2024 Neapolitan oven build

[daidensacha]

My compliments for the build. You are truely a craftsman. I am building one too but will do it the Italian way. Cheers, Adrian.

What do you mean the Italian way?

I planned my oven down to the last detail prior to starting, using the Forno Bravo plans, and decided on the Neapolitan dome. I stuck to the dimensions laid out by Forno Bravo. The dome and opening are precise, and it is outperforming any expectations I had. I’m really happy that I insulated so well too, because I’m able to use the oven for 5 days using the retained heat from heating it for the initial pizza bake.

[daidensacha]

Dome render

I’ve been a bit busy with multiple projects this spring. A couple of days ago I had a window of time and the weather was fine so I put the second last coat of render on the oven dome. Been waiting for it to set sufficiently so I can put the last layer.

I’m adding reinforcing mesh where the dome meets the stand and chimney to prevent the possibility of cracking in those spots as it dries. I’m looking forward to to cleaning it up and giving it a final lick of paint.

[Alex_FB]

Really looking good

[atak]

My compliments for the build. You are truely a craftsman. I am building one too but will do it the Italian way. Cheers, Adrian.

[RandyJ]

Wow that is looking beautiful. Wish I was better at wood working. I would love to make a table like that.

Randy

[daidensacha]

Oak Table

I picked up a nice slab of oak about 6 weeks ago. 3300 x 800 x 85mm after I finished cleaning it up. It’s still not fully dry, as it was sliced in end of 2023. So I‘m letting it be for a couple more years before finishing it off with a router sled to flatten it perfectly.

I was on the lookout for some rough cut dry oak, and a few weeks ago found some that was cut 13 years ago. I took it to my local sawmill where I was able to use the machines to cut it down to size, and build it into a nice solid oak stand. I did that this week, and got it home yesterday. Looks really nice on the terrace next to the pizza oven.



It‘s heavy, so I know no one will ever be able to walk off with it . Sits 12 people easily. I have 2 x 3300 x 400 x 50mm slabs of oak I also machined down this week. Now to work on building some legs that will match the table.

So we‘re in for some 22C days this week, perfect weather to work on finishing the final layers of render on the dome.

[Toiletman]

A little bit of tiling completed today
Making the most of the warmish spring days. Today I decided to add some tiles under the granite worktop, and at the back of the worktop on the brick wall. Hand made tiles from Italy, a color that reminds me of earlier days diving in Australia. Lived near, and spent a lot of time in the ocean, so it’s a strong connection, and nice to include a color that triggers fond memories. Turquoise green.

Fantastic work again! I was just telling myself that I wouldn't want to spend a load on a granite top and then I see this... what a work of art! The tiles are also a nice choice, and indeed great to trigger memories of the ocean. Were you underwater diving or surfing/swimming on top? Enjoy your holiday and here also the great weather has gotten me out of hibernation to finally finish the oven...

[UtahBeehiver]

Coming along very nicely. These ovens are a labor of love.

[daidensacha]

A little bit of tiling completed today

Making the most of the warmish spring days. Today I decided to add some tiles under the granite worktop, and at the back of the worktop on the brick wall. Hand made tiles from Italy, a color that reminds me of earlier days diving in Australia. Lived near, and spent a lot of time in the ocean, so it’s a strong connection, and nice to include a color that triggers fond memories. Turquoise green.

I still have to grout, but I’m taking a 10 day holiday on Friday, and will get into when I return.

[daidensacha]

This is an amazing working (and serving) space! As much an art exhibition as a working WFO Thank you for documenting and sharing this remarkable build with us!

Thank you. It’s been a joy to build. Challenging at times, but well worth it and I would highly recommend it for anyone who has a passion for pizza. At this point its come down to finishing the details, and I’m looking forward to our first summer being able to use it and enjoy it with our family and friends.

There were parts of this Neapolitan oven build that I had to really research and consider. David was especially helpful and his generosity in sharing his knowledge and experience was a great support. I wanted to document and share my build process in the hope others might find it helpful.

I’m grateful that Forno Bravo have been so generous in sharing the plans and this forum as such a great support resource. The oven has far exceeded any expectations I had. I just finished my first 20kg of flour, and as much as I have learned, there is so much more ahead.

[SableSprings]

This is an amazing working (and serving) space! As much an art exhibition as a working WFO Thank you for documenting and sharing this remarkable build with us!

[daidensacha]

Granite Worktop Set

This week we have lovely spring days, 10-14C, with sunshine. My bees are loving it, the first day I see them coming out and orienting themselves for exploration flights.

The warmer days are great to get back into finishing off details of the oven, that I couldn’t complete with the onset of winter 2024. Today was a big tick, and thinking about how I was going to move the granite was faer worse than just doing it. 120kg top, 2200 x 630 x 30mm. I created a template out of mdf so I could mark and cut one corner out of the top, needed to fit in against the oven. That way I was able to leave the granite laying on the pallet and cut it there with my 125mm grinder and a masonry blade.

