Fox Wood Campsite. Fabulous camping Sussex. Enjoy South Downs camping and glamping at beautiful woodland campsite. Explore forest trails right from relaxing Sussex campsite.

Fox Wood Camping
All Blogs

Campfire Cooking

Dutch Oven Pizza – so good!

Dutch oven pizza is great alternative to takeout pizza you eat in front of the TV on a lazy Friday night-in. So why not go one better when you’re camping by making homemade Dutch oven pizza at the campfire.

Depending on the number of people you’re cooking for, you can share the pizzas between a few people, as they’re usually bigger than your usual take-out pizza and the crust can be made thicker than usual as well.

Dutch oven pizza is great alternative to takeout pizza you eat in front of the TV on a lazy Friday night-in. So why not go one better when you’re camping by making homemade Dutch oven pizza at the campfire. Depending on the number of people you’re cooking for, you can share the pizzas between a few people, as they’re usually bigger than your usual take-out pizza and the crust can be made thicker than usual as well.   Basic Dutch oven pizza recipe To make this meal as easy as possible, use ready-made pizza dough, which you can just buy in the supermarket. Although, I will give a homemade pizza dough recipe below if you want to bring this recipe up a notch! Start by heating some coals on your campfire. Then spray your Dutch oven with cooking spray, or line with baking paper, to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the inside.   Roll out the pizza dough and press it to the bottom of the Dutch oven, making sure to leave a lip around the edge for the crust. Then place some tomato sauce onto the dough. You can use ready-made pizza sauce, passata or you could even make your own pizza sauce in advance and bring it with you- I also give a recipe for that below.   Then sprinkle some grated cheddar or mozzarella (or a mixture of both) onto the pizza. You can even use or sliced cheese if you've packed that for making cheese burgers. Finally top with some olives, peperoni and any toppings you’d like. Or just leave plain for the children and you can then add toppings before you serve. Then set aside around 15 coals from the ones you heated up previously and place a lid on your Dutch oven. Put the oven on top of the coals and then put the extra 15 coals on top of the Dutch oven.   Leave for 25 minutes and then check whether the pizza is cooked- the crust should be crispy, and the cheese should have melted. You can then leave the pizza for another 5/10 minutes depending on how you like it, just remember that the cooking time can vary depending on the temperature of your coals and the size of the Dutch oven. Finally take the pizza out of the Dutch oven carefully, and enjoy! Topping ideas There is an almost endless variety of different pizza topping options you could try. Everyone has their favourite pizza toppings, but if you’d like to mix things up, here is some inspiration.   You could replace the classic tomato sauce with some fresh pesto, then top with sliced mushrooms, parmesan, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, and some ham (you can omit this if you want to keep it veggie). Then, once it’s finished cooking, you can add a handful of rocket.   You could also top the pizza with tomato sauce, caramelised onions, feta and some spinach. Or for another unusual pizza you could serve the pizza with some kale and chopped sausage on top, this is a great way to use up any leftovers.   To make a vegetable pizza, top with some sliced red peppers, courgette pieces, artichoke, asparagus, and spinach (or any selection of these veggies). You could also add some spinach onto a margherita and break an egg into the middle for a Fiorentina-style pizza.   One of the most basic (but controversial) pizza toppings is ham and pineapple. If you’re a fan of this infamous topping combination, then bring some tinned pineapples with you and add them to the top of the pizza with some pieces of ham. There is an endless variety of pizza topping options to try so get imaginative- you could even let kids make their own pizzas for a fun activity. A great way to get them engaging with the cooking. Dutch oven cooking ideas If you enjoyed cooking these pizzas in your Dutch oven and would like some more super simple recipes to make in a Dutch oven over the campfire, then be sure to check out To Stew or not to Stew. If you’d like another cheesy, tomatoey and unbelievably delicious camping recipe then also definitely have read of the Camping Staple(CSC) you can count on the ever-popular lasagne recipe you can make using your Dutch oven.   How to make your own pizza dough If you have a bit more time in advance, why not try out making your own pizza dough- it’s actually really easy. Mix 400g flour, a 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast, 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp sugar together in a large self seal ziplock bag (or a large soup freezer bag with a clip). Then make a well in the centre and add 2 tbsp olive oil then around 225ml water to make the mixture into a doughy consistency. Knead this in the bag for a minute until it becomes smooth.   Put this to one side for the dough to rest whilst you prepare the pizza toping (grating cheese, cutting veggies etc.). To shape the pizzas, roll one ball at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are around 25cm in diameter. The crust of the pizza should be around 1cm thick, and the centre should be 0.5cm thick. You can make this in a bag the day before and store in the fridge to pack with your other food when you go camping. How easy is that. Then add toppings and allow the pizza to rest for around 10-15 minutes until it has risen a little. Stuffed crust If you’re putting mozzarella on top of your pizza, then why not make a super luxurious stuffed crust pizza with any cheese you have left over. Just use around 125g mozzarella to create a ring around the crust of your pizza in the Dutch oven, making sure you leave a gap of around 0.5cm between the mozzarella and the edge of the pizza. Then brush a bit of water on the mozzarella ring and fold around the outside layer to create the stuffed crust, pressing firmly to stick the dough in place. Making your own sauce You could also make your own pizza sauce at home and bring it with you camping, or even make it on your camping stove. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and add one small finely chopped onion and some salt to the pan. Then fry gently until the onion is soft and translucent. Add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves and fry for a minute.   Then add two 400g cans chopped tomatoes (though I prefer passata), 3 tbsp tomato puree and a bay leaf, 2 tsp brown sugar. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for around 30 minutes. You can leave the sauce as is, or blend if you like your pasta sauce a bit smoother. Finally stir in some chopped basil. This pasta sauce keeps for about one week in the fridge or can be stored in the freezer until you go camping.

