Pizza History in the Hammer Continues

[MarkJerling]

Thank you Barry! I'll check out those links.

[Baza]

UtahBeehiver - it is remarkable the depth of investment you have put in to supporting builders on this forum and your own oven! It is SO instructive to all of us and also puts into perspective the need to think through our own builds and not get stressed with what is and isn't done to our satisfaction! This is helpful when considering a builder of your calibre continuing to "get it right" (at least as far as your own benchmark of perfection)! And - I will definitely seek our Karangi Dude's cooks as I'm keen to keep learning!

Mongota and Mark - thank you!
I'd tag you here - but when I do - it wipes out my text!! don't know what is happening there!
I've relied on you both for insight and build support HEAVILY!

Interestingly - you may all follow The Woodfired Oven Chef: Clive - https://www.thewoodfiredovenchef.com ... he will be featured on the podcast from Mark Goston in Brisbane on the Wood-fired Oven podcast: https://www.woodfiredovenpodcast.com

This episode will be coming up in the next few months and I really like Mark's enthusiastic approach to what we all have done (building ovens) and experiment with (cooking).
I've been asked to join him as a guest with Valerio to share our story and will be broadcast, likely in the new year. Our local newspaper is picking up the story too!!

Mark is looking for other builders/chef's to share their story and has followers like Clive and I though of ALL OF YOU!!!
Genevieve Taylor: https://www.genevievetaylor.co.uk (who's book I own - maybe you do too?) and David and Holly from Manna from Devon: https://www.mannafromdevon.com (who's book I also own) both follow and contribute to Mark's podcast!

Please reach out to Mark to share YOUR STORY so more builders and backyard-chef's can benefit from your experience, help a fellow wood-fired oven enthusiast and build our community! You can reach out to Mark here: https://woodfiredoven.cooking/being-a-guest/

In any event - I believe it is important (as this forum proves) that good people like all of you - living the experience as builders and chefs - share their experience of both and build this community to return to roots off cooking that is in danger of being lost without the enthusiasts! Have a look - I'd love to hear YOUR STORY in depth!

Take care everyone
Barry

[MarkJerling]

Hello Forno Friends!!

Well - today was a long one (and the chest and arms are sore - really out of shape here!) but the results are good! (I think?)

Pulled clay bricks from bucket of water - saturated without being dripping wet.
Mixed a wet-ish mortar (type N - apparently good for soft brick, high temp, general purpose ... heard Type O ... we'll see if this holds and may have to rethink - if not - woohoo!).
Put arch up and held really well!!

Moved on to pointing the rest of the veneer stone - went well.

Happiest moment was finally putting the granite carving above the oven opening for Valerio: Pizza History in the Hammer has concluded!!!! WE DID IT!!
I was emotional ... so was Valerio.

Only thing left to do is finish the cedar on the sides and back (and around side table) - in next couple of weeks hopefully (cedar on back-order).

I'm SO GRATEFUL to all here for support, insight and genuine kindness!!!
I wish I could have you all over for pizza and pints to say thanks!

It was a good day.
Barry

Well done! Your oven looks like a million bucks! Beautiful end result!

[UtahBeehiver]

Welcome back and glad you are on the mend. These ovens are a labor of love and they get better with each firing. It took me almost ten years to get all the fine details done and now I am going back an doing maintenance and repairs so the fun never ends. If you ever want to see what these ovens can do, then look a Karangi Dude's cooking thread on the blog. He is a master WFO cook.

[mongota]

You and your loved ones will get many a fine meal out of that oven!

[Baza]

Hello Forno Friends!!

Well - today was a long one (and the chest and arms are sore - really out of shape here!) but the results are good! (I think?)

Pulled clay bricks from bucket of water - saturated without being dripping wet.
Mixed a wet-ish mortar (type N - apparently good for soft brick, high temp, general purpose ... heard Type O ... we'll see if this holds and may have to rethink - if not - woohoo!).
Put arch up and held really well!!

Moved on to pointing the rest of the veneer stone - went well.

Happiest moment was finally putting the granite carving above the oven opening for Valerio: Pizza History in the Hammer has concluded!!!! WE DID IT!!
I was emotional ... so was Valerio.

Only thing left to do is finish the cedar on the sides and back (and around side table) - in next couple of weeks hopefully (cedar on back-order).

I'm SO GRATEFUL to all here for support, insight and genuine kindness!!!
I wish I could have you all over for pizza and pints to say thanks!

It was a good day.
Barry

[Baza]

Hey gents - thanks so much for the kind words - it has been a while since I could either write or work on the oven ... but that time has come!!

Hello Forno Friends!!
Been quite a hiatus since the installation of the granite as I could not lift heavier than 10lbs. As you can imagine - this stalled things significantly.
Got the clearance to go for it and have been hiking, bike trainer work and lifting again - feels good to be back! And this has allowed some building!

Still working on the aesthetic on the outside and have jumped ahead with the help of my partner Michelle!
We put on the architectural stone (Eldorado Stone - Limestone York - discontinued now - had two boxes from friends and a total bugger to get more of! - but did!).
Used Quickcrete Veneer Stone Mortar - COMPLETELY RUBBISH!!! put stone on after mixing to directions, wetting back and doing everything we were supposed to ... and the stone just fell off!!!
SO FRUSTRATING!!!

So - we invested in proper veneer stone mortar and VOILA! Sticky goodness!!

