Building Our DIY Backyard Pizza Oven
There’s something pretty special about building something with your hands… even more so when it involves your dad and ends in pizza nights with friends.
When my dad came down to help us build a pizza oven, it quickly turned into one of those projects we’ll always remember. Simple in approach, but so satisfying to see it all come together.
Starting with the base
We began by laying down a solid base of fire bricks. This forms the cooking floor and holds heat really well, which is key for getting that proper crispy base.
From there, we added a cardboard mould that gave us a clean 700mm diameter dome to work with. It took a lot of the guesswork out of shaping the oven and made the whole process feel a lot more approachable.
700mm diameter Pizza Oven Mould
2. Building the dome
Once the mould was in place, we started building up the dome using layers of refractory cement. This part takes a bit of patience, slowly applying layers and letting them set properly, but it is what gives the oven its strength and heat retention. It is one of those jobs where it does not look like much at the start, and then suddenly it becomes an oven.
3. Locking in the heat
After the dome had set, we added the flue to help with airflow and smoke direction. Then came insulation, wrapping the whole thing in a fire blanket, followed by chicken wire to hold everything in place.
Finally, we rendered over the top to give it that smooth, solid finish and protect everything underneath.
4. The best part
The mould came out surprisingly easily, a very satisfying moment, and after letting everything cure for a few days, we fired it up for the first time.
That first cook felt like a bit of a milestone. The kind of project where the process is just as good as the end result.
Ready for long nights
Now it is all about using it, slow evenings, friends around, kids running barefoot, and a steady rotation of pizzas going in and out.
We are still figuring out our rhythm with it, so if you have any tips on the best wood to use, cooking temps, or your go to dough recipe, we are all ears!
We hope this inspires you to give something like this a go in your own backyard.
And a big thank you to Dad for making it happen.
G’day! We’re Al + Imo
We’re a husband and wife duo, building our dream life one DIY project at a time.
We firmly believe what you learn should be shared which is why we created our Journal. A place where you can learn new skills and be inspired by other creatives.
