4.6 Emily "Cooking with Fire: Pizza Recipe For Your Backyard Dinner"

One of my favorite things about camping is getting to cook meals over the fire. It feels to me like a primitive art form that has been lost to our modern conveniences. The smell of woodsmoke and the flavor it brings into the food is second to none. I won't deny that cooking in this manner is time-consuming, but so worth the result if your willing to put in the effort. Here is the method and recipe for one of my favorite meals over the fire, pizza.

Preparation

Cooking over fire takes some serious time to organize. You must have the proper tools and equipment to get a successful result.
These are some essential items that I deem necessary:

•  Firepit with grate
• Coal poker
• 12" cast iron skillet
• Aluminum Foil
• Dry Wood

The first item of business is to start your fire. I like to start it a least 1-1.5 hours before I begin cooking. This ensures that the fire will have burned down and created a nice bed of coals to cook over. A proper fire temperature is key otherwise your food will be burned to a crisp in a matter of minutes. While your fire is burning, you can start assembling the pizza recipe.

Recipe

I like to make my own crust from scratch, but you can certainly substitute a pre-made crust to your liking. 

Crust:

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 T. active dry yeast

1 T. oil

1 c. warm water

Mix ingredients together until yeast is dissolved, begin to add flour until dough is no longer sticky. 

Oil the cast iron skillet and press the dough into the bottom. Choose your favorite pizza sauce and smother the crust. Layer your pizza with any additional toppings you choose. I've listed a few of my favorites below.

Toppings:

• Pepperoni
• Spicy sausage
• Fresh basil
• Spinach
• Oregano
• Bell peppers
• Banana peppers
• Goat cheese
• Onions
• Fresh jalapenos
• Kalamata olives

Cooking Process

1. Once your pizza is assembled, cover the cast iron skillet with aluminum foil. This helps trap the heat in so that the pizza cooks evenly. 

2. Place the pizza on the grate over the fire. Make sure not to place the pan over the hottest part, indirect heat is better. Use coal poker to spread out the coals if needed. 

3. Make sure to turn the pan every few minutes to help all sides of the pizza cook evenly. 

4. Peek under the tin foil every few minutes to make sure that the top of the pizza is cooking thoroughly. If not, place some hot coals on top of the foil to help trap heat. 

5. After approximately 30 minutes the pizza should be fully cooked and ready to eat. The crust of the pizza should be dark, but not burned, with cheese that is completely melted. 

6. Remove from pan, cut and enjoy!