Simple Pizza Dough

 

Creating your own pizza dough adds a personal touch to your campfire pizza, allowing for a fresher taste and the satisfaction of making it from scratch. This simple recipe is designed for ease and adaptability, especially for outdoor cooking in the Australian outback. It's perfect for preparing ahead of your camping trip or making on-site if you're up for a bit of bush baking.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
• 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for coating

Instructions:

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Mix well to distribute the yeast evenly throughout the flour.

2. Add Water and Oil: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the warm water and olive oil. Using a spoon, stir the mixture until it starts to come together.

3. Knead the Dough: When the dough has formed a rough ball, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky, but be careful not to add too much, as this can make the dough tough.

4. Let it Rise (Optional): If you have time, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it once to coat the dough in oil. Cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. For campfire cooking, you might choose to skip this step to save time, and the dough will still work well.

5. Prepare for Cooking: Once the dough has risen or you're ready to cook, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into the desired number of pizzas. Roll out each piece to your preferred thickness.

6. Cook on the Campfire: Follow the instructions for the Aussie Outback Campfire Pizza recipe to cook your homemade dough with your favorite toppings over the campfire.

Tips:

• Preparation: This dough can be made ahead of your camping trip and stored in a cooler until ready to use. Simply divide the dough into portions, lightly oil, and store in ziplock bags.
• No-Rise Option: Skipping the rise time makes this dough perfect for impromptu campfire cooking, offering a denser but still delicious crust.
• Cooking Method: For a crispier base, consider pre-cooking the rolled-out dough on one side for a few minutes before adding your toppings.

Enjoy crafting your Aussie Outback Campfire Pizza with this simple homemade dough, adding a touch of home-cooked goodness to your outdoor adventures.