Wood burning pizza oven

For something a bit different we are having a "pizza night" for our birthdays (both on 1st July) and to be authentic I have built a wood burning pizza oven.

It sits on the shelf over a log store for our outside fireplace (which does have a chimney pot) and isapprox 24" round and the same high. The cooking base is a heavy set smooth concrete slab with the corner cut off to allow the round shape to be formed. The clay is mixed with water and sharp sand (the sand helps to prevent cracking) and is formed around the base. A wooden former is used to make the opening. Once the sides are up so far I made a mould with damp sand and the clay was laid over this about 3" thick. As a strenghener some wire mesh was laid over this first layer of clay and a second layer of clay was added. The second layer was about 2" thick.

As the clays surface began to dry, the surface was smoothed with a trowel dipped in water. It will dry out over the next couple of weeks and will be kept covered with polythene to stop any rain causing damage and to prevent it drying out too quickly. Cracks will occur due to the thickness of the clay but these will be constantly filled with wet clay until the structure is dry and no more cracks occur.

At this point the sand will be removed and a few more days of drying allowed before a couple of gentle firingd are undertaken. Providing nothing too bad goes tits up we can then have a trial run.

I cant wait, I want to cook one now.