Backcountry Kitchen: Campfire Pizza

You could make the argument that the one downside of camping is that you can't get pizza delivery at campgrounds.* Fortunately, making your own in the woods is pretty simple. Cooking on an open fire has a bit of a learning curve, but it is easy once you get the hang of it.

First, there are a few things you need to think about when you pack. How you bring the dough along depends a bit on your camping plans. If you're going for a quick day hike to your campsite, make the dough ahead of time, place in a plastic baggie, and let it rise while you're hiking. If you're on a multi-day backpacking trip, leaving dough to rise for 3 days in a warm backpack probably isn't the best idea. In that case, you'll want to make the dough at camp. It's super easy, albeit a bit of a mess.

Your choice of gear is something to take into consideration. If you're car camping, you can't beat a cast-iron skillet. If you're in the backcountry, the bottom of a camp pot would be suitable, but you'll just need to be extra careful about burning the dough since they're made with much thinner metal.

You'll need these three basics:

• A bowl to mix in. I like to use one of my camp pots. I've also seen plastic baggies used with some success;
• A "rolling pin." I like to use a clean Nalgene;
• Your pot or pan.

*Outdoor Project editors have not fact-checked this claim.

Dough

• 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 packet of yeast
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/4 Tbsp sugar
• warm water

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add warm water bit by bit until you have the desired consistency. You want it to be a little sticky. Let rise for at least 30 minutes.

Cooking Over a Fire

To cook on an open fire, you want to wait until the wood dies down to mostly coals. Arrange a few large rocks from the edge of your fire ring to stabilize the pan or pot and leave for 5 minutes for everything to heat up. 

Pour about 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan and place your rolled-out dough in. Let cook for 4 minutes and flip the dough. Quickly throw all of your toppings on and cover with a sheet of tinfoil. Let cook another 4 minutes.

When deciding on your toppings, you'll want to consider that they won't be getting totally cooked through. Cold chicken or big chunks of cheese are probably not going to turn out using this method. I typically opt for lower-volume toppings that still taste good raw. Things like bell peppers and red onions work out well—use your imagination and a healthy dose of curiosity.

The "This is All I Had In My Cooler" Pizza

• 1 Avocado
• Cream cheese
• Diced red onions
• Cayenne

Dice the avocado and red onions ahead of time, as not to burn your pie. Place dollops of cream cheese a few inches apart all over the pizza. Once everything is cooked and hot, smear everything evenly.