Crispy Campfire Pizza
Summer in Oregon is perfect for camping, but I often opt for simple meals while camping, like sausages or burgers. Don’t get me wrong, those are great options while hanging with friends and family around the campfire, but there are missed opportunities for culinary creations! In comes the Dutch oven, which most home cooks think of as a great way to make soups, sourdough bread, or roasting meat. That’s true, but it’s also a great way to cook over the open fire. You can use a standard Dutch oven, but using one with a deep lid and feet keeps coals in place and distributes heat much better. There are many possibilities when cooking over a fire, depending on how you distribute your coals. You can roast with a 1:1 ratio of coals on the lid and the bottom (e.g. 20 on top and bottom), or bake with 3:1 ratio (e.g. 30 coals on top and 10 on the bottom). Also, make sure to rotate every 10-15 minutes, as this ensures even cooking.The cast iron cooking surface makes for an ideal pan pizza or Detroit-style pizza. I prep the vast majority of this (dough, cheese, sauce, onions) at home before we leave for camping, pack it in the cooler, and then assemble it pretty quickly at the campsite about an hour before dinnertime. The key here is to get a highquality cheddar or mozzarella cheese and put it right to the edge of the pan, allowing the cheese to melt around the cast iron pan and crisp up, yielding a crunchy and delicious crust. Adding a thick and intense tomato sauce with caramelized onions will have you coming back for seconds and thirds.
Equipment
- 35-40 charcoal briquettes
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 300 g (00 or all-purpose flour)
- 6 g salt
- 2 g of active dry yeast
- 1-2 Italian sausages with casings removed and cut into bite size pieces
- 4 oz of cheddar and/or mozzarella cheese cut into small cubes
- 3 Tbsp of olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 Tbsp of oregano chopped or 1 tsp dried
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of onion powder
- 1 Tbsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of salt or more to taste
- 1 Large onion, sliced
Instructions
PRIOR TO PIZZA MAKING
- Make the dough: combine the flour, salt, and yeast along with 186 g (ml) of water. Combine by mixing, then using a dough hook and stand mixer (or by hand) kneed the dough for 8 minutes on low speed. The dough should be fairly smooth and easy to handle.
- Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the bowl and form the dough into a round ball. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (2-4 hours). Then refrigerate until ready to use, up to 72 hours.
- Make the sauce: add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a medium sauce pan and heat on medium heat. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Once the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the tomatoes along with the garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and turn to low.
- Allow the sauce to simmer until greatly reduced. It’s ready when it can coat the back of a spoon without slipping off, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- While the sauce is simmering, prepare the onions: add olive oil to a 12” pan on medium heat. Once heated, add the onions and add a pinch of salt, then cover until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and remove the lid, then cook until the onions are a light brown color, mixing occasionally. Place in a container and refrigerate until needed.
READY TO COOK
- Add a bit of olive oil in the the Dutch oven and add the dough. Spread to the edges of the pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then spread an inch or two up the edges of the Dutch oven to form the crust. You can repeat this process if the dough is cold or really stiff.
- Heat up the charcoal using your preferred method (I like to use a chimney starter).
- Place the diced cheese on top of the dough all the way to the edge of the pan. Add sausage and onions to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Place a thin layer of sauce on top and place lid on top of the Dutch oven.
- Using the baking method mentioned above (3:1 ratio of coals), place ¼ the coals on the ground in a fire pit, evenly distributed. Place the remaining ¾ of coals on the top of the lid.
- Cook for 30 minutes, rotating the pan every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.
- Check the pizza by lifting the lid with tongs. If the top is not browned, continue to cook, checking every 5 minutes until done. The pizza should slide out of the pan easily or with a spatula. Cut and enjoy while hot!
Notes
