Can the single block cooking surface crack?

No. If we were not sure of the performance of our ovens, we could not guarantee them.
Our refractory materials are used in those parts of the oven that are subject to both the direct action of flames and the thermal radiation of hot gases. By their intrinsic nature, especially during the first firing of the furnace, refractory materials may develop thin cracks in the portion of the surface refractory most exposed to heat; these thin cracks (of the order of two or three millimetres in thickness) are intended to absorb the expansion of the cement and to compensate for changes in its volume caused by the increase or decrease in temperature.
These subtle cracks in the dome and/or single block cooking surface in the oven are a natural consequence of the large temperature changes (300°/15°) caused by the heating and cooling cycle of all traditional Pavesi ovens and do not affect the oven’s performance or durability in any way.