How to Build an Outdoor Pizza Oven Step-by-Step

If you have ever dreamed of baking pizza in your own outdoor pizza oven, Mr. Appliance® can help make your dream come true. Learn how to build an outdoor pizza oven and indulge your craving for wood-fired pizza any (or every) day of the week!

How to Build an Outdoor Pizza Oven Step by Stepn

Considerations

Before you begin, you'll need to make some important decisions that will affect the timeline, cost, and scope of your project, including:

• Skill level – While the instructions below are geared towards the average DIY'er, those with more advanced building or masonry skills may want to attempt a more complex build.
• Size/Type of oven – Outdoor pizza ovens can range in size from a small, portable unit to a massive built-in, brick and mortar installation.
• Investment – Depending on the availability of supplies and whether you will be completing the project on your own or hiring a professional, your pizza oven can cost anywhere from one hundred to thousands of dollars.

Materials

You will need:

• 45cm or larger exercise ball
• 0.6096 meter x 1.2192 meter boards
• Bag of cement
• Bag of fine vermiculite
• Bag of coarse vermiculite
• Bucket or suitable container for mixing materials
• Empty 591.47 milliliters soda bottle
• Fire-retardant mortar
• Gloves
• Heavy-duty capacity stable base or trolley
• Plastic wrap
• Sheet of plywood
• Small shovel or stick for mixing materials
• Stainless steel sheeting
• Water

Instructions

1. Build the form. Determine how high you want the dome to be and cut an appropriately sized hole into the plywood so the inflated exercise ball can rest inside with the top of the ball forming the dome of the pizza oven. Next, construct the form for the doorway/arch, using plywood and boards, and nestle it against the ball. Cover the entire structure with several layers of plastic wrap. Using the empty soda bottle, construct the form for the chimney and use a board as support to hold it in place.

2. Construct the walls. Create a mixture of three parts coarse and two parts fine vermiculite to one-part cement and one to two parts water and mix well. Apply the mixture to the form, working from the bottom up and ensuring an even thickness and consistency. Allow time for the mixture to set and dry.

3. Make the floor and door. Create a form for the oven floor that is a minimum of 0.0635 meters thick. Mix together five parts coarse vermiculite, one-part cement, and two parts water, pour the mixture into the form, and allow time to set and dry.

4. Assemble the oven. Carefully place the oven floor and dome onto the secure base and use fire-retardant mortar to adhere the two pieces and seal the gap between them. Allow six to eight weeks of drying time before moving on to the next step.

5. Break it in. Start off with a small fire and allow it to burn around 15 minutes. Wait another week and light another fire for around 30 minutes. Work your way up to an hour-long fire before using it to cook pizza.

6. Install the chimney. Place the stainless-steel insert in the hole and use the mortar to create a tight seal and allow time to set and dry before using.

7. Enjoy!!

Our Summer Fun with Pizza recipe and other campfire recipes can help you make the most of your time outdoors. Mr. Appliance repairs all makes, and models of indoor and outdoor appliances with fast, efficient service. Call us to learn more or contact us online to schedule an appointment today! Plus, once you’ve nailed the perfect pizza recipe, you’ll need the perfect deck or patio to enjoy your outdoor creation! Our fellow Neighbourly brand, Mr. Handyman, can help with creating this outdoor space for you and your family.