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How to add a touch of exoticism to your life with your own hands: drawing of a Pompeii stove. Low-cost pizza oven DIY wood-fired pizza oven

A Pompeian (also Italian or Roman) oven is a type of cooking device. They allow bake pizza or bread, as well as prepare other dishes from world cuisines.

This type of cooking device appeared on Iberian Peninsula and subsequently became widespread among the peoples of the Mediterranean.

The closest analogues are the Russian oven and tandoor.

Pompeii wood stove: features

home peculiarity in the design of Pompeian furnaces is the presence domes, ensuring uniform heat distribution, minimizing heat losses and optimal traction.

This makes the Pompeian oven indispensable when baking classic Italian pizza at home.

Pompeian ovens are comparatively different compact size. The optimal (and most common) placement option is to install the device outdoors.

Principle and operation

Regardless of the size and design, the general operating principle of Pompeii ovens remains the same: convection thermal energy flow from fuel combustion rises from the hearth (lower horizontal plane of the firebox) and reflected from the dome arch. The entire inner chamber acts as a heating element.

In addition to the uniform distribution of thermal energy, the design of Pompeii furnaces ensures natural regulation fuel combustion intensity, thereby eliminating the possibility of deviation from optimal indicators. This aspect is explained by the fact that the chimney of a Pompeii stove is located at the front of the structure, directly above the mouth of the inner chamber.

Design

The diagram of a classic Pompeii oven includes the following elements:

foundation and pedestal;
table top;
dome with arch;
pipe chimney.

The large weight of the finished structure requires reliable foundation and pedestal. The latter is built from cinder blocks; a reinforced concrete slab (optimal thickness 100 mm) is used as a tabletop.

Important! Regardless of the shape and size of the structure, furnace entrance height on average is half the height of the dome, A width equals its height.

Varieties

The most common types of Pompeian stoves are Tuscan and Neapolitan.

Tuscan ovens

They are compact in size. The dome is a regular hemisphere, its height equals the radius of the base circle. This option is the most versatile, since in addition to baking pizza, it allows cook other dishes.

Neapolitan pizza ovens

Unlike the Tuscan model, the height of the dome of the Neapolitan oven is 80% of the radius of the base circle. The design of this type of device is designed for preparing pizza; here it is baked much faster.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the main advantages of using a Pompeian stove:

High heating speed. You can add food within half an hour after kindling. Within an hour, the temperature inside the oven reaches at 370 °C.
High heat transfer. Heat accumulates inside the housing and the ability to cook remains for several hours after the fuel is burned.
Compact dimensions and the possibility of construction on any site.

Among the main disadvantages of Pompeian stoves, the most notable are complexity and high cost structures, as well as the need to arrange reliable foundation.

DIY Pompeii oven construction

Despite the difference between existing types of furnaces, their construction schemes have minimal differences and the main criterion when choosing a specific project will be the dimensions (and, as a consequence, the amount of required resources) of the finished structure. In addition, when choosing a project, the location on the site, as well as the climatic and topographical features of the area, are taken into account.

Project selection

The choice of project is primarily determined requirements to the finished unit. If the stove is needed purely for baking pizza, then it is advisable to consider the construction of a Neapolitan model designed specifically for this. If the planned use of the oven is not limited to baking pizza, then the more versatile Tuscan option will be suitable.

Diagrams and drawings with dimensions

Photo 1. Diagram of the Pompeii furnace. All main parts of the structure are indicated.

Photo 2. Possible drawing of the furnace. All measurements are in inches (1 inch = 25.4 mm).

Photo 3. Step-by-step diagram for the construction of a pizza oven.

Materials and tools

To build a Pompeii furnace, you will need the following materials (the exact quantity depends on the chosen project):

refractory fireclay bricks - 250-300 pcs.;
facing brick for the construction of the entrance arch - 20-30 pcs.;
cinder blocks for the construction of a pedestal - 32 pcs. for the base 800 mm high;
thermal insulation: mineral wool or calcium silicate slabs;
waterproofing: roofing felt or polyethylene;
cement, sand, crushed stone;
masonry mortar(a commercially available ready-made solution of the brand SHA-28);
boards for the construction of formwork ( width not less than 150 mm);
fittings (diameter 8-10 mm) and metal wire.

When choosing bricks and cinder blocks, you should be guided by their appearance: unacceptable the presence of burrs, geometry deformations or other defects. For fireclay bricks, it is permissible to have small rounded grooves on the edges with a smooth inner surface - no more than four defects per brick, no more than one per edge.

Attention! Sand for solution, must not contain impurities. A simple way to check is to pour a small amount into a transparent bottle, add water and shake. After a day, the water should be clear (or slightly cloudy). The opposite result indicates low quality of the material.

Required tools:

level, tape measure, plumb line, protractor;
trowel, spatula, chisel;
Bulgarian;
containers for solution and water.

Foundation

The large weight of the Pompeian stove requires a strong and reliable foundation. Optimal season for work - summer.

Attention! If it is impossible to complete the work before the rains begin, it is necessary to ensure reliable waterproofing blanks. If the groundwater depth under the site is shallow, a drainage system should be constructed in advance.

At the site of the planned location of the furnace, marking. It is important that the area of the foundation exceeds the area of the pedestal. A pit is being dug, depth not less than 350 mm. A wooden wall is constructed along the inner perimeter of the pit. formwork for the foundation.

The finished formwork is covered with a layer of dense polyethylene. Medium-fraction crushed stone is poured onto the bottom, on top of which a layer of sand is poured (100-150 mm). Then another layer of polyethylene is lined.

On top of the resulting waterproofing cushion cement mortar is poured. The solution is mixed from dry cement and sand(in proportion 1:3 respectively), as well as the required volume of water.

Pouring of cement is carried out in three stages, with intervals of at least two days to “set” each layer.

