From Bricks to Bites: A Photo Guide to Building the Perfect Proper Brick Oven

There's nothing quite like the taste of a pizza cooked in a proper brick oven. The crispy crust, the perfectly melted cheese, and the smoky flavor all come together to create a truly delicious experience. But building a proper brick oven can seem like a daunting task. That's why I decided to document my journey of building a brick oven from scratch. In this photo guide, I'll take you through each step of the process, from selecting the area to bake your pizza oven to baking your first pizzas.

Built By: The McGrath Family

Year Built: 2014

Location: California

Oven Kit: Mattone Barile · Package 3

Number of Photos: 61

From Bricks to Bites: A Photo Guide to Building the Perfect Proper Brick Oven!

Built By: The McGrath Family

Year Built: 2014

Location: California

Oven Kit: Mattone Barile · Package 3

Number of Photos: 61

"Great News! Heather and I have finished construction on our new BrickWood oven. This past weekend we went for broke and made pizza and spatchcocked a chicken. Both were outstanding! There's a lot more technique involved than we imagined. Especially in controlling the heat. We are thrilled with the results and would like to complement you and your team on a terrific product."

Preparing the Perfect Location for our Proper Brick Oven

Once you've selected your spot, it's time to start preparing the area. This involves removing any grass or other vegetation and leveling the ground to create a flat surface for your proper brick oven. In my case, I used a shovel and a wheelbarrow to remove the grass and level the ground. It was hard work, but it was worth it to create the perfect foundation for my brick oven.

Once you've selected your spot, it's time to start preparing the area. This involves removing any grass or other vegetation and leveling the ground to create a flat surface for your brick oven. In my case, I used a shovel and a wheelbarrow to remove the grass and level the ground. It was hard work, but it was worth it to create the perfect foundation for my brick oven.

Building a Base Frame for the Proper Brick Oven

With the area cleared and leveled, it's time to start building the base frame for your proper brick oven. This is essentially a wooden frame that will hold the concrete mix in place while it cures. In my case, I used pressure-treated lumber to create a sturdy base frame that would withstand the weight of the brick oven.

The key to building a good base frame is to make sure it's level and square. This will ensure that your proper brick oven is level and stable when it's completed. I used a level and a square to make sure everything was just right before I started pouring the concrete mix.

Once the base frame is complete, it's time to start filling it with concrete mix. You can mix the concrete by hand, but it's much easier and faster to rent a cement mixer from a home improvement store like Home Depot. Mixing and pouring concrete can be messy work, so it's important to wear protective gloves, boots, and clothing. You'll also need a shovel and a trowel to help spread the concrete mix evenly throughout the base frame.

It's important to follow the instructions on the concrete mix bag and mix the concrete thoroughly before pouring it into the base frame. Once the concrete is poured, you'll need to let it cure for several days before moving on to the next step.

Building the Proper Brick Oven Pizza Oven Hearth Slabs on the Ground Before Lifting Them on Top of the Brick Oven Base

While the concrete mix is curing, it's time to start building the pizza oven hearth slabs. These are the slabs that will form the cooking surface of the brick oven. In my case, I built the hearth slabs on the ground before lifting them onto the brick oven base.

I used a level and a ruler to make sure that the hearth slabs were level and evenly spaced. Once the hearth slabs were complete, I let them cure for several days before moving on to the next step.

Building the Proper Brick Oven Base out of Cinder Block

With the hearth slabs complete, it's time to start building the proper brick oven base out of cinder block. Cinder block is a very sturdy and durable material that's perfect for supporting the weight of the brick oven.

On the next step, I filled the proper brick oven hearth void (see pizza oven base instructions) with 5 parts vermiculite and 1 part portland cement. This will allow the hearth fire brick to get SUPER hot and that is what helps pizzas cook incredibly fast and have that amazing crunch. Once the pizza oven base was complete, I let it cure for several days before moving on to the next step.

Laying the Hearth Fire Brick Which is the Pizza Oven Cooking Surface

With the pizza oven base complete, it's time to lay the hearth fire brick. This is the cooking surface of the proper brick oven and is where you'll place your pizza to cook.

