How Brick Ovens Work

Brick ovens work differently than the modern ovens in most kitchens. Whereas those ovens allow the user to select a specific temperature which cooks the food for a specific amount of time and then is turned off, brick ovens take time to preheat before use, sometimes up to three hours. However, brick ovens will usually reach a temperature much higher than a home oven, between 600 and 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning a shorter cooking time and no wasted heat.

Depending on the budget, the construction of brick ovens can vary from the simple to the elaborate. Costs are based on many variables such as style, size, materials, and the location of the oven. The oven’s interior can be built with regular brick or firebrick, and thicker surfaces will be able to retain heat more. The height of the oven should be larger than the door’s size, with an ideal ratio of 1:1.6. Ovens require insulation to handle the extreme dry heat it will produce, and a flue should be near the door to allow air to escape. The first several fires set in the oven should be moderate to remove excess moisture from the materials used during construction, including the bricks.

So, how do brick ovens work?

Initially, a fire will be set in the oven and be allowed to burn until the temperature reaches approximately 800 degrees. The embers are pushed to the side or removed, and when the oven cools to the necessary temperature, the food to be cooked is put into the oven. When the temperature cools too much, another fire is kindled and the process repeats.

Brick ovens employ three cooking methods: radiant heat, convection, and conduction. Wood fired ovens have radiant heat, or heat from a direct source, emanating from two places, the burning wood and the stored heat in the oven’s dome and floor. Radiant heat will cook the food evenly from every side, and if the brick oven is constructed properly, the radiant heat will be used efficiently without any cold spots in the oven. Foods requiring high heat and short cooking times will employ this cooking method.

Ovens also cook food through convection, or heated air circulation through the oven. Cooler air comes into the brick oven through an access hole or through the open door and is heated quickly by the heat stored in the oven. The hot air passes steadily over the food, and it circulates until it escapes through the flue. With closed-door cooking, the insulating door can seal in the heat when the fire is removed, and the same process of heated air movement occurs.

Conduction, when heat is transferred between a warmer and a cooler object, is another method of cooking in the oven. One example is putting a pizza directly onto the oven floor, causing a crispy crust to form.