Basic Dutch oven pizza recipe

To make this meal as easy as possible, use ready-made pizza dough, which you can just buy in the supermarket. Although, I will give a homemade pizza dough recipe below if you want to bring this recipe up a notch!

Start by heating some coals on your campfire. Then spray your Dutch oven with cooking spray, or line with baking paper, to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the inside.  

Roll out the pizza dough and press it to the bottom of the Dutch oven, making sure to leave a lip around the edge for the crust. Then place some tomato sauce onto the dough. You can use ready-made pizza sauce, passata or you could even make your own pizza sauce in advance and bring it with you- I also give a recipe for that below.  

Then sprinkle some grated cheddar or mozzarella (or a mixture of both) onto the pizza. You can even use or sliced cheese if you’ve packed that for making cheese burgers.

Finally top with some olives, peperoni and any toppings you’d like. Or just leave plain for the children and you can then add toppings before you serve.

Then set aside around 15 coals from the ones you heated up previously and place a lid on your Dutch oven.

Put the oven on top of the coals and then put the extra 15 coals on top of the Dutch oven.  

Dutch oven pizza is great alternative to takeout pizza you eat in front of the TV on a lazy Friday night-in. So why not go one better when you’re camping by making homemade Dutch oven pizza at the campfire. Depending on the number of people you’re cooking for, you can share the pizzas between a few people, as they’re usually bigger than your usual take-out pizza and the crust can be made thicker than usual as well.   Basic Dutch oven pizza recipe To make this meal as easy as possible, use ready-made pizza dough, which you can just buy in the supermarket. Although, I will give a homemade pizza dough recipe below if you want to bring this recipe up a notch! Start by heating some coals on your campfire. Then spray your Dutch oven with cooking spray, or line with baking paper, to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the inside.   Roll out the pizza dough and press it to the bottom of the Dutch oven, making sure to leave a lip around the edge for the crust. Then place some tomato sauce onto the dough. You can use ready-made pizza sauce, passata or you could even make your own pizza sauce in advance and bring it with you- I also give a recipe for that below.   Then sprinkle some grated cheddar or mozzarella (or a mixture of both) onto the pizza. You can even use or sliced cheese if you've packed that for making cheese burgers. Finally top with some olives, peperoni and any toppings you’d like. Or just leave plain for the children and you can then add toppings before you serve. Then set aside around 15 coals from the ones you heated up previously and place a lid on your Dutch oven. Put the oven on top of the coals and then put the extra 15 coals on top of the Dutch oven.   Leave for 25 minutes and then check whether the pizza is cooked- the crust should be crispy, and the cheese should have melted. You can then leave the pizza for another 5/10 minutes depending on how you like it, just remember that the cooking time can vary depending on the temperature of your coals and the size of the Dutch oven. Finally take the pizza out of the Dutch oven carefully, and enjoy! Topping ideas There is an almost endless variety of different pizza topping options you could try. Everyone has their favourite pizza toppings, but if you’d like to mix things up, here is some inspiration.   You could replace the classic tomato sauce with some fresh pesto, then top with sliced mushrooms, parmesan, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, and some ham (you can omit this if you want to keep it veggie). Then, once it’s finished cooking, you can add a handful of rocket.   You could also top the pizza with tomato sauce, caramelised onions, feta and some spinach. Or for another unusual pizza you could serve the pizza with some kale and chopped sausage on top, this is a great way to use up any leftovers.   