Foundation reinforcement carried out after the level of the solution has reached the edge of the formwork. To finally settle down, the finished foundation requires minimum three weeks. Ignoring this limitation can result in rapid deformation of the furnace.

Pedestal and table top

The pedestal is made of cinder blocks, the height is selected depending on the user’s preferences. Minimum recommended parameter - 800 mm.

Attention! Throughout the work it is necessary check the design construction level and, if necessary, promptly eliminate errors.

The finished pedestal has H-shaped or U-shape, optimal side length - 1200 mm. The length of a standard block is 400 mm. Therefore, three blocks will be required for the base of each side. Cinder blocks are laid “dry”, fastening is done using metal wire. The workpiece is checked with a building level or other measuring instruments, after which a solution is poured into the holes of the cinder blocks. Drying takes up to three days.

After the pedestal is ready, the tabletop is built, the process is similar to creating a foundation:

Getting ready formwork required size height not less than 150 mm.
The bottom of the mold is lined roofing felt or dense polyethylene.
Forms on the waterproofing layer reinforcement mesh with a gap of 50 mm. The places where the pedestal goes beyond the edges are reinforced with additional reinforcement supports.
Concrete mortar is poured into the formwork and leveled with a spatula, after which the surface of the future tabletop is generously moistened with water and covered with polyethylene.

Dome

After the tabletop is placed on the pedestal, the base of the dome is marked on its surface. Diameter circle depends on the chosen scheme. According to the markings made in accordance with the order, a base of fireclay bricks is laid out.

In this way it is formed under the oven. It is necessary to use high-quality materials; masonry defects are unacceptable.

Initial installation is carried out without mortar and serves to determine the bricks that will need to be cut to maintain the shape of the hearth. Bricks are cut using a grinder.

The surface of the tabletop is laid out in a layer calcium silicate slabs, after which bricks are laid on the mortar in accordance with the diagram. The base of the entrance of the future furnace is laid out so that a side has formed.

After constructing the hearth laying of the dome begins. To maintain the required shape and proportions, a cardboard or plywood template is made from intersecting semicircular blanks. First of all, the furnace entrance hole is formed. The bricks are laid on the mortar with minimal gaps.

Further order dome is carried out according to the established template. The masonry starts from the stove entrance and continues to the back of the dome. Laying subsequent rows requires increasing the distance between bricks. To maintain the shape of the masonry, wedges must be inserted into the resulting gaps. Laying is carried out according to the scheme until the dome is completely formed. After this, the outer arch is formed. To construct it, you should use a plywood template.

Depending on the specific scheme, chimney can be independently laid out of ordinary bricks or constructed from ready-made metal or ceramic blanks. The height of the chimney also depends on the chosen design option. Upon completion of the chimney installation, all seams are sealed with mortar. After it has gained sufficient strength, the used template structures are dismantled.

Photo 4. Detailed drawing of the dome from the inside and outside with dimensions.

Thermal insulation and cladding made of clay or plaster

The final stages of dome laying are thermal insulation and cladding. Mineral wool or calcium silicate slabs are used as heat-insulating material. The material is laid out on the outer surface of the dome and adjusted in size and shape, after which the insulating layer fixed with help heat resistant glue or special mastics.

The external lining of the furnace is made with plaster or clay. If a canopy is not provided over the structure, it is advisable to perform a two-layer cladding:

Interior layer is running heat resistant plaster (maximum layer thickness - 12 mm).
External layer is running moisture resistant plaster ( layer thickness - 4 mm).

Finished Pompeii oven should not be used for at least two weeks from the date of completion of construction. In case of precipitation, the structure must be covered with a layer of waterproofing material.

Tests

The finished unit is tested after the required drying period:

For first kindling the usual one is used paper or straw (1.5 kg or 2 kg respectively).
For second kindling - straw and brushwood (2.5 kg and 0.5 kg).
For third kindling - 4 kg wood chips or pellets(the use of pellets is permissible only during testing).
During fourth small kindlings are used logs.
For two subsequent ordinary kindling is used firewood.

Further operation of the furnace is possible only subject to successful testing.

Possible difficulties

Construction of the Pompeian furnace - complex, expensive and time consuming process. The lack of theoretical knowledge and practical skills is fraught with mistakes, leading to both minor defects and complete malfunction of the finished structure. In addition to physical and financial losses, there is direct danger to health and life of people.

Achieving optimal performance and safety indicators of the finished furnace is possible provided availability of necessary skills And strict adherence to technology construction.

Use of the Pompeii oven

Despite the high cost and complexity of building a Pompeian oven, the final the result is worth all the costs. The oven, built in accordance with existing technology, will allow you to prepare classic Italian pizza in compliance with the original recipe. The construction of the Tuscan version will make it possible to cook meat, fish, vegetables, various types of pastries, as well as many classic and national dishes in the oven.

Useful video

The video shows in a simple and accessible way how to build a wonderful pizza oven from scratch.

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Refractory bricks are used to lay the inner surface of the furnace. A chimney is installed on the entrance side, which is separated from the combustion chamber. Burnt solid bricks are used to construct the canal. In this case, the pipe should be 1.5-2 meters long.

A wood-burning Pompeii stove is characterized by certain proportions. The height of the entrance is small and comparable to 1/2 of the height of the dome. As for the width, it is the same for both the entrance and the convex covering. The choice of this ratio is not random, since it allows you to optimize the working process of the furnace device, namely:

reduce thermal energy losses;
ensure normal smoke removal;
create good traction.

The arc-shaped overlap of oven equipment for making pizza comes in two types:

Tuscan. It is characterized by the same value for the height of the dome and the radius of the furnace.
Neapolitan. In this case, the height of the convex roof is 80% of the total diameter.

Main components of the design of furnace equipment

There are many options for constructing a Pompeian stove, which differ in building materials, dimensions, components, and design. We will use instructions with general recommendations and the traditional sequence of work.

