# Building a pizza oven in the backyard



## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I am looking to build a pizza oven (bread, stews, roasts, etc) in my backyard, so, I have been watching YouTube Videos on how to do it. Seems there are several ways to make it happen. I'll probably take the best of each design and come up with something that will work in my backyard.

Without further introduction, here are some of the best videos I have found so far.


























Are there any hints that you can share from your own experience in building one of these?


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## RUN1251 (Mar 15, 2012)

I've been thinking about building the same thing. Mother Earth News had a plan for a combo grill oven I have looked at. The real pizza oven seems more than we are capable of. I'm thinking a 12' long counter with a built in fire brick grill, an oven and a propane two burner stove top. I want everything but the stove to be made of bricks that won't rust in three or four years. My dad has a brick barbecue grill built in the 50's that uses charcole and will last forever. He replaces the metal grill racks every few years with a new one he welds out of rebar. That's the only maintenance. With those three things, we could cook anything we need for years to come. The propane stove would hook up to our thousand gallon main propane tank. It would be outside under an open sided covered roof. We live in the south. We are more concerned about staying cool in hot weather than staying warm in the winter.


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## preppingsu (Aug 7, 2010)

Here is a link to one we made this year. It's on a UK site so hopefully you will be able to see the pics etc.
We have used it several times. Our next plan is to add a taller chimney and make the roof better.

http://www.uk-preppers.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3832


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Pretty sure that I have also seen them made as in the above link but with cob (straw mixed with clay)


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

I've had the same thought, but want to take it one step further and build a whole out door kitchen for summer time. Especially if I live north in the summer & south in the winter. Doesn't have much to do with prepping, but would be a fun project. Have thought about taking a house on the knock down list in town and turning it into a sort of fishing cottage for summer use. An outdoor kitchen would keep the excess heat and mess outside.

On the pizza oven note, a yearago when I was in Switzerland a local scout troop was set up at a holiday festival making pizzas in a portable oven set up right on the side walk. It was made of fire brick and thin gage plate.complete with cooking rack and chimney. The older scouts were baking the pizzas while the younger ones were selling them and making them. They had a good little money maker going. The pizzas tasted great too.:2thumb:


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Naekid, if you do build one, please post pictures. I am interested in it and knowing how well it works.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

preppingsu said:


> Here is a link to one we made this year. It's on a UK site so hopefully you will be able to see the pics etc.
> We have used it several times. Our next plan is to add a taller chimney and make the roof better.
> 
> http://www.uk-preppers.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3832


I clicked that link - it looks like you started the project just over two years ago now. Was it a good addition to the cooking portion of your house, or, is it something that is now just taking up space in the backyard, rarely being used? Currently, I do alot of propane-based BBQ'ing in my backyard, all winter and summer as long as it isn't too windy (wind sucks the heat out of the BBQ quickly) ..


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Tirediron said:


> Pretty sure that I have also seen them made as in the above link but with cob (straw mixed with clay)


I would probably want to do a cob-based build as well - should I just go into my back field and grab some dry-hay to make up the cob? How about the clay for it - dig some up in Waiparous?


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

I can supply you with both, as long as the ground isn't frozen


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Tirediron said:


> I can supply you with both, as long as the ground isn't frozen


Would you like to do a day of building one at your place and at mine - a prepper-work-party :wave:


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

that might be a plan, but I think we have missed the cob building season for this year unless it was a real emergency


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Tirediron said:


> that might be a plan, but I think we have missed the cob building season for this year unless it was a real emergency


Ya - quite possible ... that snow came down hard-n-fast this morning around here, eh? I feel like hiding on my couch today  I am so not ready for winter


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## preppingsu (Aug 7, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> I clicked that link - it looks like you started the project just over two years ago now. Was it a good addition to the cooking portion of your house, or, is it something that is now just taking up space in the backyard, rarely being used? Currently, I do alot of propane-based BBQ'ing in my backyard, all winter and summer as long as it isn't too windy (wind sucks the heat out of the BBQ quickly) ..


Sorry it's taken so long to reply. The clay oven was only started this year, hampered by the bad weather. We have used it several times (around the rain!) not just cooking pizzas but cakes, bread and even a joint of meat overnight.
It is a great social environment - we did pizzas for 16 one day. I made the dough, they designed their pizzas, they only took a couple of minutes to cook each one so on one felt left behind.

It is our secondary source of cooking should we be without power as we currently cook on electric. My OH is currently building a frame around it with a better roof to protect it through the winter. It will also have a smoker attached to smoke meat, fish, cheese etc.


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## ksmama10 (Sep 17, 2012)

NaeKid said:


> I am looking to build a pizza oven (bread, stews, roasts, etc) in my backyard, so, I have been watching YouTube Videos on how to do it. Seems there are several ways to make it happen. I'll probably take the best of each design and come up with something that will work in my backyard.
> 
> Without further introduction, here are some of the best videos I have found so far.
> 
> ...


Did you ever build your oven? This is one of my favorite pipe dreams...would be so nice to have whether SHTF or not. Getting my husband on board for this one might be tough...maybe if I start baking bread every day for a solid year!


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

It will be a spring-project as it is still full-winter here ... unable to get at the clay-soil in order to build them. I was really hoping that I would be able to do it before winter's freeze, but, that was not to be.


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## deetheivy (Aug 7, 2012)

Hey NaeKid,
I just saw on the DIY channel(that or it was Cook TV) some people make a pizza oven using a 50 gallon drum. They still built the thing regularly, But instead of a flat cooking stone, they inserted the barrell horizontally and left a two inch gap around and between it and the cob( Im assumming clay and hay?). They had said it was an extremely efficient set up, hope this helped.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

I would love to see pictures when you are finished.


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## chick (Mar 25, 2012)

I had posted some pictures under "general preparedness" of the clay oven I built in the spring of 2011. It's been used repeatedly for almost 2 years and still kicks out the awesome food. 

Now I'm giving that oven to a friend in town and she's wanting to help me build a bigger one - about 3' X 6' inside.....big enough to roast a whole pig or feed a small mob.

If you need any help just message me and I might be persuaded to make a 4 hour trip south in the spring to give some guidance


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

chick said:


> I had posted some pictures under "general preparedness" of the clay oven I built in the spring of 2011. It's been used repeatedly for almost 2 years and still kicks out the awesome food.
> 
> Now I'm giving that oven to a friend in town and she's wanting to help me build a bigger one - about 3' X 6' inside.....big enough to roast a whole pig or feed a small mob.
> 
> If you need any help just message me and I might be persuaded to make a 4 hour trip south in the spring to give some guidance


That would be awesome - and - it'll probably be less than 4hrs as I am actually quite a ways north of Calgary :sssh:


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## chick (Mar 25, 2012)

Just let me know how I can help.


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