March 17, 2016 - 4:37pm
Please show off your brick and earth oven.
I'm new here and about fell out of my seat when I realized the wood fired bread oven option.
I'd love to see some styles and features so that I can start to plan a build.
If you wouldn't mind, please mention:
What you like about it.
What you don't like about it.
What you would do different next time.
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I built an earth oven based on the Kiko Denzer book. I used vermiculite mixed with clay over bottles under the hearth. My dome is insulated with loose perlite fill. I have been using it on weekends for a few months. If I were to do over I would use a synthetic non compresible material under the hearth. Works great for pizza but the dome holds heat much better than the hearth. On my last bake I covered the loaf with cast iron to keep the top from setting to fast. Seems to be a fairly common problem in wood ovens at least from a post on forno bravo.
I would probably go with a square not arched door next time and an ash dump would be nice.
It is great for roasting vegetables etc while heating and good for a big pot of beans after the bake.
Since I live in a forest I am getting wood locally which is alot more work than I anticipated.
Hi C-Mac,
The major drawback is that you almost need a full load of bread to get the steam from the bread itself otherwise you have to create steam. With a properly insulated oven you can bake and cook for days without refueling your oven. The old Scott oven plans using bottles as a thermal insulation does not work, ceramic fiber boards for the hearth and ceramic fiber blankets for the dome works best and for the heat retention and fuel saving will pay for itself in the long run.
Here is a shot of my oven as it sits today. Based on the Denzer book and about 8000 YouTube vids :) I have pics of the entire thing start to finish if anyone wants to see them.
The oven floor finished at about 24" X 27". The second layer of cob didn't have enough straw in it so I added a third layer and you can see I made sure there was enough straw :)
I am really happy I spent the money on the roof structure. It is very secure and looks nice. It keeps the weather off the cob. I also like that the entire base is "cobbled", not cemented or mortared. The only thing I could not take back apart is a 4'x5' 3.5" thick slab I poured on top of the base so that the oven would not be jostled about with the shifting of the base.
Because it is so well insulated, I can max out the IR thermometer at 1022+F on the floors and walls inside and lay my hand on top of the oven all day long. After making pizzas and cooking all evening, I can shut the door and still have 250F the next morning. I opted to go without a chimney and the heat retention is incredible!
What I don't like is the same as what I'd do differently:
1. I would go for a 36" x 36" inside over floor, even though it would take longer and take more material.
2. I got impatient and lazy and capped off the base about 6 inches lower than I wanted, so I have to bend over a little to manage pizzas. I am pondering an excavation in front of the oven to lower me to a more comfortable position.
3. IMPORTANT - I should have started the sand dome form with vertical sides for the 1st 4-6 inches. It is SUCH a pain to get the coals out since I slanted right away. Also, there is wasted floor space for anything but pizza because I can't go all the way to the sides.
4. I would spend A LOT of time planning the arch and doorway. I had a couple of bricks slip during the cure and now I don't have a perfectly round opening. Still not sure what I'm going to do about that but I know I am going to have a metal door fabricated.
We did our first party last fall over our Labor Day weekend. We put a total of 52 pizzas through the oven over two evenings. It performed fabulously! All in all we are very happy with the oven. Only recently did I start to bake bread, and the oven spring is amazing. I damp mop the floor just before the bread goes in and soak the wood door in water for several hours prior. That is all I need for steam. I would love to see other ovens forum members have built!
Thank you all for your feedback.
That is a great looking oven netfan!
Where can I begin to look for some serious design plans and building instruction?
Are you looking to do a brick/masonry construction or a cob (clay and sand) construction?
I'm not sure yet. I can guess the basic differences but have no idea on cost/benefit of either.
I am a "do it the right way the first time" kind of guy though.
Hi CMcPherson!
When you decide to go the diy route, I own a small business that sells everything from oven components, to wood fired baking tools. Our ovens are designed to bake fantastic bread, check out our site if you get the chance!
https://www.breadstoneovens.com/collections/oven-components
I have bookmarked your site.
Great looking oven!!! Here is one that a friend of mine built himself after much planning....pretty cool because it goes everywhere!
Check it out guys - some Local guys I know making a portable brick oven (I've eaten some pizza made on it at their little party they had last weekend). They're all great hard working guys and the oven is really neat and unlike anything I've ever seen. They're doing a Kickstarter to raise funds for it and just have a few days left, so I thought I'd share to maybe rally up some support for some local friends but mostly to show off an awesome oven!!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tnsd/mobile-brick-ovens-durable-pizza-stones-exceptiona