To make a vegetable pizza, top with some sliced red peppers, courgette pieces, artichoke, asparagus, and spinach (or any selection of these veggies). You could also add some spinach onto a margherita and break an egg into the middle for a Fiorentina-style pizza.   One of the most basic (but controversial) pizza toppings is ham and pineapple. If you’re a fan of this infamous topping combination, then bring some tinned pineapples with you and add them to the top of the pizza with some pieces of ham. There is an endless variety of pizza topping options to try so get imaginative- you could even let kids make their own pizzas for a fun activity. A great way to get them engaging with the cooking. Dutch oven cooking ideas If you enjoyed cooking these pizzas in your Dutch oven and would like some more super simple recipes to make in a Dutch oven over the campfire, then be sure to check out To Stew or not to Stew. If you’d like another cheesy, tomatoey and unbelievably delicious camping recipe then also definitely have read of the Camping Staple(CSC) you can count on the ever-popular lasagne recipe you can make using your Dutch oven.   How to make your own pizza dough If you have a bit more time in advance, why not try out making your own pizza dough- it’s actually really easy. Mix 400g flour, a 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast, 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp sugar together in a large self seal ziplock bag (or a large soup freezer bag with a clip). Then make a well in the centre and add 2 tbsp olive oil then around 225ml water to make the mixture into a doughy consistency. Knead this in the bag for a minute until it becomes smooth.   Put this to one side for the dough to rest whilst you prepare the pizza toping (grating cheese, cutting veggies etc.). To shape the pizzas, roll one ball at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are around 25cm in diameter. The crust of the pizza should be around 1cm thick, and the centre should be 0.5cm thick. You can make this in a bag the day before and store in the fridge to pack with your other food when you go camping. How easy is that. Then add toppings and allow the pizza to rest for around 10-15 minutes until it has risen a little. Stuffed crust If you’re putting mozzarella on top of your pizza, then why not make a super luxurious stuffed crust pizza with any cheese you have left over. Just use around 125g mozzarella to create a ring around the crust of your pizza in the Dutch oven, making sure you leave a gap of around 0.5cm between the mozzarella and the edge of the pizza. Then brush a bit of water on the mozzarella ring and fold around the outside layer to create the stuffed crust, pressing firmly to stick the dough in place. Making your own sauce You could also make your own pizza sauce at home and bring it with you camping, or even make it on your camping stove. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and add one small finely chopped onion and some salt to the pan. Then fry gently until the onion is soft and translucent. Add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves and fry for a minute.   Then add two 400g cans chopped tomatoes (though I prefer passata), 3 tbsp tomato puree and a bay leaf, 2 tsp brown sugar. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for around 30 minutes. You can leave the sauce as is, or blend if you like your pasta sauce a bit smoother. Finally stir in some chopped basil. This pasta sauce keeps for about one week in the fridge or can be stored in the freezer until you go camping.

Leave for 25 minutes and then check whether the pizza is cooked- the crust should be crispy, and the cheese should have melted.

You can then leave the pizza for another 5/10 minutes depending on how you like it, just remember that the cooking time can vary depending on the temperature of your coals and the size of the Dutch oven.

Finally take the pizza out of the Dutch oven carefully, and enjoy!

Topping ideas

There is an almost endless variety of different pizza topping options you could try.

