Intro
This is a follow up post to the questions I asked about two years ago when we were building out our Mattone Barile. Our project has finally come to an end and we have been enjoying the oven for several seasons now. Photos attached below.
Dubbed the “Timbertop”, we incorporated the Brick Wood Design right into our pavilion and used the plans from “Backyard Flare” to come up with the accompanying fireplace. Easily, the greatest investment we have made to the enjoyment of our backyard and something I really enjoy using twice a week or more during the summer season.
There seems to be a lot of focus on using the oven for pizza on these forums. While we do host pizza parties quiet often, we really love using it to cook steak, fish & other sides in the screaming hot environment you can only achieve through woodfired masonry. It’s not uncommon for us during the busy week to pick up a cut of salmon, fire up the oven and cook a quick dinner with rice and a salad.
Things I like / dislike over two years of use
We produce awesome meals in the footprint of the smaller Mattone Barile oven.
Initially, we had issues with smoke coming out of the front, but as the oven dried out & I started splitting the firewood smaller, this went away. Once a fire is established, we quickly get a rolling flame as it goes out the chimney.
I find the center of the oven levels out around 650 - 800 degrees. Once the coals are pushed to the back, we get 4 pizzas before a reheat & with a small fire in the back, there is plenty of heat to sear a steak or cook our main dish.
I wish we had went with a wider oven so we could cook two pizzas side by side or put two dishes next to each other. Right now, I am shifting pans forward and back depending on what is cooking next.
I would love to experiment with the damper in the future as I believe there is untapped potential once the fire has gone out and there is a solid 450 degree oven for several hours.
Getting the hearth hot to cook for a prolonged period, such as making a longer meal, is sometimes challenging. Once the heat from start up has died down, we remedy this by using a grate and pulling coals forward to get heat from the top and bottom.
Many of these items are likely operator error and something we are getting better with over time. I have never had a bad experience striking a match and playing in the backyard. I tell all of my friends and family, this was the best thing we ever did.
Cost Breakdown
For anyone looking to these forums for inspiration, ideas and cost, we built everything you see here for around 25,000:
5,000 for dirt work and the footings & slab.
12,000 for the Pavilion. Timbers, Decorative hardware, Standing Seam Metal Roof.
5,000 for the Fireplace / Brickwood Oven.
3,000 for misc.
We did all of the work ourselves. So the costs above only reflect materials.
Photos
