How to Build a Pizza Oven

Building your very own wood fired pizza oven can be a lengthy and time consuming process, but the work is nonetheless enjoyable and 100% worth it. Read below to learn how to build your very own pizza oven with materials from Build4Less.

Before You Start Building Your Pizza Oven 

Before starting anything, you need to decide where to place your pizza oven. Remember, once the oven is built you can’t move it around the garden like a BBQ, so you need to be pretty sure on the positioning. Choose an area that is flat with plenty of space around it for preparing your pizza. Ideally, a spot which gets some sunlight is a good choice! 

Estimated time to complete the project: Ideally to be completed over a whole weekend, as long as the weather is clear.

Level of Expertise: Intermediate

Tools and materials to build a pizza oven

There are a few things you will need in order to start your project. We’ve listed all the materials and tools that you might need:

• Builders sand
• Bricks
• Concrete blocks
• Cement
• Clay 
• Chimney (you can use a clay plant pot, buy one or use clay to build one)
• Waterproof sheet for aftercare
• Wheelbarrow
• Tape measure 
• Water
• Trimming knife
• Heavy duty gloves
• 10 litre plastic bucket
• Shovel 

Step 1: Building the Base of Your Pizza Oven 

Estimated time: 3 hours

Tools and materials needed for this step:

• Shovel
• Bricks/breeze blocks
• Cement 
• Water 
• Stones 
• Sand 
• Bucket 
• Wheelbarrow

Once you’ve decided on a spot, it’s time to start building the base. The foundation for the oven needs to be solid and durable. You can choose to build your base by using bricks or breeze blocks. We have a range of bricks with different patterns and colours, depending on the finish you want. Because the oven will be outside, it’s important to take time to create a sturdy base that won’t be ruined by the outdoor elements. For the base you will need to:

1. Get rid of any obstructions in the area and dig a shallow hole which is a minimum of 120cm x 120cm square. You can alter the size of the base depending on how big you’d like your oven and how much space you have.
2. Now, you can start using bricks or breeze blocks to create the outer wall. Building the base with bricks or breezeblocks will require cement. The base should be about 1 metre from the ground, or higher if it is better or more suited for you. 
3. Once the outer wall has been built, you can now add a layer of stones in the centre, followed by layers of sand to fill the inside of the outer wall. The sand will act as a heat sink which can heat up quickly and then cool down again. It’s now time to finish the base with a layer of bricks on top. This top layer of brick will be the layer that your pizza will cook on, so they need to fit very tightly together. 

Step 2: Start Shaping the Pizza Oven 

Estimated time: 8 hours 

Tools and materials needed for this step:

• Sand 
• Water 
• Newspaper 
• Clay 
• Bucket
• Safety knife 

Home built pizza ovens are characterised by their unique and rustic dome shape. Ever wondered how that shape is achieved? This step takes a lot of time due to the drying process but it’s also quite fun and you can even get the kids involved in moulding the dome. 

1. For the first step, on the centre of the base you have just made, you’ll need to make a dome shape out of damp sand. You’ll need about 120-140kg of sand to make a dome which is tall and wide enough. If you need a wider dome, simply add more sand. When the dome is constructed, cover it with newspaper and start the next step.
2. Now, we have a dome shape, we can start on the first clay layer. Begin by mixing clay and sand together until you have a thick consistency. Start rolling batches of the clay mixture onto the dome (leave the newspaper on). Make sure to smooth the clay mixture together with the palm of your hands. The clay should now be left for 4 hours to dry.
3. Once the clay layer has dried, you can make the opening of the oven. The pizza oven should be really starting to take shape now! Use a safety knife to cut the rounded entrance of your oven. The opening needs to be big enough to get your pizza in, but small enough to keep heat inside the oven. Start removing the sand and newspaper from inside the oven and once removed, leave it to set overnight. 

Step 3: Creating the Arch By Building the Brick Opening  

Estimated time: 3 hours, plus a few days drying time.

Tools and materials needed for this step:

• Bricks 
• Bucket
• Clay
• Sand 
• Chimney (choose from a plant pot, self-made, or bought)

The outside of the oven should be pretty sturdy after being left to dry and set overnight. This is the perfect time to start building the archway around the entrance.

1. Use bricks to go around the entrance of your oven. You can use plenty of the clay mix or cement to secure the arch way around the pizza oven.
2. Now, it’s time to build a chimney. Cut a small hole in the dome and create a lip out of clay to create a firm base. For the actual chimney, you can either: use a plant pot, buy one, or build one with the clay mixture. If you choose to build one with the clay mixture, you can add rings of clay on top of one another until you reach a desired height and then smooth the clay with your hands. 
3. We are ready for the final layer! This is similar to the first layer, but it is just thicker. Mix the clay and sand together and add handfuls of the mixture to the outside of the dome. Smooth the surface just like you did in the previous step. Once this step is finished, give it a chance to dry for a few days and then you’re ready to light it up! 

Step 4: Lighting Your Oven and Cooking the Pizza 

The part you’ve been waiting for. Now, you and your guests get to sample the fruits of your labour. Lighting your new oven is easy with these simple steps:

1. Add some kindling to the oven. A few logs at the back of the oven with some kindling material should do it.
2. Light your fire. Carefully light the kindling and stand back whilst the fire starts.
3. A few more does it. When the kindling starts burning, add a few more logs to the inside of the oven. This should get the fire going even more.
4. Wait for the oven to heat up. When the oven is fully heated, the inside of the walls should turn black. This means it's time to start cooking.
5. Keep the logs coming. Keep adding logs to the fire to keep it roaring. Make sure you use suitable tools when handling any pizzas going in or out of the oven.

Looking for somewhere to store your wood and logs? Take a look at our log store, not only does it have a modern design, it’s also an effective way to keep your logs neat and tidy.

Step 5: How to Care for and Protect Your Pizza Oven 

Once your pizza oven is built, you need to look after it so you can continue to fool your guests into thinking they’re dining al fresco in the streets of Naples. You don’t need to clean it with products because the high heat will kill any germs, but you do need to sweep out any excess ash after each use. When not in use, protect the pizza oven from damp with a tarpaulin sheet so it doesn’t get damaged by the turbulent British weather. 

We hope you have found this guide to building your very own pizza oven useful. If you have any questions about the products we sell, please feel free to contact us for more information.