WHY BUILD A CLAY PIZZA AND BREAD OVEN ?
There are many benefits to building a wood-fired, clay oven in your garden. However, you may need a little encouragement or may even need a little help to convince your partner that it’s a great idea so I have listed just a few of the benefits below.
1. It’s all about the food
If you love food and love cooking then a clay oven will take your experience to another level. If you have never eaten a pizza cooked at 350°C for 1 minute in a clay oven – you have never eaten a pizza! Just imagine a thin, crispy, slightly smoky base covered in hot melted cheese, olive oil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, dried cured sausage, smoked ham, anchovies…do I need to continue? How about loaves of hot bread cooked to perfection, cracked open and smothered in real butter or a large joint of lamb or pork belly cooked slowly over several hours in the oven’s residual heat and then falling off the bone when you serve it. I think you get the picture. Cooking in a traditional clay oven is wonderful; it feels different and definitely tastes different.
2. Outdoor oven cooking is fun
Who wants to be indoors, slaving over a hot oven, on a warm, sunny day? If you love your barbecue then you’ll love the extra flexibility that cooking with the garden, clay oven provides. Baking alfresco and eating alfresco is fun and communal. On a sunny afternoon gather friends together for a pizza party where they get to construct their own pizzas, choosing combinations of sauces and toppings, before popping them into the oven for a minute or so, eating, sharing then coming back for more. It really is great fun and kids absolutely love it!
3. Your friends will be jealous
Really! Everyone who experiences these ovens wants one for themselves. In fact, I guarantee that once you have built one for yourself you will be called upon at least once to help a friend to build their own clay oven.
4. They look great in any garden
The oven is the focal point in any garden and certainly the main talking point for visitors, regardless what else is in the garden. Made from natural materials, a clay oven will enhance the look of any garden, large or small.
5. You don’t need lots of space
Finally, you don’t need a huge garden in which to construct a clay oven. You need only build the size that suits your needs. There are different size bases for your oven. You can safely build them near to other buildings because, apart from the chimney and front entrance, the external surfaces of the ovens stay remarkably cool during use.
