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A cob oven costs almost nothing to build and produces a pizza no commercial oven can match.


:INFO
Building a Backyard Pizza Oven from Cob
A cob oven is built from clay, sand, and straw. With a proper foundation and dense cob dome, it retains enough heat to bake multiple pizzas and then bread as the temperature drops. Natural, durable, and beautiful.


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900 F
|
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3 Days

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Build the Foundation
A rubble trench or concrete block base elevates the oven to comfortable working height. Top with a layer of insulating cob or vermiculite concrete before the firebrick floor. The floor must be level and hold heat.

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Form the Dome
Build a sand form the shape of the interior dome. Lay cob in layers over the form. Inner dome diameter of 60 to 80 cm is ideal for a family oven. Let each layer dry before adding the next.

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Add Insulation
A 10 cm layer of insulating cob or perlite and clay mix over the structural dome dramatically improves heat retention. Finish with an earthen or lime plaster outer shell to protect from weather.

:CHECKLIST
Build Checklist
[ ] Foundation complete and level
[ ] Firebrick floor laid with refractory mortar
[ ] Sand form shaped and wetted
[ ] Structural cob dome completed in 2 to 3 layers
[ ] Dome dried for at least 48 hours before removing sand
[ ] Insulating layer applied and dried
[ ] Plaster finish applied and cured

:NOTE
Do not rush the drying between layers. Cracking from moisture trapped inside is the most common cause of dome failure. Small cracks are normal and can be patched.