Structural elements of the equipment:

Foundation, which is a solid slab made of reinforced concrete, 10-20 cm thick.
Pedestal for the stove. It is made from cinder blocks measuring 20x20x40 cm each. Stand parameters: width and length 120 cm, height – 80 cm. The tabletop is a monolithic reinforced concrete slab 10 cm thick. Fireclay brick acts as a layer that provides thermal insulation between the stand and the structure of the equipment.
Bake. Its internal diameter is 84 cm, which means that the vault of the dome, in accordance with the accepted proportions, is 42 cm. At the same time, we will carry out thermal insulation work, laying the first layer of double-thick mineral wool, and the second of a cement mixture with perlite additives. Instead of the latter, you can use vermiculite or expanded clay.

We build it ourselves

We will divide all construction work on the construction of a wood-burning pizza oven into a number of successive stages.

Stage 1: preparatory

First you need to stock up on everything you need, namely materials and tools.

We will use fireproof material to lay the stove. To do this, we take fireclay bricks and a special mortar for stoves. You can use a ready-made mixture or make the composition yourself using clay with the addition of fireclay (read about its features). It is better to refuse cement mortar, even if it contains various additives. Its characteristics are much worse than those of clay. In addition, the cement leaves hard-to-clean marks on the surface of the bricks, which is unacceptable for the inside of the kiln.

Another solution option is a special “Mertel” mixture for stove masonry. The composition of the ShA-28 brand is optimally suited for the Pompeii building. Its excess and traces can be easily cleaned from the surface of the brick.

To lay the sphere, the same square bars are used, so the formation of wide seams on the outside is inevitable. These gaps must be filled with a special fireproof mortar used for the construction of devices that is resistant to high temperatures. This will avoid cracking.

To carry out masonry inside the furnace, you should purchase. You should not buy facing material, since its additional characteristics suitable for external work will not be required here, since all the bricks will be placed in the interior of the structure.

The cladding material can be used to make the entrance arch, since the temperature here is low. But this is done at will or if provided for in the design project. For such an element, fireclay bricks, which are used for interior work, are quite suitable.

Necessary materials

So, to build an oven structure for cooking pizza, you need to stock up on the following materials:

Fireclay brick. Required for arranging the surface of the hearth, as well as the arch.
“Mertel” is a special mixture for masonry.
Mineral wool, with which it is necessary to insulate the arched ceiling.
Reinforcement and reinforcing mesh for reinforcing works of the vault, table top and foundation.
Perlite is an insulation material for the arc-shaped ceiling of the oven and for thermal insulation between the hearth and the countertop.
Metal profiles: beams, angles, pipes (if provided for by the design).
Boards for formwork.
Chimney.
Cement required for pouring the foundation and countertop.
Polyethylene film.
Bricks or concrete blocks on the podium.
Boards and bars for supports.
Sand for concrete pouring.

Tools

For construction work we will need:

grinder and discs for cutting stone;
hammer;
chisel;
saw;
mallet;
concrete mixer or drill with a mixing attachment.

You are also required to stock up on the following personal protective equipment:

special glasses;
respirator;
gloves.

Step 2: Process of creating a stove stand

To perform such work you need to perform the following operations:

Build the foundation. On the selected site, we dig a hole measuring 150x150 cm and a depth of 35 cm. In this case, the recess should be wider than the pedestal, 15 cm on each edge. Place crushed stone at the bottom of the hole and compact it well. We make a cushion of sand 20 cm thick on top. We take suitable boards and build formwork. Polyethylene film laid on sand simplifies the process of pouring concrete mortar. A reinforcing mesh is placed on top of it, for which rods with a thickness of at least 8 mm were used. Before pouring the solution, we place small supports under the mesh, creating a space of 5 cm for the concrete mixture. Pour the solution and level the surface of the slab. We check its evenness using a building level. After this, we wet the concrete with water, cover it with film and leave it to harden and set. The last process takes about a week.
Set up a pedestal. We wait for the concrete to dry completely and proceed to the construction of a stand for the stove, using cinder blocks for this.
The pedestal can be made in the shape of the letter H, where the sides are 120 cm, that is, three 40-centimeter blocks are placed. Some people prefer to make a stand in the shape of the letter P. But the first option has its own advantage: the transverse wall forms an additional support for the furnace structure, which allows you to evenly distribute the loads throughout the entire structure. We will use the dry method of installing blocks. It is as follows. We lay the prefabricated elements in rows, and insert reinforcement into the existing holes, which will help protect the blocks from moving while pouring concrete. We check the masonry for evenness, both horizontal and vertical. Next, passing through one, we fill the holes with solution. We leave the structure to dry for two days, allowing time for the composition to set.
Create a tabletop in the form of a monolithic reinforced concrete slab. We start by making the formwork. The surface dimensions should be 140x120 cm. To meet these parameters, we extend the front part of the wooden form by 20 cm, while its height is 10 cm. Moisture-resistant plywood or boards covered with a polyethylene film are suitable as the bottom for the formwork. We place a mesh of reinforcing rods inside and make supports that provide gaps of 5 cm. In areas of the tabletop that extend beyond the boundaries of the stand, it is necessary to install an additional reinforcing layer. We fill the formwork with concrete mortar, level the surface, and check for horizontal evenness. After this, we spray the countertop with water, cover it with polyethylene and leave it for a week so that the concrete hardens.

That's it, the stand for the Pompeii oven is ready. But you shouldn’t immediately lay out the furnace structure itself, because it takes some time for the load-bearing elements to gain strength. So, for a countertop it takes at least 14 days for the solution to finally set and dry. Only after 2-3 weeks can you start laying the stove on the countertop. The structure has significant weight, so performing work on a damp structure can cause serious defects. In fact, the countertop acts as a foundation for the stove, so if a crack appears on the surface, then there is a likely risk of its occurrence on the stove structure.

