.... Wow so much more came up from just putting wfo in the search!

Laurentius's picture
Laurentius

Hi T,

The cinder block oven interior will not work nor will the tin lining. It sound as if you want an oven facsimile rather than a real oven. What chemical poisons are you talking about? If you are interested in building a WFO, here`s a very helpful site and you can download free building plans! http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

Yes definitely not a "Real" oven. This is something I might use 12 times a year but would be nice to have when the time comes. Chemicals and such I've read was mostly lead related and coating and glazes if you went the tile route. Maybe I'm not looking for a actually oven on second thought but rather something functional.... Heck I'm impressed with some of the pizzas coming off of gas grills using a stone. 

 

It would just be nice to be able to cook pizza at cook outs and quickly, I get tired of brats and burgers ;)

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

Thanks for the link definitely bookmarking and going through it!

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

http://youtu.be/C1QToDg3Ow0

 

The video I mentioned in my first post, Is it safe to eat food from a set up like this? I don't know how the bricks are prepared for a chimney etc..... I just assumed they were may be treated with something To help withstand heat?

sphealey's picture
sphealey

Rado at Traditional Oven has a ton of information and pictures.  He will send you a CD with plans and in-progress pictures for a nominal fee:

Check your library for Build Your Own Earth Oven by Denzer & Field, and The Bread Builders by Scott & Wing.  TBB is the canonical reference by one of the people (Scott) who got the whole brick oven thing restarted in the 70s.

sPh

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

Awesome will check it out healey.... Thanks for info!

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

Traditional oven is great, I had no idea the bricks stored most of the heat to the point you wouldn't even need a actual fire during cooking. Fire bricks are a must if I go through with this.... floor walls and top!

OldWoodenSpoon's picture
OldWoodenSpoon

Let me point out the book "Earth Oven" by Kiko Denzer.  I bought, read, and partly memorized the resources you have already received, such as "Bread Builders", et al.  It was not, however, until I found "Earth Oven" that my back yard oven became an economic possibility.  All the brick and mortar jobs were too expensive for my budget, and required skills I would have to hire that would increase the cost even more.  Using Kiko Denzer's book I created a plan that I was able to execute for only a few hundred dollars, rather than several thousands.

If this tickles your fancy you should look at my blog pages here on TFL where I review (in brutal honesty sometimes) the ups and downs of my mud oven.  Here are a couple of links:  Go here first and then here for The Rest of the Story.  I admit up front that I am no authority on these ovens, but I will offer a couple of tips up front:  They are quite a bit more work to build the first or second time than Denzer admits, probably because he has built many of them.  They require much more insulation under the hearth than Denzer calls for in his book if you want to do multiple bakes on one firing.  This blog entry speaks to that point.  Finally, they do work, and work well. 

My "earth" oven is still in service and I enjoy it immensely, although it is under cover against the weather until spring comes for sure.  Don't shy away without looking at the book.  It is a great teacher, along with some experience (like taking advantage of mine), and can result in a very serviceable, and handsome oven.

Best of luck
OldWoodenSpoon

T.Heck's picture
T.Heck

Thanks old wood, cant wait to read through your experience in building a oven!

yozzause's picture
yozzause

We look forward to watching this project evolve in pictures and comments

Traditional oven also has suggestions for cheaper substitutes  to fire bricks etc. our one at work is awesome, but under utilised. 

regards Yozza.