Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

[sslandry]

This is the start of a journal of my oven build off my patio tucked on the side of my house. THe oven has wings coming off each side which will eventually be a bar/countertop of stone. The whole thing wraps around the radius of the patio and will be the focal point. It will also give a little privacy from the neighbors. Pics of the patio will come later once the mess is cleaned up. The oven should arrive soon. I will have lots of questions and invite your input and comments.

The brick work is being done by 2 brothers who live down the street - Allen and Dennis. They are journeyman brick layers and they are eager to do side work. They are really fast and got started right away. Nice guys too. The foundation was poured 1 week ago (96 bags of cement)and the stone work pictured was completed yesterday!!

We love to entertain and were introduced to the wood fired oven by a German friend in the Chicago area. He has great pizza and bread parties. We aspire to do the same 300 miles to the south. The guy in the Pic is Allen the brick layer. The ladies are my wife and 2 of my kids.

[sslandry]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

Now the shelf has been poured. I told you they work fast. I think the limiting factor for completion is going to be getting all the materials delivered. The 2 girls are my oldest girls and the dog is Fiona.

[Jed]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

Sslandry,

Good looking project! The lay out should work great, and the guys doing the work are making great progress. Are you following the Pompeii plans from the Forno Bravo site? or are you working from another plan set.

What materials are you planning for the finishes?

The pictures are great, keep'm coming!

JED

[sslandry]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

The wife and I came up with the plans, but I recently came across a pic of this oven so I guess we are not the first to come up with this design. Our design is almost identical, but with a flat roof and the wood storage unit will have a square door. Showed my sketches to Allen and Dennis and they indicated that it would be a piece of cake.

[bbell]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

looks great!

[Frances]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

Very nice! Lovely setting for it all, too - I wish our garden were half that size. Are you going to cover it all with stone like in that last picture?

From the pics it looks as if your weather is still a lot warmer than ours is....

[sslandry]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

Ours will be covered in a similar style stone, but with a little more color. We have been warmer than usual, but it will turn cold real soon. I have a feeling it is going to be a long winter for everyone.

[sslandry]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

Okay time for an update.

The guys have put in 2 1/2 more days work. The second rise is done and now the stone is being applied. Basically all that needs finishing is the asthetic stuff. I have already been using the oven and it is really fun. Once again - these guys(Dennis and Allen/ Al) do good work. They have been doing Masonry for a long time, but his is their first wood fired oven. They indicated that they hope it takes off and they can do some more. The stone Counter top and backsplash will arrive in 1-2 weeks. I will update with pics when the counter top and hearth get placed. I think it looks better than I envisioned soo far. That's really good because it is also costing more that I had thought.

I had a fire lit while they were building to help keep them warm. It helped,

[Modthyrth]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

Gorgeous! Did you happen to watch how they did the roof? We've recently changed our minds and now plan to do an enclosure very like you have and are trying to figure out what material is used for roofs like that.

[sslandry]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

They put about a dozen thick 3/4" rebar rods across the span of the open roof to hold up the concrete. They then cut the cinderblocks to look like flat stepping stones and placed them on top of the rebar rods and mortared any holes so the concrete would not drip into the cavity. after that they formed it up with 2X6's and poured the concrete one 5 gallon bucket at a time. They formed it thicker at the Chimney to divert water. They mentioned that you could probably have used corrugated steel instead of their method, but they already had the materials to do it heir way. Hope this helps.

[sslandry]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

Well it has been a while..............but finally time for an update. Work has been slowed by cold weather and the holidays, but the end is near. All that has to be done is some slate tile to the backsplash and cleanup. We have been experimenting with cooking for a month. Definitely a learning curve to this type of cooking. I welcome any good tips on getting the pizza from the counter to the oven floor without turning it into a mangled mess.

We had some family over for a pizza party last week(13 adults and 13 kids) who consumed a total of 23 pizzas! It was really fun and a very efficient way of serving a big crowd. Everyone had fun making their own pizzas.

[christo]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

Looking good!!! Wood looks high and dry, too.

Christo

[sslandry]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

I have read extensively on the techniques of getting the pizza from the kitchen to the oven floor without turning it into a calzone. There several mistakes I had been guilty of. First, I did not brush the whole pizza with olive oil to act as a moisture barrier from the sauce. Second, was taking too long before sliding it into the oven which results in the flour absorbing water and turning to glue. Finally I will use rice flour next time as it is supposed slick like teflon.

My plan is to build the pie on the counter top or directly on the peel using rice flour. For big parties they will be prepared on the counter fast with rice flour then slide the flat aluminum peel under the pizza while lifting the front edge with my fingers and then right on to the oven floor. Finally if all else fails and it sticks you can blow under it to free it up. whoever plans on eating the pizza will do the blowing. My wife will not allow the aircompressor in the house!

[dmun]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

The rice flour trick, which I use, is for building pizzas on the wooden peel. It's not infallible: you need to give it a little shake between ingredients. It seems that if you dress your pizza on a stone work surface next to the oven, and transfer it with the metal peel, that the bench flour is sufficient to keep it from sticking. I've not heard of the olive oil under the sauce: sounds messy and time consuming to me. The tradition is a swirl of olive oil on top before it goes in the oven.

[Frances]

Re: Missouri Modular oven build journal with pics

I always put a bit of olive oil on the pizza base before the sauce. That's how I learnt to do it in school years and years ago, and the pizzas are great... so why fix something that works?

sslandry, if you try it that way next time, you can tell us what difference (if any) it even makes.

Lovely looking oven by the way. That's turned out reall really nice!