How to Make a Woodfire Oven

Building a backyard brick wood fired oven isn't difficult. It requires basic masonry skills and time, but the resulting oven will produce food that is simply not possible to cook in a domestic oven.

Things You'll Need

• Bricks
• Mortar
• Masonry tools
• Other common hand tools
• Wood to build bracing for the roof of the oven.

Instructions

Building a Brick Foundation Slab

1. Arrange bricks on a flat surface, preferably concrete, in the size and shape of the oven to be built. Leave about 1/4 inch between the bricks for mortar. Be sure to leave enough space at the front for a hearth.

2. Once the bricks are arranged properly, remove them one by one and apply mortar between them.

3. While the mortar is still wet, smooth the mortar and remove excess to make a flat cooking surface.

4. Let the mortar dry and set before moving to the next section.

Building the Walls of the Oven

1. Lay out the first course of bricks to form the walls of the oven. Be sure to leave an opening on the front big enough to allow firewood and food to be inserted.

2. Once the first course is arranged as desired, apply mortar to the bottom and sides of the bricks and replace the bricks.

3. Continue adding courses of bricks until the desired height of the oven is reached. Be sure to remove excess mortar and smooth the joints before the mortar has dried.

4. Wait for the mortar to cure and harden before continuing to the next section.

Build the Bracing for Roof Construction

1. Cut a piece of plywood to the size of the floor of the oven.

2. Cut the plywood into strips small enough to fit through the door once the mortar in the roof has dried and cured.

3. Attach wood supports the exact height of the oven at each corner of the plywood and slide the resulting assembly into the oven. The result should be a table-like surface on which the bricks for the top of the oven can be laid.

4. Lay out the bricks on the bracing in the desired pattern. If you have chosen a fairly small door opening, you may want to leave an opening in the top for smoke to escape.

5. Working from one side, apply mortar to the top course of one of the walls and lay the bricks with mortar between the joints.

6. Allow the mortar to dry and cure.

7. Once the mortar has dried and cured, break the wood bracing apart and remove it through the opening in the front of the oven.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to smooth mortar while still wet. Be sure all of the wood pieces in the bracing are small enough to be removed through the front of your cured oven. Consider building a brick chimney to move the woodsmoke higher above the oven area

• Check with your local authorities for zoning and construction regulations on wood ovens Do not use wood ovens during times of high fire danger