42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

[Campmaki]

Campmaki's build

My question is in regards to the oven layout on top of the slab. What would be the maximum length someone would want to reach into an oven. Keep in mind the floor is at 40-1/2 inches high. My build is going to have a 4 in. brick veneer, so this has added extra depth to the build. It is not going to be a "housed" in structure, rather a brick veneered one that has shelves out of precast stone. As I have it laid out on paper, I have 49 inches from face of brick veneer to the center of the oven. The oven is a 42 inch. My vent depth construction is 4-1/2,6,4-1/2 for a total of 15 inches. My brick will veneer the outer edge of the firebrick, adding 4 inches. This leaves me with a precast work/ landing area 8 inches deep. I like that extra shelf in front but am concerned that it may be a reach into the ovens center. Anyone have any thoughts or measurements they would share, that would be great. thanks Wayne

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

BTW Dino, tried to email you privately and I couldn't because your mailbox was full

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Well if you've had it on for that long, it doesn't owe you anything lol

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Weekly pizza's! (and summer hasn't even started yet).

Door fabrication is a bit tricky. After smoking ribs and fish last week, my "temporary" oven door made of cement board and oven mortar, really came apart, so I will be getting serious about a real door too. But, I've been saying that for 3 years now, so maybe I'll get a few pointers from Faith and you too by the time I get to it

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Lol, CIA is Culinary Institute of America! We're supposed to be at 67 by Thursday, so get out there and fire that thing up. BTW, how did you fabricate your door? I need to do one.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

We got 2 feet of snow and the world stopped! People are still not dug out yet and secondary roads not cleared. They are calling for warm weather this week hopefully the white stuff will melt away.

A CIA grad? What, is the CIA spying on the pizza joints now and gathering all the pizza trade secrets? Then to share those secrets with you. Sounds like the CIA has their own Edward Snowden. What is this country coming to.

I have not done much with the oven lately. I have been doing smaller test loaves in the house oven using a dutch oven. I will get the WFO going again soon.

Happy your getting the pizza thing down.

(BTW just goofing about the CIA thing)

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Hey Faith,
Pizzas are great in this thing, though I took some time and tips from my Christmas party chef, a CIA grad. Starting to get the hang of making pizza now!
Hope you didn't get too much snow...I'm so over winter now.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Becoming a weekly pizza freak here...love it. 500g of flour makes 4 pizzas, just enough to have some and freeze it for use during the week for the two of us...we make more when we need it for guests. Filled the wood storage area with dry wood from the woods before the 10" of snow that fell the other day, so that we could make pizza yesterday. Put a 2'x4' stainless commercial table in the pavilion for staging and we're good to go. Now I realize that after the oven enclosure is finished, I'll do a brick walkway between the pavilion and the oven.

Just two very minor cracks in the oven, I think (it's hard to see with reading glasses). Highest nuclear temps at 1200+ with flames going up the chimney.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Thanks Dino! You know that my oven is patterned after yours. I can't tell you how many times I looked at your pix to figure out that darned archway. That and the inner arch transition were the most complicated for me. This project is so fun. It's cold here now though, so I can only work on it a day here and there when it gets a little warmer. I started working on doing brick splits for the chimney. I'm using adhesive caulk over the steel flashing and then I'll grout them with mortar once I've finished.

All the best and Happy New Year!

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Nice wfo guys. I love the red roof. It's going look great with your side walls finish your planning on.

I just checked out your google album and like how you did it all. You've a nice opening and landing.

Happy cooking!, Dino

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Finished laying the roof panels up today. Needs more work, but at least they're done. Vince wanted the bright red panels as he said that it would look more Italian. I wanted green to match the house roof. I did the red and am loving it. I think it'll match very well with the Giallo Gold travertine pavers on the side walls.

[david s]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

00 flour is also better in reducing the tendency to continually springing back.

[cobblerdave]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Gudday
Regards the dough that wants to spring back. It's as simple as putting the dough in the fridge to rest overnight. Let it come back to room temperature for an hour. You can leave it for 3 days if you want. It's as simple as that.
Regards dave

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Finally started putting up the steel roof today as it was a little warmer outside. Unfortunately, I was a little overzealous and did all of the trim work, including the chimney endwall. After I'd finished, I realized that the endwall is supposed to go over the roofing, not underneath lol. So, I'll have to order another piece of endwall.

My continual learning on how to make pizza has been going well in that each session gets better. I still have an issue with too much elasticity in the dough and am trying different recipes to figure that one out.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Pizza has been wonderful with the oven, though not without spits and sputters along the way. Picked up the metal roofing the other day after some break time. The oven is tarped now and unfortunately it won't be used for the company holiday party tomorrow, but I'll hopefully be able to work on the roof in the next few days.