Abstract: A cooking oven is made with a flat base of refractory material and a dome of refractory material forming an enclosure in which solid fuel is burned while resting directly on the base and food is also cooked directly on the base. An opening is provided in the dome wall through which fuel and food can be separately inserted within the oven. Only a relatively small part of the dome is removed to form the opening, which extends only part way up the full height of the dome. A flue is located just outside the opening so that combustion products from the fuel pass generally horizontally through the enclosed space and out the opening and up the flue. A closure is provided to shut the opening to limit the escape of heat. The dome is made by casting hemispherical sectors of refractory material and assembling the sectors into a dome on the base. The sectors are formed with interlocking edges to help hold them together and the entire dome can be enclosed within an insulated chamber..