Hi! I'm a new member to this forum, and I need help figuring out what I need in a wood fired oven. I'm a Californian (from Napa and Sonoma) who relocated to Chile 20 years ago. I don't have access to books or other resources here, so I'm turning to the wonderful Internet for ideas and plans, and I'm hoping you can help me out. I've browsed through this section of the forum and found some great ideas and pointers, but I have a few more specific questions. As for the kind of oven I'm hoping to build, I want to do some long bake days, starting with pizzas, then moving through breads and roast meats and veggies, and finishing with some slow baking (beans or custards or what-have-you). Here are my initial questions:
--What are the advantages and disadvantages of a round vs. square oven floor?
--What would be a good size? The Fornobravo plans are for 36" or 42" round, whereas I was thinking around 39" square (i.e., a square meter). I foresee baking four pizzas at a time and 6 or 8 loaves at a time. Any suggestions?
--Is the chimney best in the front, center, or back? A lot of photos I've seen have the chimney at the front, but I think the center placement looks better (though of course function trumps esthetics).
--Other than fornobravo, can you recommend any good plans that you know work? I'm planning on a cement-and-brick structure, not adobe or clay.
Thanks in advance for your help and advice!
Saludos,
Jen