Everyone has their favourite pizza toppings, but if you’d like to mix things up, here is some inspiration.  

You could replace the classic tomato sauce with some fresh pesto, then top with sliced mushrooms, parmesan, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, and some ham (you can omit this if you want to keep it veggie). Then, once it’s finished cooking, you can add a handful of rocket.  

You could also top the pizza with tomato sauce, caramelised onions, feta and some spinach.

Or for another unusual pizza you could serve the pizza with some kale and chopped sausage on top, this is a great way to use up any leftovers.  

Dutch oven pizza is great alternative to takeout pizza you eat in front of the TV on a lazy Friday night-in. So why not go one better when you’re camping by making homemade Dutch oven pizza at the campfire. Depending on the number of people you’re cooking for, you can share the pizzas between a few people, as they’re usually bigger than your usual take-out pizza and the crust can be made thicker than usual as well.   Basic Dutch oven pizza recipe To make this meal as easy as possible, use ready-made pizza dough, which you can just buy in the supermarket. Although, I will give a homemade pizza dough recipe below if you want to bring this recipe up a notch! Start by heating some coals on your campfire. Then spray your Dutch oven with cooking spray, or line with baking paper, to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the inside.   Roll out the pizza dough and press it to the bottom of the Dutch oven, making sure to leave a lip around the edge for the crust. Then place some tomato sauce onto the dough. You can use ready-made pizza sauce, passata or you could even make your own pizza sauce in advance and bring it with you- I also give a recipe for that below.   Then sprinkle some grated cheddar or mozzarella (or a mixture of both) onto the pizza. You can even use or sliced cheese if you've packed that for making cheese burgers. Finally top with some olives, peperoni and any toppings you’d like. Or just leave plain for the children and you can then add toppings before you serve. Then set aside around 15 coals from the ones you heated up previously and place a lid on your Dutch oven. Put the oven on top of the coals and then put the extra 15 coals on top of the Dutch oven.   Leave for 25 minutes and then check whether the pizza is cooked- the crust should be crispy, and the cheese should have melted. You can then leave the pizza for another 5/10 minutes depending on how you like it, just remember that the cooking time can vary depending on the temperature of your coals and the size of the Dutch oven. Finally take the pizza out of the Dutch oven carefully, and enjoy! Topping ideas There is an almost endless variety of different pizza topping options you could try. Everyone has their favourite pizza toppings, but if you’d like to mix things up, here is some inspiration.   You could replace the classic tomato sauce with some fresh pesto, then top with sliced mushrooms, parmesan, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, and some ham (you can omit this if you want to keep it veggie). Then, once it’s finished cooking, you can add a handful of rocket.   You could also top the pizza with tomato sauce, caramelised onions, feta and some spinach. Or for another unusual pizza you could serve the pizza with some kale and chopped sausage on top, this is a great way to use up any leftovers.   To make a vegetable pizza, top with some sliced red peppers, courgette pieces, artichoke, asparagus, and spinach (or any selection of these veggies). You could also add some spinach onto a margherita and break an egg into the middle for a Fiorentina-style pizza.   One of the most basic (but controversial) pizza toppings is ham and pineapple. If you’re a fan of this infamous topping combination, then bring some tinned pineapples with you and add them to the top of the pizza with some pieces of ham. There is an endless variety of pizza topping options to try so get imaginative- you could even let kids make their own pizzas for a fun activity. A great way to get them engaging with the cooking. Dutch oven cooking ideas If you enjoyed cooking these pizzas in your Dutch oven and would like some more super simple recipes to make in a Dutch oven over the campfire, then be sure to check out To Stew or not to Stew. If you’d like another cheesy, tomatoey and unbelievably delicious camping recipe then also definitely have read of the Camping Staple(CSC) you can count on the ever-popular lasagne recipe you can make using your Dutch oven.   How to make your own pizza dough If you have a bit more time in advance, why not try out making your own pizza dough- it’s actually really easy. Mix 400g flour, a 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast, 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp sugar together in a large self seal ziplock bag (or a large soup freezer bag with a clip). Then make a well in the centre and add 2 tbsp olive oil then around 225ml water to make the mixture into a doughy consistency. Knead this in the bag for a minute until it becomes smooth.   Put this to one side for the dough to rest whilst you prepare the pizza toping (grating cheese, cutting veggies etc.). To shape the pizzas, roll one ball at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are around 25cm in diameter. The crust of the pizza should be around 1cm thick, and the centre should be 0.5cm thick. You can make this in a bag the day before and store in the fridge to pack with your other food when you go camping. How easy is that. Then add toppings and allow the pizza to rest for around 10-15 minutes until it has risen a little. Stuffed crust If you’re putting mozzarella on top of your pizza, then why not make a super luxurious stuffed crust pizza with any cheese you have left over. Just use around 125g mozzarella to create a ring around the crust of your pizza in the Dutch oven, making sure you leave a gap of around 0.5cm between the mozzarella and the edge of the pizza. Then brush a bit of water on the mozzarella ring and fold around the outside layer to create the stuffed crust, pressing firmly to stick the dough in place. Making your own sauce You could also make your own pizza sauce at home and bring it with you camping, or even make it on your camping stove. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and add one small finely chopped onion and some salt to the pan. Then fry gently until the onion is soft and translucent. Add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves and fry for a minute.   Then add two 400g cans chopped tomatoes (though I prefer passata), 3 tbsp tomato puree and a bay leaf, 2 tsp brown sugar. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for around 30 minutes. You can leave the sauce as is, or blend if you like your pasta sauce a bit smoother. Finally stir in some chopped basil. This pasta sauce keeps for about one week in the fridge or can be stored in the freezer until you go camping.

