A cheap DIY pizza oven that actually works

We love pizza, especially the wood fired kind. Roman, Neapolitan, New Haven, the list goes on... You can try and make it at home but most media will have you believe you need a professional oven handcrafted in Italy. There are options like ooni's or DIY domes, but none of them really fit my budget or attention span, so I decided to set myself a challenge.

In this video, we build a real wood-fired pizza oven WITHOUT tools, concrete, money, or patience. We also go thru a quick recipe for a decent pizza that should satisfy your restaurant cravings.

This video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please under no circumstances should you ever build this or any inferno box in your backyard without proper engineering, design, construction, and experience.

Know that anything you do is *AT YOUR OWN RISK: If you try this yourself, you are doing so at your own risk. Adult supervision is required. Consult a physician before performing any physical activity. Do not get burnt – surfaces are extremely hot. Ensure that you do not use fire irresponsibly or in areas that are susceptible to combustion. You may wish to consult with your local fire department. Ensure that you have immediate access to fire extinguishment equipment. Do not consume materials that are not intended for consumption, cut yourself with sharp objects, cook on surfaces that are not intended for food preparation, ignite materials that are explosive, or ingest food that has not sufficiently cooled down.

Oven materials I used:
36 cinder blocks 8x8x16
1/8th steel sheets size varies mine are around 20x20 each.
a bunch of standard kiln or fireplace brick(kiln brick is more delicate but they were the cheapest option for me.)

I built the cinder base over a gravel foundation. I Dug an 8 inch deep trench and compacted the clay underneath, filled with gravel, and topped with flagstone.

The design of the oven is a steel bottom and top for durability and high thermal conductivity. The walls are designed from fireproof material to help keep the heat inside. Underneath the steel bottom is a flat cinder side to allow for even heat retention.

Fire is lit in the center first to preheat the floor, then moved to the edges to provide the side convective heat.


Recipe:
75% hydration dough
450 ml filtered water (heavily chlorinated water messes with the yeast)
600 g high quality bread or pizza flour
10 grams salt

Mix flour gradually into water until combined, add yeast and fold until combined. let rest for 20 minutes, then fold in on itself until smooth, cover and let sit at room temp for 1 hour before putting in the fridge.

Sauce:
san marzano tomatoes, salt to taste with a splash of olive oil, some pecorino, and fresh basil.

Toppings:
whatever you want, but for cheese, I recommend drying out some fresh mozarella via paper towels, or my personal favorite diced Oaxaca cheese.

references:
associazione verace pizza napoletana:
https://www.pizzanapoletana.org/en/

adam ragusea trying a grill pizza stone:
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Timecodes:
00:00 - intro
01:00 - research
02:12 - DIY options
02:55 - Do not try this at home
03:39 - my version
04:54 - recipe
06:25 - wine