Stage 3: creating thermal insulation between the countertop and the oven, arranging the hearth

The thermal insulation layer separating the stand and the Pompeian pizza preparation equipment allows you to prevent the transfer of thermal energy from the oven to the elements of the pedestal. Thus, it is possible to maintain a high temperature inside the wood-burning structure and avoid significant losses of thermal energy. That is why the process of thermal insulation is a prerequisite.

There are several ways to create thermal insulation. Let's consider three main options:

1. The thermal insulation layer is made under the contour of the furnace. To do this, we take a special material - calcium silicate-based slabs. We lay them out, mark the outline of the stove together with the entrance arch, that is, we perform a preliminary adjustment without gluing. In this case, we focus on the outer diameter, not forgetting to take into account all the layers. Cut out the insulating sheets.

Let's start preparing bricks for the hearth. Underneath is the work surface
furnace structure. It is on it that pizza or bread is baked. This element will require smooth and even refractory bricks.

We lay out the bars in a zigzag pattern on the countertop. This way you can avoid transverse seams, and the shovel will cling less. Using a template, we apply the outer contour of the stove to the bricks and number them. This will help with future installation. We cut off the excess parts of the bricks.

To once again check that all the elements have been prepared correctly, we lay out thermal insulation sheets on the countertop, on which we place the bricks for the hearth. If everything is cut correctly, then we begin to glue the insulating material onto any mixture. We fix the hearth bricks on top, securing them with a mortar, for example, “Mertel”.

Thus, we get an insulating layer and a floor for a wood-burning stove.

This method of execution is considered one of the most common. Its only disadvantage is the high price of calcium silicate slabs, since they are used for the construction of industrial furnaces, and it can be difficult to obtain this material in small quantities for the construction of one structure.

2. A heat-insulating solution of perlite sand is poured into a special hole in the countertop. The work begins by covering the surface to only 1/2 of the height, that is, 10 cm. After this, we mark the contour of the furnace using the template and carry out the formwork. Next, pour another 10 cm of concrete along the outer outline. When the building material hardens, you need to remove the formwork and template.

We have a recess that needs to be filled with a mixture that has high thermal insulation properties. In our case, this is a composition made of perlite sand, but expanded clay or cement are also suitable for this purpose.

3. A combination of a heat-insulating layer made of perlite and a furnace hearth made of fireclay bricks. This option is similar to the previous one, but the only difference is that an insulating perlite layer is initially prepared, then underneath, and only then they are poured into the countertop.

Let's take a closer look at the algorithm:

Stage 4: laying the furnace

First rows of masonry

First you need to prepare a plywood circle that matches the diameter of the inner surface of the equipment. We cut it into three segments, which will further facilitate the process of removing it from the finished structure. We place the template on the surface of the hearth, around which we will lay out the first brick row.

In the middle of the resulting structure we fix a special device with which we will control the installation process. We are talking about a wooden block fixed in the center on a hinged support. This is one of the options.

Such a lever helps to ensure that the spherical vault is laid correctly, as well as to support the brick when fixing it in place.

The arched ceiling of the dome has a thickness of 12 cm. For such masonry, you will need halves of bricks, which are obtained by cutting in half. This is convenient to do with a grinder, tile cutter, or using a chisel and hammer.

We install bricks on the boundaries of the entrance arch. They will serve as the starting point for laying the first row. We turn the bars with their flat side towards the inside of the arch, since in the future this surface will be visible. To fix the bricks we use a special masonry mortar. The gaps between the bars should be minimal.

Experienced craftsmen advise pre-adjusting the first two rows by performing dry laying. This way you can determine the number of bricks required.

Creating an entrance arch

The next step is to make the inlet hole for the furnace. It will have an arched shape. First, let's create a template. To do this, take plywood and cut out two parts of the arch. We fasten them together using bars, obtaining a stable structure on which bricks can be laid.

Let's remember the parameters:

the height of the dome is equal to the radius of the circle;
the height of the arch will be 60% of the height of the convex roof;
the width of the arc-shaped ceiling at the entrance corresponds to the height of the dome.

For a Pompeian oven with a large diameter, the arch should be lower than the convex structure. When constructing a small furnace structure, you need to focus on ease of use, that is, the shovel should easily fit into this hole.

When choosing the width of the opening, one more factor should be taken into account: fuel raw materials are laid through this opening, and ash is also raked out, therefore, for ease of manipulation, care must be taken to ensure that it is sufficiently wide. In our case, the inlet hole is 53 cm.

We return to the arch template: put it in place and lay bricks on it. Spacer wedges installed in the gaps between the bars allow you to fix them in place until the mortar sets.

Constructing a dome vault

Having laid out the arch, we move on to the next step - laying the remaining rows around the hearth. We prepare the halves of the bricks and place them. In this case, the third level starts from the entrance arch.

When performing further rows, you need to move the bricks a little, breaking the verticality of the level. This will prevent vertical seams going all the way through. We lay the bars with their front sides inward, as close to each other as possible. During operation, we constantly monitor the correctness of the sphere using a hinged lever.

When it is necessary to round the masonry, we install bricks in the upper rows at an angle relative to the lower level. The ideal option is to pre-cut the bars at an angle. But this is a rather complicated procedure, so we’ll do without it. Gradually the seams expand, so wedges must be used for fixation. Brick scraps and fragments work well as these.

In those places where the dome is adjacent to the arch, wedge-shaped bricks should be used. It is recommended to trim the outermost bars of the row adjacent to the inlet hole.

The final stage of laying the dome is considered the most troublesome. You can use bars and support the bricks from below. A properly selected and formulated solution will help make the work easier. Thus, “Mertel” of the required consistency reliably fixes the brick, while providing quick and good adhesion to the masonry.

To prevent dry brick from drawing moisture out of the mortar, it must be briefly placed in a container of water.

