Have you ever tried fresh and easy pizza?

[oldballcoach]

The frozen pizza's they make just destroy Digiorno or Freschetta. I guess papa murphy's is still the best but fresh and easy is a clear second. Agree?

[battle.borne]

Question for ya old ball coach.... What was your handle on the old boards?

[Nevadan]

ndm...........................

[Slapdad]

I never understood the whole go to a pizza place, buy a pizza, take it home and cook it thing. Cook the damn thing and then I'll take it.

[unionman]

I never understood the whole go to a pizza place, buy a pizza, take it home and cook it thing. Cook the damn thing and then I'll take it.

Exactly! Thats why I work, so somebody else can cook my pizza for me.

[Stuck in Seattle]

Exactly! Thats why I work, so somebody else can cook my pizza for me.

Ditto. But if I'm going to make a pizza I'm going to buy the ingredients and make the thing from start to finish as well.

[Posturedoc]

Ditto. But if I'm going to make a pizza I'm going to buy the ingredients and make the thing from start to finish as well.

I'm that way too, though it's been awhile since I last made a pizza from scratch, dough and all. I'd eventually like to build a wood burning oven outside that I could bake pizzas and bread in as well as roasting a chicken or three when the woman and I finally decide to start entertaining at home. I can just imagine an afternoon puttering around the veggie garden and orchard while firing the oven, baking a couple loaves of bread and finishing with a few chickens or a roast as the company comes over and we all toss back brews and wine before settling into our chairs for a twilight dinner.

That itinerary probably sounds dull as hell to some, but it's a perfect weekend day for me if you throw in a two hour mtn. bike ride on the front end.

[justintime]

There is a middle ground, if you're not dough inclined. A couple of my favorite local joints here in Tucson will sell you their (delicious) dough, and you roll it, top it, and cook it. If you like making your own stuff and are inclined to experiment with things usually not found at pizza joints (carmelized onion/smoked salmon is my current favorite), it's a nice way to go.

[Stuck in Seattle]

There is a middle ground, if you're not dough inclined. A couple of my favorite local joints here in Tucson will sell you their (delicious) dough, and you roll it, top it, and cook it. If you like making your own stuff and are inclined to experiment with things usually not found at pizza joints (carmelized onion/smoked salmon is my current favorite), it's a nice way to go.

No fish (or the greatest sin, pineapple) on my pizza thank you. Pepperoni, olives and mushrooms (lightly sauteed, not fresh). Lots of pepperoni. Plus good Italian sausage if it's available.

[Wolfsrudel]

P-Doc... I have given this idea a lot of thought over the past few years as well. I'm not sure if I will go with a pre-fab unit (http://www.mugnaini.com/builder/models), or... have a local mason build one. Have you given any thought to your potential outdoor pizza/bread oven?

Once I jettison the oldest to college, I may be in a better place to seriously consider the outdoor kitchen.

[Posturedoc]

P-Doc... I have given this idea a lot of thought over the past few years as well. I'm not sure if I will go with a pre-fab unit (http://www.mugnaini.com/builder/models), or... have a local mason build one. Have you given any thought to your potential outdoor pizza/bread oven?

Once I jettison the oldest to college, I may be in a better place to seriously consider the outdoor kitchen.

Wolfs, I've been thinking about it for two or three years now, but it's still down my list of priorities behind building rock walls for my orchard and a long list of other orchard and landscaping projects that are likely to take me at least the next two years to make an appreciable dent in. I've also got to dig (or have dug - my interest in manual labor only goes so far at my age) a very large hole where I want to drop in a concrete storage unit that will serve as a root/wine cellar. That's important because the wood-burning oven and smoker will go on top of it as part of a patio.

I want to build as much of the oven (all these things, actually) myself as I can. I have exactly zero experience in masonry, but that was the sum total of my experience with carpentry before I built 19 raised beds of various sizes and shapes for my raised bed vegetable garden the past two years. I'm not a natural talent in this area, but it can't be all that difficult. I doubt the result will make the pages of Sunset or Better Homes and Gardens, but I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I built it myself.

On the design front, I've got a friend who recently built a wood-fired oven, primarily to bake bread in, so I can copy as much of his design as I want. I also kept the home and garden section from the SF Chronical from a couple of years ago that gave instructions on building an earthen wood-fired pizza/bread oven. It wasn't very pretty, but it worked extremely well according to the article. I figured I could do some things to pretty it up if I go that route. If you're interested in the do it yourself angle, I can share the specifics of what I know, but it's really not all that much right now since I don't expect to build it soon.

[Wolfsrudel]

Interestingly enough, I am in the same boat. I only had room for 10 raised beds (put them in last spring) -- this year I will be working on refining my composting techniques.

When all is said and done, I will probably rely on a local mason for the oven. Mine will most likely be integrated into a larger outdoor kitchen, plumbed and wired for outdoor fridge, etc.

Let's plan on comparing notes in a couple of years, when we get closer to the goal of the perfect crust.

Thanks for your insight.

Oh... and this guy seems to be well referenced on the net for construction and plans, etc. He is out of Point Reyes, CA.
http://www.ovencrafters.net/catalog.htm#anchor1893376

[Posturedoc]

Interestingly enough, I am in the same boat. I only had room for 10 raised beds (put them in last spring) -- this year I will be working on refining my composting techniques.

When all is said and done, I will probably rely on a local mason for the oven. Mine will most likely be integrated into a larger outdoor kitchen, plumbed and wired for outdoor fridge, etc.

Let's plan on comparing notes in a couple of years, when we get closer to the goal of the perfect crust.

Thanks for your insight.

Oh... and this guy seems to be well referenced on the net for construction and plans, etc. He is out of Point Reyes, CA.
http://www.ovencrafters.net/catalog.htm#anchor1893376

Thanks for the link, Wolfs. I've got both you gave on this thread saved into my home improvement tab.

I am, of course, interested in your garden and your success/failures/war stories (damned deer invaded in late summer for the 1st time in the 10 years I've owned my current home. I hate them, which reminds me, I need to add building a deer fence around much of my property to the To Do list. Might have to hire that one out, but the price, the price!!) and would love to tour your efforts if and when your interested in letting me see them. I would be happy to reciprocate should you have an interest in seeing my garden/landscape in progress.