Have you ever baked a pizza in cast iron over a fire pit? If not then lets change that! We recently embarked on a pizza-making challenge during one of our Friday fire pit nights, and it turned out to be a gamechanger. Craving the flavors and some outside relaxation, and since we already had the ingredients we accepted the challenge. Armed with an incredibly easy pizza dough recipe and our cast iron Dutch oven, we set out to create a mouthwatering fire pit pizza.
Pizza dough recipe: The Secret to quick and easy dough
When it comes to pizza dough, we wanted something quick, easy, and, of course, delicious. After the hubs did some research, he stumbled upon Samantha’s (@sugarspunrun) amazing dough recipe. While she has many great recipes, we were focused on finding the perfect dough for our fire pit pizza adventure. Samantha’s recipe was the answer we were looking for-the dough rises in just thirty minutes! Soft and not too crispy, it was exactly what we needed. We followed Samantha’s ingredient list and made a few tweaks to the baking process, which we’ll share with you. Let’s go!
(This dough recipe belongs to @sugarspunrun. We are only sharing it for the purpose of this article and in no way claim ownership of it.)
- Ingredients for the dough:
- 2-2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour OR bread flour divided
- 1 packet instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon garlic powder and/or dried basil leaves (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional
- ¾ cup warm water
Instructions:
1.) You will combine 1 cup of flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add garlic powder and dried basil at this point as well if you choose to include.
2.) Add olive oil and warm water, and using a wooden spoon stir well until completely mixed.
3.) Gradually add another 1 cup of flour, stirring until the dough forms a cohesive, elastic ball. If needed, add more flour (we did up to an additional 1/3 cup) until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. The dough will still be slightly sticky but should be manageable with your hands. If the dough is sticking to your fingers to much then you need to add a little more four to it, also rub flour on your hands as well to help prevent sticking.
4.) Drizzle a separate large, clean bowl with olive oil and use a pastry brush to coat the entire inside surface.
5.) Shaping the pizza dough into a round ball, place it in the oiled bowl. Brush olive oil on the outside and top of the dough, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm spot (since it’s so hot here I just take it outside on the covered patio in the shade) for it to rise.
6.) Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
7.) Once the dough has risen, use your hand to press gently into the middle of your dough to release any air trapped inside. Knead your dough a few times till smooth. (Before you do this step go ahead and place your cast iron directly over the fire with a little olive oil in it so it can start getting hot.)
Baking the pizza: The magic
1.) Now it’s time to bake! With your cast iron over the fire heated with oil in it. Pull the cast iron away from the fire and place the dough inside (BE CAREFUL IT’S HOT!) Press it out to your desired shape, then set the cast iron back over the fire, UNCOVERED, for approximately 10 minutes. This SLIGHT browning on the bottom will make a noticeable difference in the softness of the crust.
2.) Once it is SLIGHTLY brown, flip the dough over and start dressing your pizza with your favorite toppings. For an extra touch, brush some olive oil around the edges of the dough to achieve a beautiful golden brown crust.
3.) Once you’ve added all your desired toppings, place the lid on top of the cast iron and COVER it with hot embers or timber from the fire. This method allows the ingredients on top to bake while the fire cooks the dough to perfection on the bottom.
4.) Keep an eye on the pizza and bake it for approximately 15 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of doneness. The cooking time may vary depending on how your cast iron is positioned over the fire, so it’s important to check and adjust as needed.
5.) Once pizza is ready, carefully remove it from the fire using oven mitts or heat-resistant gloves, Allow it to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
We absolutely love this fire pit pizza recipe, we have made this recipe a few times and it has always turned out delicious. The combination of flavor and soft crust, and the outdoor cooking creates a relaxing time. I will say we’ve made this pizza multiple times, it has never failed us. Once you’ve tried a pizza baked in a cast iron over a fire, you’ll understand why it’s hard to go back to traditional oven-baked pizzas.
So, next time you’re planning a fire pit night or an outdoor gathering, don’t forget to add this fire pit pizza recipe to your menu. It’s a fun way to enjoy the outdoors and who doesn’t want a delicious homemade pizza?! So grab your cast iron Dutch oven, prepare the quick and easy dough, and let the fire do the rest. So if you need us we’ll be over here eating our pizza by fire with the sounds of the bull frogs from the koi pond in the background.