To make a vegetable pizza, top with some sliced red peppers, courgette pieces, artichoke, asparagus, and spinach (or any selection of these veggies).

You could also add some spinach onto a margherita and break an egg into the middle for a Fiorentina-style pizza.  

One of the most basic (but controversial) pizza toppings is ham and pineapple. If you’re a fan of this infamous topping combination, then bring some tinned pineapples with you and add them to the top of the pizza with some pieces of ham.

There is an endless variety of pizza topping options to try so get imaginative- you could even let kids make their own pizzas for a fun activity. A great way to get them engaging with the cooking.

Dutch oven cooking ideas

If you enjoyed cooking these pizzas in your Dutch oven and would like some more super simple recipes to make in a Dutch oven over the campfire, then be sure to check out To Stew or not to Stew or Dutch Oven Enchiladas.

If you’d like another cheesy, tomatoey and unbelievably delicious camping recipe then also definitely have read of the Camping Staple(CSC) you can count on the ever-popular lasagne recipe you can make using your Dutch oven.  

Ordering a takeout pizza to eat in front of the tv is my ideal lazy Friday night-in. But why not go one better when you’re camping by making homemade pizzas in your Dutch oven and enjoying them around the campfire. Depending on the number of people you’re cooking for, you can share the pizzas between a few people, as they’re usually bigger than your usual take-out pizza and the crust can be made thicker than usual as well.   Basic Dutch oven pizza recipe To make this meal as easy as possible, use ready-made pizza dough, which you can just buy in the supermarket. Although, I will give a homemade pizza dough recipe below if you want to bring this recipe up a notch! Start by heating some coals on your campfire. Then spray your Dutch oven with cooking spray, or line with baking paper, to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the inside.   Roll out the pizza dough and press it to the bottom of the Dutch oven, making sure to leave a lip around the edge for the crust. Then place some tomato sauce onto the dough. You can use ready-made pizza sauce, passata or you could even make your own pizza sauce in advance and bring it with you- I also give a recipe for that below.   Then sprinkle some grated cheddar or mozzarella (or a mixture of both) onto the pizza. You can even use or sliced cheese if you've packed that for making cheese burgers. Finally top with some olives, peperoni and any toppings you’d like. Or just leave plain for the children and you can then add toppings before you serve. Then set aside around 15 coals from the ones you heated up previously and place a lid on your Dutch oven. Put the oven on top of the coals and then put the extra 15 coals on top of the Dutch oven.   Leave for 25 minutes and then check whether the pizza is cooked- the crust should be crispy, and the cheese should have melted. You can then leave the pizza for another 5/10 minutes depending on how you like it, just remember that the cooking time can vary depending on the temperature of your coals and the size of the Dutch oven. Finally take the pizza out of the Dutch oven carefully, and enjoy! Topping ideas There is an almost endless variety of different pizza topping options you could try. Everyone has their favourite pizza toppings, but if you’d like to mix things up, here is some inspiration.   You could replace the classic tomato sauce with some fresh pesto, then top with sliced mushrooms, parmesan, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, and some ham (you can omit this if you want to keep it veggie). Then, once it’s finished cooking, you can add a handful of rocket.   You could also top the pizza with tomato sauce, caramelised onions, feta and some spinach. Or for another unusual pizza you could serve the pizza with some kale and chopped sausage on top, this is a great way to use up any leftovers.   To make a vegetable pizza, top with some sliced red peppers, courgette pieces, artichoke, asparagus, and spinach (or any selection of these veggies). You could also add some spinach onto a margherita and break an egg into the middle for a Fiorentina-style pizza.   