# Help... I want to build an outdoor brick oven.



## The Rugged Dude (Apr 4, 2016)

Does anyone know how to go about building an outdoor brick oven that I could use for baking bread, pizza... roasting... I want to be able to get the heat up to about 800 F.

What type of bricks?  Mortar or cement???  

I live way off the grid on 90 acres... so there is no worry about driving my neighbours nuts with smoke.

RD


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## medtran49 (Apr 4, 2016)

You are supposed to use fire brick.  We looked into building one once (never did though).  There are free plans, plans to purchase, people's blogs about building one, etc, etc on the web.  Just Google "how to build a brick oven."  You can do it really cheap or spend $$$, semi-permanent or permanent.  You wrote in another thread that you had internet on your phone so I'd suggest you look at some blogs and see what's involved.  You can also purchase kits to build your own but they were $2000-$3000 or even more depending on the extras when we were looking.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Apr 4, 2016)

I would look at plans, read the blogs, and watch the YouTube videos, then I would hire a professional brick layer to build it! I am too old to be learning new construction skills.


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## roadfix (Apr 4, 2016)

https://community.fornobravo.com/

I spent at least a year participating on Forno Bravo before I began construction of my pompeii oven back in 2010.    Anything and everything you need to know there.

This is the oven I built in my side patio area:


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## medtran49 (Apr 4, 2016)

roadfix said:


> https://community.fornobravo.com/
> 
> I spent at least a year participating on Forno Bravo before I began construction of my pompeii oven back in 2010. Anything and everything you need to know there.


 
Yep, that was one of the places I was looking at.  They are one of the companies that sells kits.  They've gone up a bit, closer to the $3000 mark, than when we were looking.  They also have free plans for the Pompeii oven, which are the ones I had downloaded.


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## medtran49 (Apr 4, 2016)

Fire brick is very hard to find and extremely expensive in S Florida.  It was actually cheaper to buy the kit than to try to buy the materials individually for us.  Also, another factor was code and distance requirements from house/property line where we lived, and we didn't really want to put it where code compliance would have required (obviously RD doesn't have that issue).  Plus, we were considering downsizing so that meant we'd either have to make it portable or have it and use it for a year or 2 and then take a loss on the money spent to build it.  

Craig started looking at the Big Green Egg after we decided to pass.  The BGE can get super hot and does a pretty good job and stays at temp for a long time as long as you don't open it too much, which is good for bread baking and roasting, not so much pizza.  

The Weber with the pizza attachment, especially since Kettle Pizza came out with the new modification on their original that makes it easier and safer to add coals, does a great job cooking pizza and even bread.  With the Kettle Pizza insert, you can make a double layer by putting the regular Weber grill on top of the insert.  Only thing is, it gets really hot up top when the dome is on so you kind of have to wait until you are close to end of cooking on the bottom to start bread up top or it gets a bit too brown and/or burned on the top.  

We use seasoned wood when we are cooking pizza or bread.  

Just a couple of alternatives in case you want them.


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## Kayelle (Apr 4, 2016)

roadfix said:


> https://community.fornobravo.com/
> 
> I spent at least a year participating on Forno Bravo before I began construction of my pompeii oven back in 2010.    Anything and everything you need to know there.
> 
> This is the oven I built in my side patio area:



I was really hoping you'd post the picture RF! Gosh was it really 6 yrs ago? I had such fun keeping up with the process of your oven.


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## roadfix (Apr 4, 2016)

Thanks Kayelle, I remember posting parts of my build progress here.    It was a fun project.    Would I do it again?  Nope.....I would just get a BGE....)


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## Cheryl J (Apr 4, 2016)

Very nice looking oven RF, and I *love* the design style of your house!  It makes me think of a Spanish villa.

I also remember following your BBQ area build with the cement surround, and that beautiful view from your patio. You've pretty much got it made as far as outdoor cooking - I hope you've had plenty of time to enjoy it!


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## The Rugged Dude (Apr 4, 2016)

roadfix said:


> https://community.fornobravo.com/
> 
> I spent at least a year participating on Forno Bravo before I began construction of my pompeii oven back in 2010. Anything and everything you need to know there.
> 
> This is the oven I built in my side patio area:


 
Dude, this looks awesome!  But, could I fit a moose hind quarter in there??????  Okay, maybe I'll stick to bread and pizza...


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## The Rugged Dude (Apr 4, 2016)

Wow!  So many great replies... thanks a lot everyone!  This will have to be a video project, no doubt.  Look out, You Tubes!


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## tenspeed (Apr 5, 2016)

Probably way too newfangled and convenient for your tastes, but....

Wood Burning Ovens & Grills - Tuscan ImportsTuscan Imports

The local kitchen store has this one on display:

Tuscan Imports Margherita Pizza Oven - MARGHERITA ANTH


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## Addie (Apr 5, 2016)

The Rugged Dude said:


> Does anyone know how to go about building an outdoor brick oven that I could use for baking bread, pizza... roasting... I want to be able to get the heat up to about 800 F.
> 
> What type of bricks?  Mortar or cement???
> 
> ...



Do you ever use the oven on your wood burning stove? My mother had a stove exactly like yours and she baked in it all the time.


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## The Rugged Dude (Apr 5, 2016)

tenspeed said:


> Probably way too newfangled and convenient for your tastes, but....
> 
> Wood Burning Ovens & Grills - Tuscan ImportsTuscan Imports
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for the link... I took a look, and you're right.  A little too high end for me... I'm really hoping to use some of the local rocks from my area.  But, I need to learn what will work and what won't.

There's a lot of granite and shale on my land... Maybe I'll find me a geologist.  A geologist who likes food!


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## The Rugged Dude (Apr 5, 2016)

Addie said:


> Do you ever use the oven on your wood burning stove? My mother had a stove exactly like yours and she baked in it all the time.


 
Yes, all the time.  It takes a little getting used to, but once that happens, you're on your way!  The main thing, is that you normally have to turn whatever you're baking once or twice... the firebox is on the left so that side of the oven gets hotter than the right, obviously.

Cooking on an old wood stove = Rugged!!

RD


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 5, 2016)

Take a look at this article from *TMEN*.

Build Your Own Wood-Fired Earth Oven - DIY - MOTHER EARTH NEWS


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## tenspeed (Apr 5, 2016)

Aunt Bea said:


> Take a look at this article from *TMEN*.
> 
> Build Your Own Wood-Fired Earth Oven - DIY - MOTHER EARTH NEWS


Not so sure an earth oven would survive winter.  I would think that the Dude's winters would be at least as cold as they are here, and I can't leave any pottery outside over the winter.


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 5, 2016)

tenspeed said:


> Not so sure an earth oven would survive winter.  I would think that the Dude's winters would be at least as cold as they are here, and I can't leave any pottery outside over the winter.



I think I would be more concerned with bringing it up to temp slowly enough, in the winter, to keep it from cracking.  Who knows, poor uneducated people all over the world have been figuring out how to bake bread in outdoor ovens since the dawn of time.  I'm sad to admit that it's beyond me!


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## tenspeed (Apr 5, 2016)

Any water trapped inside expands when it freezes, causing cracking and spalling.  Earthenware is much more suitable for warmer climates.


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## The Rugged Dude (Apr 5, 2016)

Thanks for that link... I checked it out, pretty cool!


Our winters here in Nova Scotia aren't that cold... (not compared to where I used to live outside of Thunder Bay... minus 40 - 50 in the winter!).  I think look around this area to see who is doing what... there must be more than one Rugged Dude in NS!  (Did I just type that?)


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