You can make the laying process easier and more convenient if you use various templates made from plywood or chipboard. It is important to provide for the possibility of disassembling the sample, since after work it will need to be removed from the furnace through the inlet.

Templates can be of various shapes, for example, in the form of a cage, made of separate stationary segments. Another option is a rotating sample, consisting of 1-2 parts, one of which is attached to a part mounted on the base.

If the template was not prepared in advance and was not used during the construction of the dome, and you have difficulties laying bricks on the final rows, then the craftsmen recommend doing the following:

The process of making an external entrance arch

We will make this overlap wider than the internal one. This way we will get the door vestibule of the correct shape.

For the oven design in which you plan to bake pizza, a door is not needed: the process takes place over an open fire. If you decide to bake bread, then you should provide for the presence of a door, since heat preservation is important for its preparation.

So, for the outer arch we will prepare a template from plywood of a suitable size. We took a radius of 32.5 cm.

We lay out the vault of the arch, leaving an opening on top for the chimney. This hole must correspond to the prepared channel.

Installing a chimney

We insert the rolled metal product into the prepared opening and fix it with masonry mortar. Depending on the design and material, the channel can be of the following types:

The choice is made by the owner based on the style decision and prepared materials. As for the height, it is also different. An open version of an outdoor stove involves the installation of a low pipe, and a device located under a canopy - a higher one, which removes smoke from others.

When arranging a channel and choosing the length of a rolled metal product, do not forget that its height affects the traction force.

The masonry stage is completed by sealing all external joints with masonry mixture. The stove structure can be coated with clay to which fireclay sand is mixed. This allows you to accumulate thermal energy and make the surface even and smooth, which is useful for further laying of insulating material.

Step 5: Oven Drying

After completing the construction of the furnace structure, it is necessary to dry it and prepare it to withstand the high temperature inherent in the operation process.

A fire lit immediately after construction work has been completed can lead to structural defects, such as cracking of bricks. Therefore, it should be lit gradually, as if preparing, accustoming the wood-burning pizza oven to use. First, you can make a fire from several thin branches. The kiln firing process can take a week. At the same time, drying of the bricks continues.

When working with perlite, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment, since this material emits a lot of dust, which is undesirable to get into the eyes and respiratory tract. The smallest particles of perlite are harmful to human health.

Stage 7: finishing work

After the insulating layer has dried, we move on to the final stage - finishing. To begin with, use clay or cement mortar. To protect a Pompeii pizza oven that sits outside, it is covered with a material that keeps moisture out.

As for finishing, the entire furnace structure can be made with one type of material. A Pompeian stove will look original, the structural elements of which (countertop, pedestal, arch and others) are designed differently. For this you can use mosaic, facing brick, etc.

The main thing is to prevent sudden heating of the new structure. After all, fresh masonry still contains a large amount of moisture, and sudden heating can provoke a significant release of steam, which can tear the masonry.

The new Pompeian wood-burning stove has a natural drying period that lasts up to a year. It can be accelerated a little by carrying out regular fires. Start with a small amount of fuel raw material, gradually increasing this volume.

The newly erected device heats up to the set high temperature in three hours. In the future, this will take about 60 minutes.

The optimal raw material for the firebox is olive or cherry wood, as they practically do not smoke. Along with timber, shavings are also used for heating.

The combustion process in the oven must be maintained continuously, even if the dish is not being cooked in it. Directly during operation, the temperature is raised to 400 degrees.

Baking pizza does not require any additional substrate. This process occurs on the surface of the hearth.
You can also cook grilled dishes in this oven. To do this, you need to rake the coals to the mouth and place a grate over them.

A person who has at least once tasted pizza cooked over a fire in a real oven, and not a semi-finished product heated in a microwave, will definitely want to acquire such a device for cooking in his or her personal plot. Just the sight of a ruddy, aromatic pizza that has just been removed from a hot hearth evokes an appetite and a desire to enjoy this wonderful pastry.

Self-construction of such an oven device for making pizza is a rather labor-intensive process, but interesting. On the other hand, if you don’t want to bother with clay mortar and brick laying, you can always purchase and install a finished product. Modern oven models prepare excellent pizza that will satisfy even the most demanding gourmets. And yet it’s worth figuring out: what are the features of a pizza oven, and how difficult is it to build it yourself?

Oven for making the most delicious pizza

Today, in the conditions of noisy megacities, pizzerias offer fairly cheap options for such a dish as pizza, which is produced in-line in a modern electric or gas oven.

In more advanced culinary organizations use special hearth stones– flat plates made of natural or artificial stone. It is worth understanding that even such stones are, in fact, an illusion of a “pizza oven” that cannot replace a real Pompeian wood-burning oven.

Really reputable restaurants install specialized oven equipment in their kitchens, which they proudly inform their visitors about. However, a true connoisseur of Italian pizza cooked in the oven will figure out for himself whether he was served on a tray - a real culinary masterpiece or a semi-finished product heated in the microwave.

I would like to note that a real pizza oven - a device unusual in shape and design, completely different from standard products erected by a stove maker. First of all, this is noticeable by the unusual domed shape of the stove, reminiscent of the house of heroes living in fairy tales, and not a device in which gourmet dishes are prepared.

Design feature of the Pompeian stove

Cooking pizza or other culinary masterpieces in a Pompeian oven will not take much time for the simple reason that the temperature inside such a device reaches 400° C. At these temperatures, preparing everyone’s favorite pizza does not take more than two minutes.

This type of stove device became most widespread in the Mediterranean countries. And its closest “relatives” are considered to be the Russian oven for cooking bread and the tandoor. IN pizzerias in Italy, the fire in the Pompeian oven does not go out day or night. At the same time, only certain types of wood are used for the firebox, which do not emit soot and do not contain various resins:

olive wood;
cherry firewood;
alder logs.