One of the most basic (but controversial) pizza toppings is ham and pineapple. If you’re a fan of this infamous topping combination, then bring some tinned pineapples with you and add them to the top of the pizza with some pieces of ham. There is an endless variety of pizza topping options to try so get imaginative- you could even let kids make their own pizzas for a fun activity. A great way to get them engaging with the cooking. Dutch oven cooking ideas If you enjoyed cooking these pizzas in your Dutch oven and would like some more super simple recipes to make in a Dutch oven over the campfire, then be sure to check out To Stew or not to Stew. If you’d like another cheesy, tomatoey and unbelievably delicious camping recipe then also definitely have read of the Camping Staple(CSC) you can count on the ever-popular lasagne recipe you can make using your Dutch oven.   How to make your own pizza dough If you have a bit more time in advance, why not try out making your own pizza dough- it’s actually really easy. Mix 400g flour, a 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast, 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp sugar together in a large self seal ziplock bag (or a large soup freezer bag with a clip). Then make a well in the centre and add 2 tbsp olive oil then around 225ml water to make the mixture into a doughy consistency. Knead this in the bag for a minute until it becomes smooth.   Put this to one side for the dough to rest whilst you prepare the pizza toping (grating cheese, cutting veggies etc.). To shape the pizzas, roll one ball at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are around 25cm in diameter. The crust of the pizza should be around 1cm thick, and the centre should be 0.5cm thick. You can make this in a bag the day before and store in the fridge to pack with your other food when you go camping. How easy is that. Then add toppings and allow the pizza to rest for around 10-15 minutes until it has risen a little. Stuffed crust If you’re putting mozzarella on top of your pizza, then why not make a super luxurious stuffed crust pizza with any cheese you have left over. Just use around 125g mozzarella to create a ring around the crust of your pizza in the Dutch oven, making sure you leave a gap of around 0.5cm between the mozzarella and the edge of the pizza. Then brush a bit of water on the mozzarella ring and fold around the outside layer to create the stuffed crust, pressing firmly to stick the dough in place. Making your own sauce You could also make your own pizza sauce at home and bring it with you camping, or even make it on your camping stove. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and add one small finely chopped onion and some salt to the pan. Then fry gently until the onion is soft and translucent. Add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves and fry for a minute.   Then add two 400g cans chopped tomatoes (though I prefer passata), 3 tbsp tomato puree and a bay leaf, 2 tsp brown sugar. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for around 30 minutes. You can leave the sauce as is, or blend if you like your pasta sauce a bit smoother. Finally stir in some chopped basil. This pasta sauce keeps for about one week in the fridge or can be stored in the freezer until you go camping.

How to make your own pizza dough

If you have a bit more time in advance, why not try out making your own pizza dough- it’s actually really easy.

Mix 400g flour, a 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast, 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp sugar together in a large self seal ziplock bag (or a large soup freezer bag with a clip). Then make a well in the centre and add 2 tbsp olive oil then around 225ml water to make the mixture into a doughy consistency.

Knead this in the bag for a minute until it becomes smooth.   Put this to one side for the dough to rest whilst you prepare the pizza toping (grating cheese, cutting veggies etc.). To shape the pizzas, roll one ball at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are around 25cm in diameter. The crust of the pizza should be around 1cm thick, and the centre should be 0.5cm thick.

