Dutch Oven Pizza

Usually when cooking in a Dutch oven, we're cooking in a campsite where too much mixing of ingredients is impractical.  As a result, for many meals we tend to use mixes and pre-made components.  Pizza is one of those meals. There isn't a long list of ingredients or directions.  I felt it was worth writing a post anyway, though, because this is a great way to get the kids involved in the Dutch oven cooking process.  It also happens to be one of their favorite camping meals, and there are a few tips and tricks I've learned.

In terms of ingredients, the most crucial item is your favorite ready-made pizza dough ball.  We like to use Portland Pie Company's beer dough, which we can buy in our local grocery store, but any dough will work.  You'll also want your favorite sauces, cheeses, and toppings.  We've pictured a pepperoni pizza (the boys favorite) with Ragu pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni, but we've done gourmet combinations in the Dutch oven before, so get creative!

As you can see, we line the Dutch oven first with liner paper that you can buy in most places Dutch ovens are sold.  You can use aluminum foil as well if you don't have liner paper, but using the foil requires that you use a cooking spray or other grease on the foil that isn't needed with liner paper.  Paper also enables you to rotate the pizza in the oven to facilitate even cooking.  That doesn't work as well with foil.  The most important reason to use either is to facilitate getting the pizza out of the bottom of the oven easily and in tact so you can cut it.  It has the added benefit of virtually eliminating clean up!

We take the standard size dough ball and cut about 1/3 off when cooking in our #14 Dutch ovens.  The full ball gives you a really thick crust - thicker than we prefer.  Since we have two #14's and one pizza is not enough for a family of four, we usually cook two at once, and then cook off a third made from the excess dough while we are eating.  The third one usually gets shared with others or saved for snacks.

While your briquettes are heating:

1. Stretch your dough by hand, place on the liner paper.
2. Place the liner in the  oven.
3. Let the kids add sauce, cheese and toppings.
4. Cover and add heat.

In terms of heat, it's really important with pizza not to overheat the bottom of the oven.  I use 12 briquettes as evenly spread as possible under the #14 oven and about 18 on top.  If I need to add heat, I add briquettes to the top and keep the heat on bottom the same.  This minimizes burning of the crust.  Also, your top briquettes should be placed around the perimeter of the oven, leaving the center clear.  This type of top heat should be used for all breads and bread based recipes, because it minimizes scorching of the top of your meal.  Check your pizza after about 20 minutes.  Then check fairly regularly and often after that.  Turn the pizza a quarter turn each time you check it to help it cook evenly.

When the crust is done, remove from the oven by gripping the liner paper.  Then cut and enjoy!