Now that you have built your base and the arch way for your pizza oven, discussed in How to make a pizza oven – Stage 1, you are ready to build the dome and light the fire for the first time. The below disuss our experiences during this process:

 

As discussed previously you will need:

INGREDIENTS…

15-20 bags approx. x ES 180 (Sculpting/Pizza Body)

10 x Fire bricks (cut in half)

12m x Steel angle iron to make the frame (optional can use brick base instead)

4m x flat steel (5mm x 75mm – optional)

4 pieces of galvanized sheet steel (optional)

Used kiln shelf (approximately 800mm square x 50mm thick)

3ft piece of Land drain (for chimney)

Template for the arch (ply wood)

10 kilo bucket coarse fire cement (ready mixed)

Sprinkling of dry sand

 

METHOD…

A dome of clay is then created incorporating the arch way and chimney. To do this you will need to use approximately 15 – 20 bags of ES 180 (Sculpting/Pizza Body) and curve the blocks of clay on the kiln shelf but first remember to sprinkle some dry sand onto the kiln shelf.

Ensure that you incorporate the chimney into the dome so that it is positioned in the centre and at the back and that the firebrick arch way is also covered at the front of the dome, but leaving the entrance to the pizza oven clear. When laying the clay against a new piece you will need to cross hatch both sides to ensure that they fit well together. You will also need to do quite a bit of moulding with your hands to create the dome and to smooth out where the clay pieces join.

Once you have finished creating the dome it will now need to be dried with a fan over approximately a two week period. Watch out for a bit of cracking during this period, which is to be expected, and repair with the same clay which should dry in a few hours.

Once your dome is dry you will need to do a test firing to ensure that there are no further cracks both during the firing and cooling stages. First you will need to roll up some newspaper and place it inside the pizza oven, then with a match you will need to light the paper. Once lit place the kindling (wood sticks) on top of the paper to ensure a good fire.

If everything is working correctly you will start to see smoke billowing out of the chimney.

Now you are ready to cook your first pizza….see are next article on cooking your pizza.