A wood-burning oven is not just for cooking pizza. You can cook other dishes in it at different temperatures. Wherein temperature indicators can vary over a wide range from 70 to 400° C, making it possible to select the appropriate temperature for various dishes.

The Tuscan grill is very popular, for cooking, burning coals are collected at the mouth of the oven, and a metal grate with legs is installed on top of them, on which this uniquely tasty dish is prepared.

All wood-burning pizza ovens are divided according to the type of energy carrier:

gas fired furnaces;
wood burning units;
electrical devices.

But only a wood-fired pizza oven is the best assistant for preparing truly tasty and, most importantly, aromatic culinary masterpieces. Therefore, every lover of making your own pizza should understand how to build a wood-burning oven with your own hands.

The main feature of wood-fired oven equipment for cooking pizza is considered to be an unusual arch, reminiscent of a hemisphere. The fire is ignited on one side of the device, after which the heat begins to rise to the top of the arch and, reflected, falls into the center of the hearth, thereby creating optimal conditions for preparing pizza.

Today, there are two main types of wood-burning stove vaults:

Neapolitan vault with a dome height of almost 80% of the oven diameter.
Tuscan vault, the height of which is equal to the diameter of the stove.

The inner surface of the Pompeian stove is laid out only from fireclay bricks. The chimney in such a device is erected from the entrance directly above it. The entrance of such a furnace is not very high and is slightly more than half the parameters of the dome. It is this ratio of proportions that distinguishes the Pompeian wood-burning stove from similar designs. They were not chosen randomly, but were designed specifically to increase the efficiency of the stove.

Structural components of a Pompeii furnace

Wood-fired pizza ovens do not have a very complicated design. Compared to its ducted counterpart, a Pompeian stove can even be made with your own hands. Moreover, it includes the following structural elements:

The outer shell of the furnace device means the outer heat insulator wall, which also plays a decorative role. For aesthetic finishing of a wood-burning stove, decorative plaster, tiles and other high-temperature-resistant finishing materials are used.

Main features of furnace construction

If you have decided to build a wood-burning pizza oven yourself, then you need to carefully study each stage of the construction work.

A high-quality thermal insulation layer is also of great importance, especially when it comes to a thin-walled Pompeii stove. Thanks to this, the furnace equipment will heat up quickly and cool down slowly. It is this feature that makes pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven the most delicious.

We build a pizza oven with our own hands

The construction of the stove device before the countertop is installed does not cause difficulties when doing the work yourself. In turn, all further manipulations must be thought out to the smallest detail so that the end result is an effective device for baking culinary dishes.

After the furnace equipment has completely dried, they proceed to the external thermal insulation of the body. Most often, plaster is used for this, for the preparation of which cement and perlite are used in proportions of 1:5. In addition, you can use mineral-based insulation. After this, the oven is left to dry again for two weeks to a month.

Revving up the pizza oven

After the finished stove has completely dried, it is accelerated. To do this, carry out at least 7 firings with an interval of 24 hours:

If an outdoor stove structure is being built, then it is advisable to place it under a canopy. This will increase the service life of furnace equipment. In this case, the street structure is additionally plastered with two layers:

a layer of heat-resistant plaster up to 1.2 cm thick;
decorative plaster on a moisture-resistant base, 5 mm thick.

Only a high-quality, self-built wood-burning oven will make it possible to prepare not only delicious pizza, but also other works of culinary art right on the site of your country house. This will save a person from having to order tasteless semi-finished products heated in the microwave of the nearest pizzeria or look for a decent restaurant with a Pompeian oven.

This oven is used specifically for baking pizza or bread. Her homeland is Italy. We talked about the principle of operation and main design features in the article “”. It is the arch that distinguishes it from the usual one. The roof of a wood-burning pizza oven can be shaped like a hemisphere, or it can look like a barrel cut lengthwise. This is the so-called “cooperage” vault.

Now we want to offer you a project for a pizza oven with a barrel vault.

All brick ovens for cooking are built from fireproof materials: fireclay bricks held together with fireproof mortar on fireclay clay.

The stove is heated with wood, then, when the wood burns out and the combustion chamber warms up, the coals are moved to the side. The pizza or bread is placed directly on the brick oven and cooked using residual heat.

Attention! Pictures can be enlarged by clicking!

Material required to build a pizza oven:

gravel for foundation excavation
geotextile for foundation excavation
polyethylene film for the foundation
expanded clay concrete blocks measuring 20×20×40 cm for the stand
sand-concrete mixture for fastening them
reinforcement mesh (or reinforcement) for the foundation and for the “tabletop”
fireclay for the furnace itself
fireproof mortar based on fireclay clay
wooden beam measuring 10 cm×10 cm for supports
formwork board, 10 cm wide
plywood for the template of the furnace roof and the entrance to the firebox

Oven dimensions:

foundation – 1.5 m×1.5 m
stand – length: 1.2 m; width: 1.2 m; height: 0.8 m
“tabletop” - 1.4 m×1.4 m
the height of the vertical walls of the combustion chamber is 4 bricks (about 0.33 m)
the height of the barrel vault is about 0.33 m
outside oven width – 10 bricks (about 1.3 m)
combustion chamber width – 6 bricks (about 0.75 m)
The width of the entrance to the combustion chamber is 4 bricks (about 0.5 m)
the height of the entrance to the combustion chamber is about 0.5 m.

Based on this principle, you can change the size of the oven to suit your needs. The only thing we don’t recommend is enlarging them and building a larger pizza oven. Since the larger the firebox, the more firewood, coals and time it will take to warm it up. And you are unlikely to compete with an Italian pizzeria and bake a large number of pizzas or bread.

DIY pizza oven

A brick stove on a stand made of expanded clay concrete blocks is a rather heavy thing. Therefore, the construction of the foundation should be approached with all responsibility and take into account the climatic characteristics of your region and the specific construction area, that is, the depth of soil freezing and the depth of groundwater.

