Things You'll Need:
- Sand
- 2-by-4-inch piece of wood, 4 feet long
- Firebricks (or any red brick that is free of mortar)
- Shovel
- Clay
- Masonry sand
- Newspaper
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Step 1
Dig a hole 6 inches deep and 36 inches square. Fill the hole with sand for the base of the oven. Use a 4-foot-long piece of 2-by-4-inch wood to level the sand. Drag the 2-by-4 in a sawing motion across the sand to get the base even.
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Step 2
Lay the first brick in place on one corner of the bed of sand, using care not to disturb the sand. Place the next brick so that it touches the first brick and is level. Complete the base of the oven by laying the bricks down until the floor is complete. If any bricks are higher than the rest, gently tap them into place.
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Step 3
Use a shovel to mound 20 inches of moist sand onto the top of the bricks. Make a mixture of one-part clay to three parts masonry sand. The clay can be from below the topsoil in your backyard, or from construction sites or even riverbanks. Mix the clay and sand mixture together and add water until it will hold together when a ball of the material is packed hard and dropped from shoulder height. If the ball breaks apart, it needs more mixing.
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Step 4
Cover the damp sand, on top and on the sides, with damp newspapers to keep the sand from sticking to the clay mixture, then cover the damp paper with a 4-inch-thick layer of the clay mixture. Cover the entire mound and don't worry about creating an opening.
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Step 5
Allow at least a week for the clay to dry, then poke it with a finger. If a dent appears, it is not dry enough and you must allow another week to dry. When dry, use a sharp knife and carve a 12-by-18-inch-wide opening for the oven. Remove the sand and newspaper from the oven's interior.
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Step 6
Build a fire in the oven and allow it to burn for three hours. When soot on the inside of the dome of the oven has disappeared, the oven is ready to use.
