Chilean Pizza Oven – Casa Amealco

Chilean ovens use typical a combination of a mud vault and the modification of an oil drum to develop a super efficient oven, fit for barbecuing, baking and regular cooking.

Ashes can be collected below for making of waterproofing with lime / soaps.

Above: A simple sketch from https://slice.seriouseats.com/2011/10/slice-over-a-barrel.html showing the section / principle of the barrel oven.

This series of photos is a resultant of a two day oven and pizza making workshop. Pizzas were made successfully by the end of day 2.

We start by making the base

Then simple forms are used to build two arches, as the students wanted to understand installation and removal of forms. Normally the drum itself works as a form work.

The vault is then extended to cover the whole drum cavity. 

Finally the drum is installed in place after the forms are removed. The gap between the drum and the vault is sealed only at the ends allowing a 1″ flue space and an exhaust at the end, working like a rocket stove space.

A fire can be lit the same day, to dry the wet earth, allow it to crack and finally seal it with a plaster. Ideally these ovens are to be fired only after curing (30 days minimum).

But for a workshop setting it is always fun to make an oven and eat pizza the same day.

PS: I honed Pizza making and use of woodfired ovens while while working at a bakery in Montreal (st Viateurs) while I was a masters student. I teach pizza and bagel making as a part of this workshop.