Wood Burning Oven: From Stone To Refractory Materials

In ancient times the oven was used for cooking all types of food: bread and pizza were the most popular, but also meat and the vegetables were cooked in a wood burning oven. We have found ovens dating back to the Roman era, centuries before the birth of Christ.

In Pompei, near the place where the first pizza margherita was made, there are examples of ovens with characteristics similar to those of today, the only difference being the material of manufacture; naturally occurring stone was placed dry or with wet earth (clay), forming an igloo-shaped hut with a very small opening to insert food. Today, ovens can be made of refractory materials, brick or steel. The stone for the dome has been replaced with higher performance and lighter materials.

Since the appearance of brick, the wood burning oven has changed structure and shape; the igloo has given way to a low vault which facilitates the construction of the oven. In 1889 during the visit of the Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, Raffaele Esposito, a Neapolitan chef, prepared a personalized pizza portraying the colors of the Italian flag: white, red and green, mozzarella, tomato and basil. Thus the pizza margherita was born, still the most common food in the world. In the 70s the oven changed again: the brick oven gave way to the oven made of refractory material. The refractory oven has the great advantages of thermal efficiency and heat retention compared to the brick oven. It may be composed of multiple parts that need to be assembled or of a monoblock. The thickness of the refractory oven varies depending on the needs.

The greater the thickness, the greater the thermal resistance. The refractory oven is a mix of silico-aluminous materials which together give the best results for perfect cooking. At this time, domes made of refractory materials are being studied, lighter and therefore faster in heating the oven. The refractory oven has changed the method of installation of the oven. Composed of prefabricated parts, it is simple and easy to install even for inexperienced users.

This type of oven works best after some careful considerations : the floor which supports it must be at a height that will allow the operator to work comfortably with the floor of the oven; secondly, it is first necessary to install the floor and then continue with the dome and thirdly, it must be insulated with ceramic fiber and mortar for optimum thermal efficiency of the oven. In fact, the thicker the insulation layer is, the longer the heat stays in the oven.

On the contrary, with thin insulation, the oven would cool down immediately. The refractory wood burning oven can be covered with a dome (classic Neapolitan oven) or built into the wall.

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