100 litre bag of thermiculite from Vitcas Refractory Products, sounds a lot but it's just enough to cover the top of the base for my pizza oven. Anyway, I've cemented it in and it's finished, all done with. Just got to put my pizza oven on top and I'm away. True (ish) story.
Err surely you need most of the insulation above the oven (I used expanded clay pellets mixed with cement/two layers with rockwool in between) since the heat loss is at the top not the bottom seeing as heat rises!... Here's the one I built earlier (2015)....
Sorry if you are already experienced at pizza making but a couple of tips. Pru Leith on Bake off told the contestants to put the pizza base on the padella BEFORE putting the toppings on. WRONG!! I use a stainless steel prep area to rollout my bases (thin and crispy using semolina flour to make sure they dont stick. I also use stainless steel padellas (You dont need wooden ones. Make sure you sprinkle the padella with semolina flour before you slide it under the Pizza (with a fairly brisk action . That way it doesn't stick. I learnt the hard way when my first attempt ended up on the floor and my 3rd attempt stuck on the padella trying to slide it off in the oven and half the topping (olives etc ended up on the stone rather than the pizza. I presume you have the brass long handled brush and padellas you need. I have had 3 years practise now and even my Italian friends like my Pizzas having first been really sceptical - English?? Cooking PIzza???? IT IS harder than it looks. I CAN spin them in the air now t (used to think it was 'just for show') but it is done to force the air to the edge if you want Neapolitan pizza but locals here do tend to prefer the thin ones that are crisp right to to the edge. EDIT PS YOU get a crisper base if you add some Semolina flour ( maize -ground a bit finer than polenta ) and as I said it is great to stop the dough sticking to the padella
I use a wooden peel for launching, then a metal for turning/removal. Got a Uuni pizza oven last year - stepped up my pizza game to the next level.
Blimey, what started as a throwaway "funny" comment has turned into a pizza masterclass. I'm still way off making my first pizza, I'm, on my 6th course of bricks to make my base/wood store. I've never laid a brick before in my life, so I'm learning as I go.
post some pictures when you're done - I'm interested to see how you get along! next step for me is to try a sourdough base, had one at a place in Edinburgh that was awesome!
Whatever works for you. I have a square larger peel for the launch and doming (on the rare occasions I need to) and a smaller round one to turn them and also move the wood around the oven (both stainless steel) which works for me. I also have one of those laser thermometers (fluke) which takes the quesswork out getting the correct temperature i.e. 400C on the stone and around 900C at the top centre of the dome.