Tried to apply the 100+ year-old reclaimed brick and learned that it is THIRSTY!!!
Sucked up the mortar and crumbled - disaster!!
SO - resolved to scour internet for solutions: soak brick overnight, make a wet-ish mortar and go for it ... ok, gonna do it and PRAY!

Our progress is below! We have clad the front, corners and skirted the side. Will point with Type N mortar.
We will complete the rest in stained cedar - on order

VERY happy with the progress and outcome!

[JRPizza]

Barry, I also missed the post about your surgery - we were recently admiring your gifted granite and didn't look at the previous page. Glad you are doing better, and glad you didn't find out about the blockage the "hard" way! Also saw your comment about the first fire in your oven. A picture of my first fire is the screen saver on my laptop ;-)

[MarkJerling]

Hello Forno Friends!

Many thanks to the kind words from all of you supporting the build. I have been thrown a total surprise from my genes ... I had double-bypass surgery 2 weeks ago. One of those "we better do this" operations. Strangely, I felt fit, strong and good, but my genetic predisposition to high cholesterol all but blocked the left side of my heart. The discovery was on a Monday - and the surgery the Friday. I've been recuperating since. It has been tough, but I have so much gratitude.

The oven is done structurally and only awaiting its cosmetic finish that I cannot do (stained-cedar sides/back and stone skirt/front). I will update some pics of the process where I'm at

BUT - in spite of all these events - we finally made PIZZA!!!!
it was EXQUISITE!!!! Light, airy crust, delicious homemade, garden sauce and Valerio's touch!!
My partner, Michelle and her brother worked the Pizza joint and their expertise at shaping and forming the pizzas was wonderful - the whole Visca crew was there for the first cook - and it was emotional.

Thank you for your support - I'm not sure how I'm going to finish the oven in these circumstances before the winter - I'm asking locals if they "know a person" ... sigh - really wanted to do it all myself.

In any event - I have life and a strong prognosis for successful health ... and Pizza!

Take care Friends
Barry

Congratulations on your first pizzas! And good to hear you have a new lease of life with the ticker! Take it easy!

[Baza]

Granite came in!

Was planning on using black granite for hearth, side table and moving table - but it apparently snapped in the shop!!
The fellow doing the work (all granite for free and labour too - a favour) chose another granite that, at first, I didn't like - but something about a gift horse in the mouth???

The lads came to install it and - I have to say - it is growing on me - lovely texture and like the two tone - reminds me of cafe's in Italy!

[Baza]

Where I'm at ....

so we've cooked again with my kids and mum - another learning experience where the oven was a bit too hot in efforts to saturate the brick! Again - happy mediums - we'll get it!

I have put on the lathing for the scratch coat for the stone and the furring strips for the cedar sides.
Finished the gabling and trim - if I ever have to put a screw through a steel stud again it will be too soon! ha!

it is all cosmetic now - I just wish I could get at it.

[Baza]

FIRST PIZZA!!!
Before going in for my surgery and after reaching the 800+ mark - we decided it was time to make our first pizzas!!
The house was buzzing - Valerio made his dough and I got the Forno to temp ... all homemade sauce, ingredients ... even the prosciutto! I watched as the family made pizza TOGETHER for the first time in decades (they hadn't lost a thing: shaping, flouring, tossing ... wow).

I have NEVER tasted such delicious, light, airy, full-flavour in my life!!
IT WORKS!!!! We banged out about 9 pies and were stuffed. Last one was a small dough ball we worked less with our hands and made a rosemary, sea salt, olive oil focaccia ... melted in the mouth!

LEARNING:
- How one's oven works - where to put the pies, how temp changes with each one, wood management, etc. going to be fun!
- exploring different flours - consistencies (and mmmmmmm - ingredients)
- learning to NOT overwork the dough - can work the air out of it and it goes flat and thin - happy mediums!
- saturating the brick: need to keep the oven hot longer before the cook so the bricks don't lose their heat too fast with each pizza placed on them ...

So much to learn - but wow - so much delicious fun!!!
Visca's is BACK!

[Baza]

UtahBeehivermongota - thank you both for your kind words and perspective. Wow - from 2 to 8 years! Life is just like that, isn't it!?
Both of your results are brilliant and so instructive - grateful for this reminder!!

FINISHING CURING!
Wonderful experience learning to cure the oven - once the roof was on and all in place - I could remove the damn tent! (I was SO done with this thing!).

The first flame in the oven - no matter how small ... do you remember? - WOW - I was emotional - all that work had come to this: there is a FLAME! Will the chimney draw (it does! wow - SO well).
Took about 7 days of slow (thank you Utah) measured, long burns.
Was exciting to get it higher past 500 to over 800! Felt like, hey! This really works!!

I have to say - I see NO crack in the interior anywhere!! I'm shocked (maybe on the outer dome - but I can't see that!
I'm so pleased with the outcome of these cures - it felt like I really had an oven now!.

[mongota]

Barry, my goodness!

I missed your previous post, I'm so glad for you and your family that your surgery was successful. That had to be a shock to have to go through that.

The roof looks terrific. Enough so that when your house eventually needs reroofing? lol

Breaks in construction happen. My oven had an almost 2-year sit while we dealt with the health issues of my in-laws out in the mid-west.

Be well!

Best, Mongo

[UtahBeehiver]

I am glad all went well with the bypass surgery, so chill and enjoy the oven and the pizzas. The rest of the finish on the oven can be done slowly now that the roof is done. It took me 8 years once the main dome was done to finish all the little details on the oven.