To lay the hearth fire brick, you'll need a level, a ruler, high-temperature mortar, and fire bricks. I used a level and a ruler to make sure that the hearth fire brick was level and evenly spaced. I also used high-temperature mortar to bond the bricks together. Once the hearth fire brick was complete, I let it cure for several days before moving on to the next step.

Working with My Son as We Apply High Temperature Mortar Between the Fire Brick

The next step is to center the Brickwood Mattone Barile foam brick oven form on the hearth cooking surface. This foam form is designed to make it easy to build the arch of the brick oven.

With the foam form in place, it's time to start building the arch of the brick oven. This is where things can get a little tricky, but it's also where the real fun begins. To build the arch of the proper brick oven, you'll need high-temperature mortar, fire bricks, and a lot of patience. I worked with my son to apply the mortar between the fire bricks and build the arch of the brick oven.

It's important to take your time and make sure that everything is level and evenly spaced. This will ensure that your brick oven is stable and will cook your pizza evenly.

Building the Arch of the Proper Brick Oven with Fire Brick and High Temperature Mortar

As you build the arch of the brick oven, it's important to make sure that everything is level and square. This will ensure that your brick oven is stable and will cook your pizza evenly. To build the arch of the proper brick oven, you'll need fire bricks and high-temperature mortar. I used a level and a ruler to make sure that everything was level and evenly spaced.

Once the arch of the brick oven was complete, I let it cure for several days before moving on to the next step.

Applying Ceramic Fiber Blanket and Two Layers of Stucco

Once the fire brick on our proper brick oven were nice and dry (cured), it was time to wrap the oven with 2 layers of ceramic fiber blanket. The kit I purchased came with one box of blanket, but we had the option of purchasing a second box - but I figured 2 layers of insulation was enough for our simple oven (we aren't planning on opening a bakery). Once we applied the blanket to the oven, we wrapped the blanket with standard chicken wire from Lowes. The holes in the wire, and the thin gauge of the wire made it easily pliable so we could shape the blanket before applying the stucco.

As the first layer of stucco was placed on the blanket, the weight of the stucco pressed the down on the ceramic fiber blanket about 1/8" or so. Since the chicken wire was formed around the blanket, the stucco "swallowed" the chicken wire. Once that first coat of stucco was dry, the chicken wire in the stucco was locked into place... like a sheet of rebar in concrete. The second coat of stucco covered any exposed chicken wire and it added a thick, yet smooth stucco shell for the upcoming brick veneer.

Adding Red Brick Veneer on Top of the Stucco & Ceramic Fiber Blanket

With the arch of the brick oven complete, it's time to add the finishing touches. In my case, I added red brick veneer on top of the stucco and ceramic fiber blanket. The red brick veneer not only looks great, but it also helps to protec the brick oven from the elements. I used inexpensive bagged mortar to bond the red brick veneer to the stucco exterior.

Performing the Curing Fires to Make Sure All the Moisture is Removed from the Fire Brick

Before you can start cooking with your new brick oven, you'll need to perform several curing fires. These fires are designed to remove any residual moisture from the fire bricks and ensure that your brick oven is ready to cook. To perform the curing fires, you'll need to start small and gradually increase the heat over several days. I started with a small fire and gradually increased the size of the fire each day.

It's important to monitor the temperature of your brick oven during the curing fires and make sure that everything is working properly.

Baking Our First Pizzas in the Proper Brick Oven Was a 3 Generation Event

Finally, it was time to bake our first pizzas in the proper brick oven. It was a 3 generation event, with my son and my grandson helping out in the kitchen. We made several different types of pizza, including pepperoni, sausage, and mushroom. The pizzas cooked perfectly in the brick oven, with that famous crispy crust and perfectly melted cheese.

Cooking Spatchocked Chicken over Wood Fire is the Most Amazing Taste

In addition to pizza, we also cooked spatchcocked chicken over the wood fire. It was an amazing taste, with the smoky flavor of the wood fire infusing the chicken with a delicious flavor.

Building a proper brick oven is a lot of hard work, but it's also a lot of fun. With a little bit of patience and a lot of elbow grease, you can create a brick oven that will provide you with years of delicious meals. If you're looking to build your own brick oven, I highly recommend using Brickwood's Mattone Barile pizza oven form. It's an easy-to-use form that will help you create the perfect brick oven in no time.