Brick, time & a little practice
The first fire is a small one.
An oven is built wet. Mortar, the base, and cast pieces need time to dry before the oven reaches cooking heat.
Curing means easing it in
We let the completed work rest, then follow a written drying and firing schedule for the materials in your oven. The first fires are small. Later fires grow a little at a time, allowing moisture to leave gradually.
This takes several days of staged fires after the initial drying period. The exact schedule depends on the build and weather; we leave it with you and walk through it. Don’t jump to a full pizza fire to hurry the process.
Then we bake together
Once curing is complete, we return for the included two-hour first-bake lesson. We show you how to start the cooking fire, move the coals, and make room on the cooking floor. You turn a pizza with the peel, then we work through a loaf as the oven cools.
We leave notes for the oven you own, including the first-fire schedule and what we practiced. Bring questions and dough; we bring the teaching peel for the lesson.
A stand that belongs in the yard
We build brick or cast-piece ovens on masonry stands, with the finish agreed in the estimate. We check setbacks with your town first, then consider the route for materials and the room you need to prepare food.
If our workmanship needs attention, tell us and we will look at it. We explain the finish and joints at handoff so you know what you are looking at as the oven settles into use.