You can deepen the foundation below the freezing level and thus avoid possible distortion of the structure due to expansion of frozen soil. This method is very labor-intensive and you can try to avoid it by using the second option.

According to the second option, we will make a gravel cushion under the foundation of the pizza oven, which will soften the seasonal movements of the soil and become a kind of drainage for groundwater.

For the foundation of the furnace, the dimensions of which according to our project are 1.5 m × 1.5 m, it is necessary to remove the soil to a depth of 40-45 cm, and strengthen the walls of the excavation with geotextiles. Pour gravel into the bottom and compact it. Place plastic wrap on top. Now the depth of the excavation, taking into account the gravel cushion, should be about 10 cm.

We construct formwork according to the dimensions of the foundation from boards 10 cm wide. We place several 10 × 10 × 10 cm bars on plastic film as supports for the reinforcing mesh. This way the reinforcement will be in the middle of the concrete slab.

We pour the concrete, let it sit for an hour, then level the surface using the rule. The concrete will completely harden in a week, but you don’t have to wait this period and start building the stand in a couple of days.

We build the stand of the wood-burning pizza oven from expanded clay-concrete blocks. Stand dimensions: width 1.2 m, depth 1.2 m and height 0.80 m. The front wall of the stand is not placed, thanks to this we have space inside for storing firewood and equipment.

After constructing the stand, we move on to the “table top”. It is concrete and reinforced. This means formwork is needed. First of all, we install the supports for the formwork. These are 8 bars of 10x10 cm, approximately 75 cm high. The bars should be 10 cm below the edge of the top block, then installing the formwork board on them, it will be in the same plane and the surface of the top expanded clay block. In addition to them, we place 4 bars about 70 cm high inside the stand. Boards will be attached to them, which should be 5 cm lower than the top block.

See the picture below:

We place boards on the structure of boards and bars inside the stand.

Now we fasten the boards of the formwork sides.

We reinforce the pizza oven countertop. For this purpose, in the same way as we did in the case of the foundation, we lay bars for the reinforcing mesh. We plug cavities in expanded clay concrete blocks, if any, with crumpled newspapers so that concrete does not get inside.

We pour concrete into the structure. The concrete should be allowed to harden for a week or a week and a half, and only then we move on to laying the pizza oven itself.

The laying of the furnace begins with the hearth. Underneath we lay out fireclay bricks using fireproof mortar based on fireclay clay. You need to make indentations from the edges of the tabletop: free on the sides and back, 25-30 cm in front - this is where the entrance to the firebox will later be.

Next we place the vertical walls of the pizza oven firebox. The height of the walls is 4 bricks. From the front to the sides we place only one vertical row of bricks, leaving the entrance to the combustion chamber free.

As we wrote above, our stove has a barrel vault, the outermost bricks of which rest on the side walls. In order for the vault to stand firmly, it is necessary to increase the thickness of the side walls by laying another row of bricks inside the combustion chamber.

Before laying the vault, you need to construct a template - a support. We construct it from boards and plywood. You will need 4 segments of a circle with a height of the top point of 0.26 m and a width of 0.86 m. Please note that it is a segment, not a semicircle. If we take a semicircle from a circle with a diameter of 0.86 m, we will get a barrel vault that is too high and, therefore, a combustion chamber that is too large in volume.

We connect all four segments to each other at the same distance from each other with boards 0.80 m (check the dimensions of your oven). We get this template:

We install the template on the vertical walls of the firebox.

Lay out the roof of the pizza oven. We lay the brick flat. To prevent the mortar from being squeezed out of the seams under the weight of the brick and the shape of the vault to be deformed, you need to place wooden pegs in the seams.

When the solution hardens, take out the template and get something like this:

We lay the back wall of the vault with bricks.

We move on to laying the entrance to the furnace combustion chamber. We lay 4 more bricks on the stand, extending them forward under the stoves. We lay the vertical walls of the entrance.

The entrance to the combustion chamber also has a vault and it also requires a template made of plywood and boards. The dimensions of the circle segment are 0.16 m in height (at the top point) and 0.52 m in width. Two segments are needed. The board here is only needed to install the circle segments at the desired height and give them stability.

We place the brick in the entrance vault on edge, and at the top, in the center, we place two rows of 1/3 bricks each to form a chimney opening. We cover the gap between the arch of the combustion chamber and the arch of the entrance to it with a solution. If the gap is too large, then pieces of cut brick will be required.

We line the chimney opening with bricks one brick high.

The pizza oven is ready! For better thermal insulation, it is better to coat the outside of the oven with clay. Upon completion, it needs to be dried for several days, and then heated well.

You can build a free-standing oven, or you can make it a zone component that has a single countertop.

And finally, a few words about how to bake pizza in such an oven. Firewood is placed in the center of the hearth. When they burn out and coals form, they need to be pushed to the side and into a corner with a poker or spatula, freed up for pizza or bread. Carefully sweep underneath with a broom specially used for this purpose. Place the pizza in the oven using a wide shovel. Remember the fairy tales with Russian stoves, the same principle! The finished pizza is removed in the same way, using a shovel. And its taste is not at all the same as that of pizza cooked in a regular oven, it is smoky!

The Pompeian oven has several names - Neapolitan, among Italians it is called Roman, and among the people it is simply called “Pompeika”.

You can use it to cook anything, but the main dish is pizza.

If it was cooked in a Pompeii oven, then its taste and aroma will be unique, because the taste, as many note, depends not only on some specific special ingredients, but also largely on the method of baking it. Having tried this pizza once, others prepared in a different way will seem somehow tasteless to you.

The Pompeian stove has a number of advantages and features over other similar designs; they will be discussed in this article. We will also discuss how you can make a Pompeian stove with your own hands, we will discuss the structure of this design, as well as various nuances of construction. And then you can cook real Italian pizza in a homemade Neapolitan oven.

