Outdoor woodfire pizza oven - dough problems.

[roadfix]

How about a picture, please?

Here's an almost-near-completion photo of the oven.

Photo below, during construction, dome completed.
This was basically a working oven at this point of the construction even without the chimney and heavy insulation.

 

[taxlady]

I built my WFO in 2010 and I love it when I have plenty of seasoned wood on hand. I did not build an Earthen oven, I used fire bricks and plenty of insulation. I built a 34" internal diameter Pompeii style oven.

I fired my oven on New Year's Eve and grilled some chorizos and skirt steaks directly on the oven floor. Some of my guests who've never seen a WFO were amazed with the thing. I also roasted some mochi too.
That was Saturday night. This morning, (Tues) the oven temp was hovering at 300F and will gradually drop further in the next two days. Of course you can meanwhile roast and do long and slow cooks without having to burn another log. A well insulated oven can retain heat for several days.

I'm thinkin' that the oven might not stay warm quite as long in Ontario in winter as in L.A.

 

[CWS4322]

I'm thinkin' that the oven might not stay warm quite as long in Ontario in winter as in L.A.

My friend who has one lives just north of Rochester, MN. It gets pretty cold there--colder than here at times! I'm thinking if it works there, it should work here...but, she also has a high-tunnel (unheated) greenhouse and is still harvesting "cold hardy" veggies (kale, swiss chard, etc.). I am SOOOO envious!

 

[roadfix]

I'm thinkin' that the oven might not stay warm quite as long in Ontario in winter as in L.A.

That all depends on how much insulation you use.
I've seen oven build threads with pics of fully fired ovens with snow on the dome. The snow does not melt and the oven holds high temps for days.

 

[taxlady]

I want to build an outdoor wood-fired oven. A friend sent me this link:

Has anyone built an outdoor wood-fired oven? Thoughts?''

Build Your Own Earth Oven by Kiko Denzer, Hannah Field - Chelsea Green

She's on her 2nd one--the first one was at their other house. I so want a wood-fired oven (to circumvent the "on the grid TOU rates").

If you are just trying to circumvent the TOU hydro rates, wouldn't a wood stove be more convenient?

 

[CWS4322]

Whenever I see somebody advertising something that can be build “nearly for free” I know it’s a lie. You cannot build an oven from scraps. You need to use special fire prove brick, that’s just to begin with. That part alone is going to be expensive. Then unless you trained masonry/brick layer you will need somebody’s help, at least to build the walls, etc. Otherwise they will be crooked and may even eventually crack and then even brake. I’d start with something more realistic.
Can that same friend actually help you build one?

CharileD, that is not true--my DH (soon to be ex-DH) has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc. in materials, and two undergraduate degrees. He has built, without assistance: a machine shop (that satisfied building codes--and passed electrical and building inspections), a cupola, a forge, designed and built a band sawmill, a "bucket" for the tractor, a hopper for commercial soyamilk manufacturing, and many other thingsm including medical devices that have been approved by Health Canada. He's laid a lot of brick, done a lot of masonry, ceramic tile work, designed and cast concrete sinks and countertops. Not to mention all the electronic stuff. You do need to know what you are doing, know what the qualities of the materials are, how to handle them, etc. and have the tools. It is probably a lot like cooking . It probably would help a layperson to know someone who can advise on the materials, etc., but it isn't impossible to do it. My friend's husband who built the oven I mentioned is a certified architect.

 

[CWS4322]

If you are just trying to circumvent the TOU hydro rates, wouldn't a wood stove be more convenient?

I have a wood stove, but not a wood cookstove, and when it is 30C+humidity in the summer, that would not be fun in the house! I want something I can use year around--I have to get pics of the one in MN....they use it year around for baking bread, pizzas, roasting turkeys, etc. And since I have a source of wood year around, it just makes sense...I might change my mind later <g>.

 

[CWS4322]

Here's an almost-near-completion photo of the oven.

Photo below, during construction, dome completed.
This was basically a working oven at this point of the construction even without the chimney and heavy insulation.

I want!!!!

 

[roadfix]

As far as building experience goes if you visit a wood fired brick oven forum many members have successfully built complete dome ovens with little or no experience in brick laying.
Before I built my wfo I've never laid a brick in my life. What really helped me was all the years of playing with Legos growing up....lol...

 

[CWS4322]

As far as building experience goes if you visit a wood fired brick oven forum many members have successfully built complete dome ovens with little or no experience in brick laying.
Before I built my wfo I've never laid a brick in my life.

I never laid ceramic tiles in my life, and have done a bathroom, entrance, and kitchen. The building code inspector admired my work and rated it up to code. I did my research, and it worked.

 

[taxlady]

I have a wood stove, but not a wood cookstove, and when it is 30C+humidity in the summer, that would not be fun in the house! I want something I can use year around--I have to get pics of the one in MN....they use it year around for baking bread, pizzas, roasting turkeys, etc. And since I have a source of wood year around, it just makes sense...I might change my mind later <g>.

No, you certainly don't want a wood cookstove to be your only method of cooking in the summer. Well, unless you have a summer kitchen.

 

[roadfix]

Perhaps I might be talking about the same MN guy I'm referring to but I followed his build thread at about the same time I was building my oven. His oven is accessible through his kitchen wall as if it was built into the wall. But the bulk of the oven mass sits outside the kitchen wall. Of course, something like this would require permits and all. It was a fantastic build, btw.

 

[CWS4322]

If you were following this blog:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Squash-Blossom-Farm/225184925703

I went to high school with both of them. Cool people. Cool farm--I want!

 

[CWS4322]

No, you certainly don't want a wood cookstove to be your only method of cooking in the summer. Well, unless you have a summer kitchen.

There is a summer kitchen at the farm (and at the house I'm taking back when the tenants move out), but no, I'm not thinking I want to use it for EVERYTHING, just for bread, stock, roasts...things like that...but probably mostly bread and pizza...