Pizza Oven

How to build a Forno, wood fired brick oven

History

The term al forno refers to a traditional Italian style of cooking that relies on wood-burning ovens and open-flame grills. Over time, the brick oven—with its arched doorway and wooden board used to slide food in and out—has become a signature symbol of this timeless method.

One of the earliest known examples of a forno was discovered in Pompeii, Italy, offering a remarkable glimpse into ancient cooking traditions.

One of the oldest evidence of a forno is in Pompeii, Italy.

Our forno in use during the annual Halloween Party.  Kirk is usually the baker but I was giving him a break.

In 2009, my husband and I decided to build our own backyard forno from scratch, with tremendous help from my father-in-law, Ernie Ruffo, a retired stone mason. While you can certainly purchase kits made of unglazed ceramic pieces that assemble at home, even those require a proper stand and enclosure. Ultimately, we chose to build everything ourselves, including a base measuring 5’6″ x 4’6″ x 3′. The structure sits on a concrete foundation and is faced with river rock and clinker bricks. Although you don’t need to be a mason to tackle a project like this, understanding basic brick construction definitely helps.

Planning the Base

To begin, we incorporated an opening within the base to store and age wood before burning. Since we regularly trim our fruit trees, we use the clippings as kindling. It’s important to note that only fruit, nut, or hardwoods should be used in a pizza oven—they burn the hottest and are free of sap. You can consult a wood-burning chart to compare how different species perform. Additionally, a pizza oven can easily be integrated into a full outdoor kitchen.

The completed oven

Designing the Oven

We shaped our oven like a volcano, inspired by Mt. Vesuvius near Pompeii—the site of that ancient pizza oven discovery. The base of the oven is 3 feet in diameter and built from fire brick bonded with fire-resistant mortar.

Building the Base Structure

Next, we placed a custom 2″ deep steel pan on top of the concrete block walls. This pan allowed for a 6″ overhang beyond the stone and brick facing. Kirk then created a plywood template for the 3′ oven floor and cut the fire bricks accordingly, leaving a void for the floor of the oven’s opening.

Creating the Cavity of the Oven

To form the oven’s curved shape, we first sculpted a mound of sand and coated it with a thin layer of stucco. Once the stucco dried, it created a sturdy shell to build against. From there, we began dry-stacking the bricks.

After the stucco was dry we started to dry stack the bricks.

At this stage, it was essential to use refractory mortar—also known as fire mud—at every joint. We chose light yellow fire brick for the oven floor. Using hardened mortar pieces as spacers, we worked to create the angled vertical walls.

Solidifying the Oven

After the bricks were in place, we filled all the voids with refractory mortar. Then, we coated the entire exterior of the oven with another layer of the same fire-resistant mortar. We also applied mortar inside the oven’s opening for added stability and finish.

Adding Insulation

Once the brick structure could support itself, we removed the sand and stucco shell. Next, we wrapped the entire exterior in a woven ceramic blanket capable of insulating up to 2300°F—critical for an oven that regularly exceeds 1000°F.

Stuccoing the Exterior

After insulating, we secured the blanket by covering it with wire mesh. This provided both stability and a base for the stucco. For the first stucco layer, we mixed in perlite for its insulating properties (easily found at most hardware stores).

After applying the scratch coat, we allowed it to fully cure before adding additional layers. This step is crucial—any trapped moisture can expand when the oven is heated, causing cracks. The next layer, known as the brown coat, allowed us to refine the oven’s final shape.

Finish Coat

By the time we reached the finish coat, the shape of the volcano-inspired peak was almost complete. While Kirk finished the exterior stucco work, I went back and filled any small joints missing mortar. The entire oven then needed several weeks to cure, depending on the weather.

Even though our exterior mosaic wasn’t finished yet, we couldn’t resist firing up the oven for our first wood-fired pizza session. 

Later, we completed the mosaic using dark gray smooth stones and lava rock—an homage to our volcanic theme.

Pizza Oven Building Tips

• Make sure that the opening of the oven is large enough for your pizza peel. 
  We buy ours from the local restaurant supply, but you can also purchase online.
• Use gloves that are rated over 800 F and that cover your forearms.  The
  oven gets really hot and you do not want to burn your hands or hair on
  your arms.
• Purchase a laser thermometer that goes to at least 1000 F.  The laser will help you find the best place to bake your pizza. 
• After the oven is up to temperature the floor should be wiped down to remove ash.  We use these towels.

Wrapping Up

I’ll be sharing recipes and cooking techniques for the forno in future posts.

Have you built your own wood-fired oven? Would you try it? Feel free to ask any questions about our process!

Cheers,
Amy

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