In this device you can bake not only pizza, but also other pastries, as well as prepare a variety of dishes. An analogue of the Pompeii oven is the Russian oven, where unique bread is baked.

Features and Benefits

The Pompeian or Neapolitan oven has a number of advantages and features:

There is a minimum cooking time for any type of baked goods, since the temperature in a Pompeian oven can reach about 500 degrees Celsius. The baking time for Italian pizza at this temperature is one minute. In crowded restaurants in Italy, the fire in the stoves is maintained constant, almost never going out, since there are a lot of people who like to eat pizza with friends in this country.
There is a wood-burning Pompeian oven where you can regulate the temperature, so this oven is very good for baking pizza and other types of pastries, as well as preparing main courses. The temperature can be adjusted from 50 to 500 degrees Celsius.
The Pompeian stove runs on three types of fuel. You can use electricity, wood or gas. It is up to you to decide which type of fuel to choose.

Device

The design of the Neapolitan stove is easy. Making a Pompeian stove yourself is not difficult.

Components of this oven:

The base of the Pompeian furnace (foundation).
A table that is necessary for comfortable cooking of any dish.
A hemispherical vault or otherwise called a dome. Another component of the furnace is the under. Under (the bottom of the oven or its floor) is the place where the fire is lit and the pizza or other dish is cooked.
The fourth part is the chimney pipe.
Outer casing.
Thermally insulated layer.

These are the main components of a Pompeian oven that do not require professional intervention for their construction.

Construction

The main distinguishing feature of the Pompeii oven is the presence of a hemispherical dome. The advantage of this arch is the uniform distribution of the temperature of the burning fire over the entire surface of the Neapolitan stove.

To build a Neapolitan stove, you must follow a certain algorithm of actions; it consists of four main steps.

Let's look at the construction diagram of a Pompeian oven:

Like all structures, the construction of the Pompeii furnace must begin from its base (foundation).

Take into account: the foundation of the Pompeii furnace must be strong, since the overall structure will weigh almost seven hundred kilograms. The main part of the foundation of a Neapolitan oven should be a slab, which is made of reinforced concrete.

The stand rises to a height convenient for you and is placed on the already made base of the Pompeian stove. The stand is usually made of brick, but can be made of metal materials. The Pompeian stove stand can be used to store firewood (if you use this type of fuel resource).
When you have made a stand, a table is installed on it. The material from which the table is made is concrete.

Take note: The thickness of the Neapolitan oven table should be just over twenty centimeters. This thickness is needed so that the table can support the rest of the structure of the Pompeian furnace.

The thermal insulation layer contains a concrete mixture. Also contains perlite. Perlite is a rock that is of volcanic origin, comes in the form of sand, and is used in the construction of various structures.

The wood-burning Pompeian oven itself for preparing various types of baked goods is made of bricks. The brick material must withstand high temperatures for the Neapolitan oven to function properly.

It is worth noting: it is necessary to carry out calculations to determine the ratio between sand and clay in order to make a material that will perform these functions. Otherwise, the Pompeii furnace will be unsuitable for operational use.

Thermal insulation is necessary, since the oven quickly reaches its temperature in a short period of time, and the cooling of the Neapolitan oven takes a rather long period, which allows you to cook pizza and other baked goods at different temperatures.

Installation nuances

The construction of a Neapolitan oven has its own characteristics and nuances that must be observed:

After the table for the Pompeii oven has been made, a circle drawing must be made on it. The average diameter of this circle should be one hundred centimeters. Along the outer edge, this circle is lined with cut bricks. You will get a so-called “well”, in which you need to put a certain type of thermal insulation material (the thermal insulation material can be different). The inside of this “well” is made of stone, as it is lined with stone tiles.
The construction of the domed part of the Pompeian oven is the most serious step in the construction of the Neapolitan oven. The dome (vault) is also made of bricks. Before building the vault, the bricks must be divided into halves.

Note: To easily build the dome component of a Neapolitan stove, you must use any type of frame installation. This frame must be either wooden or metal. The bricklaying must be smooth - without various defects.

You can build the dome part in different ways, which differ in the methods of laying bricks and their order. The order is the order in which the bricks are laid.

Note: The construction of the vault in a Pompeian oven is the most difficult work in the construction of the entire oven, so for the construction of this part of the Neapolitan oven it is best to turn to a professional.

Master's Note: The drying process of the thermal insulation layer should last half a month.

Overclocking

After the entire construction process is over and everything is dry, you need to start the Neapolitan oven.

To accelerate it, several days of heating are required:

The very first heating takes place using three kg of straw.
The next heating also takes place with the help of three and a half kilograms of straw.
For this burning you need almost four kg of wood chips.
For the fourth fire, you need a small log - a log.
For other fires, the amount of firewood just needs to be increased.

That is, in about a day you need to carry out seven firings to accelerate the Pompeii furnace.

Expert advice: If your Pompeian stove is not located indoors, but is located outside and is outdoors, then in order for the structure to be used for a long period of time, it is advisable that it be under a canopy.

For an outdoor Neapolitan stove, two layers will be required:

Thermal insulation layer, its thickness should be almost 15 millimeters.
Layer for a moisture-resistant surface. The thickness of this layer should be five millimeters.

If you are a true gourmet of Italian pizza, the Pompeian oven is a must-have for you.

Construction of a Neapolitan oven is a rather labor-intensive process, but it is not necessary to hire professional craftsmen.

Anyone can build a stove base (foundation), a stand, a table, or a chimney pipe. The main difficulty in the construction of this structure is the construction of the dome part, or in other words, a vault that has a hemispherical shape.

After the lengthy procedure of building a Pompeian oven, you will be happy with the result as you will be able to cook delicious Italian pizza at home for yourself, your family and friends.

Watch the video, which shows in detail the process of constructing a Pompeian pizza oven with your own hands: