Wood Fired Brick Oven

This post is about a personal project of mine.  I have started what has turned out to be quite an ambitious project to build my own wood fired brick oven.  Before I started my bakery I purchased the book "The Bread Builders: Hearth Loaves and Masonry Ovens" by Allen Scott and Daniel Wing, with the thought that maybe I'd build my own oven.  When I was living on my parent's farm, in Hampton, NE, I built a very rough oven based on the plans from this book.  I didn't bake any loaves in this oven but I did learn that a very hot oven can make some fantastic pizzas.  This was the inspiration for my current project.  Now in my house in Lincoln, NE I have the space for a real brick oven that can bake both bread and pizzas.  The oven that I've chosen to build is based on an Italian brick oven that I'm told is popular throughout Italy.  You can get the plans free, like me, at http://www.fornobravo.com/. These plans are similar to what Allen Scott has described in the previous mentioned book.  As for mentioned, I thought that I might use this type of oven in my bakery but after seeing this type of oven used commercially decided that I would use a gas fired commercial oven for its regularity and convenience.  There are enough factors to control with the dough itself that I felt that I didn't need to add another layer of complexity.  The oven that I use now is from Italy and is similar to what I used in Montreal and France that I didn't feel like I was cheating the process.  Almost four years later I am very happy with my decision.  This project is for my own personal satisfaction.  I love making my own pizzas and why not make them in my own backyard pizza oven?

The first photo is where I've decided to build the oven.  My schedule hasn't allowed me a lot of time to work on the oven.  I'm embarrassed to say how long ago I started on the foundation.  The second photo is where I am up to date.  It shows the four posts that I've poured to support the foundation and the dimensions of the oven.  It seems quite large but the oven dome that will rest on the foundation will end up being 42 inches in diameter with some room for the opening.  I hope to have an update soon that shows a lot of progress.  I want to have this oven done before the end of the year.  I've been talking about this to my employees for a while and they are expecting a pizza party.  I can't disappoint!

Before digging.

Dimension of the oven and four posts poured.