I fitted perfectly, with four of us to move the granite in place, many hands made light work. Really happy with the choice of color too, as it blends with the other colors around it.



Next step will be to finish the final layer of render on the oven, so I can then paint it again. It will be pretty much finished then.

Of course, I have more projects planned, and will move into them.

1. An extension of the upper and lower terraces on the side of the house, with stairs allowing us to come from upstairs down to the rear terrace with the grill and pizza oven.
2. An oak table. Need to knock up a router sled to level my oak slab, then make some nice oak legs. It will be a nice solid rustic table to enjoy our pizza on.

[daidensacha]

Ash slab bar fitted

This week I picked up some 50 x 5 mm stainless flat bar and made some brackets for the top of the wall behind my pizza work bench. I glued some threaded rod in the wall so i could fix the brackets on top of the wall. I wanted the brackets to be flush with the bottom of the Ash slab when it is laid on top. Routered slots for the plates in the bottom of the Ash slab, then screwed through the plates into the bottom of the slab to hold the slab down flat. 5 plates over 3 meters should be strong enough to hold the wood in case it wants to warp with the humidity.

I cut the end of the slab that fits against the oven dome, leaving a little excess so I can make that custom cut once the final layer of render is on the dome, and it’s painted.



I wanted to do it this way to allow the bottom of the slab to breath. It was cut 2 years ago, and has been tried under cover, but still not fully dry. 26%, which I was told with the humidity here is ok under the terrace roof outside. I’m oiling it, screwing it in place and then waiting to see how it fairs with time. If cracks appear, to be honest I don’t mind because epoxy mixed with black iron oxide is a great way to fill them so they become a feature, not a flaw.

[daidensacha]

Oak slab for table top

I picked up a nice slab of an old oak tree. 750-800mm wide, 100mm thick, 3500mm long. Got a little bit of work to tidy it up, and a base to build, but it’s a beautiful piece of wood. As a table in the terrace to eat pizza on, it will be amazing. I’ll hit it with a plainer and sander in the next days.



Ash bar has been put through the plainer at the local mill. I removed the bark and cleaned up the sides. Next step is to cut it to fit on the wall behind my food prep bench. It’s a lot lighter than oak, but the nice dark brown heartwood is a feature.

[daidensacha]

Coming out of hibernation

I checked my weather app this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see Friday it will be 11C, Ok, still -1C at night, but this next week we will have one day with 14C. So I’m planning this week to make the most of the warmer days to lay my granite bench top, which I picked up a few weeks ago. At 120 kg, 2200 x 630 x 30mm, it’s a hand full, but really beautiful. It’s called Shivakashi, with a range of colors so I can have flour, tomato, salami pieces on the top and it won’t be out of place .



Yesterday I picked up a beautiful piece of Ash that will be mounted on the recycled brick wall at the back of the granite pizza preparation worktop. I’ll go to the local mill on Friday to put it through the planer to finish the top and bottom. I’ll remove the bark and leave natural sides.



Lastly, I have to finish the last layer of render on the dome so I can fit the Ash slab which will fit flush up against the dome, and paint the whole stand and oven to finish it off. Been sitting on my hands all winter waiting for the right conditions to return so I can get back into it. Yayyy!



Pizza, rain, hail, or snow.

It might have been winter, but it didn’t stop me cooking. On average we cooked once a week, and I’ve been experimenting with my pizza dough. Bigga, Poolish, Bigga and Poolish, 100% preferment, 50, 60, 70% pre-ferment, room temp fermentation, fridge fermentation, 36 hour fermentation, 80 hour fermentation. I haven’t had any failures yet, only to say by my assessment degrees of success rated from 6-9 out of 10.

My favorite to date, 36 hour fermented 100 % bigga dough at 65% hydration. My goal has been to have a nice crunchy puffy cornicione full of air with moist soft crumb. I get this with a Bigga. WIth Poolish I get the looks, taste, but the crunch doesn’t last like it does with the Bigga.

On the functional side of working with the oven, due to the high humidity here my wood stacked and stored under the terrace absorbed moisture, and I noticed it sizzling as it was burning. That made it work to get the fire going, and to keep it going to get the oven up to temp. I took to stacking my oven full of wood 2-3 days after baking when the temp dropped to 200-250C. Come my next baking day, when I take the wood out it is totally dry and burns easily and fast. Making it super easy to get the oven up to temp.

It took me a while to catch on, but I finally got it, that the coals saturate the dome with heat more effectively than the fire. Initially before i clicked, I was focussing on building a huge fire to heat the dome, but letting the wood burn down to a pile of red hot coals leaves my dome at the perfect temperature with the dome at 500C, floor at 430C. That drops a bit when I start cooking, but my pizzas come out much nicer than if I cook at higher temps. Especially if the floor is hotter, I find my dough sticks to the floor. I haven’t quite worked out if that has relationship to the dough hydration, state of fermentation, or is simply the heat. Generally I think it happens less when the dough is at 65% hydration, and the oven floor is at 430C or less.

Anyway, this bear is coming out of hibernation and happy to share updates as spring approaches.