You can make this in a bag the day before and store in the fridge to pack with your other food when you go camping. How easy is that.

Then add toppings and allow the pizza to rest for around 10-15 minutes until it has risen a little.

Stuffed crust

If you’re putting mozzarella on top of your pizza, then why not make a super luxurious stuffed crust pizza with any cheese you have left over.

Just use around 125g mozzarella to create a ring around the crust of your pizza in the Dutch oven, making sure you leave a gap of around 0.5cm between the mozzarella and the edge of the pizza.

Then brush a bit of water on the mozzarella ring and fold around the outside layer to create the stuffed crust, pressing firmly to stick the dough in place.

Making your own sauce

You could also make your own pizza sauce at home and bring it with you camping, or even make it on your camping stove.

Heat a bit of oil in a pan and add one small finely chopped onion and some salt to the pan.

Then fry gently until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves and fry for a minute.  

Then add two 400g cans chopped tomatoes (though I prefer passata), 3 tbsp tomato puree and a bay leaf, 2 tsp brown sugar.

Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for around 30 minutes.

You can leave the sauce as is, or blend if you like your pasta sauce a bit smoother.

Finally stir in some chopped basil.

This pasta sauce keeps for about one week in the fridge or can be stored in the freezer until you go camping.  

Dutch oven pizza is great alternative to takeout pizza you eat in front of the TV on a lazy Friday night-in. So why not go one better when you’re camping by making homemade Dutch oven pizza at the campfire. Depending on the number of people you’re cooking for, you can share the pizzas between a few people, as they’re usually bigger than your usual take-out pizza and the crust can be made thicker than usual as well.   Basic Dutch oven pizza recipe To make this meal as easy as possible, use ready-made pizza dough, which you can just buy in the supermarket. Although, I will give a homemade pizza dough recipe below if you want to bring this recipe up a notch! Start by heating some coals on your campfire. Then spray your Dutch oven with cooking spray, or line with baking paper, to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the inside.   Roll out the pizza dough and press it to the bottom of the Dutch oven, making sure to leave a lip around the edge for the crust. Then place some tomato sauce onto the dough. You can use ready-made pizza sauce, passata or you could even make your own pizza sauce in advance and bring it with you- I also give a recipe for that below.   Then sprinkle some grated cheddar or mozzarella (or a mixture of both) onto the pizza. You can even use or sliced cheese if you've packed that for making cheese burgers. Finally top with some olives, peperoni and any toppings you’d like. Or just leave plain for the children and you can then add toppings before you serve. Then set aside around 15 coals from the ones you heated up previously and place a lid on your Dutch oven. Put the oven on top of the coals and then put the extra 15 coals on top of the Dutch oven.   Leave for 25 minutes and then check whether the pizza is cooked- the crust should be crispy, and the cheese should have melted. You can then leave the pizza for another 5/10 minutes depending on how you like it, just remember that the cooking time can vary depending on the temperature of your coals and the size of the Dutch oven. Finally take the pizza out of the Dutch oven carefully, and enjoy! Topping ideas There is an almost endless variety of different pizza topping options you could try. Everyone has their favourite pizza toppings, but if you’d like to mix things up, here is some inspiration.   You could replace the classic tomato sauce with some fresh pesto, then top with sliced mushrooms, parmesan, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, and some ham (you can omit this if you want to keep it veggie). Then, once it’s finished cooking, you can add a handful of rocket.   You could also top the pizza with tomato sauce, caramelised onions, feta and some spinach. Or for another unusual pizza you could serve the pizza with some kale and chopped sausage on top, this is a great way to use up any leftovers.   To make a vegetable pizza, top with some sliced red peppers, courgette pieces, artichoke, asparagus, and spinach (or any selection of these veggies). You could also add some spinach onto a margherita and break an egg into the middle for a Fiorentina-style pizza.   One of the most basic (but controversial) pizza toppings is ham and pineapple. If you’re a fan of this infamous topping combination, then bring some tinned pineapples with you and add them to the top of the pizza with some pieces of ham. There is an endless variety of pizza topping options to try so get imaginative- you could even let kids make their own pizzas for a fun activity. A great way to get them engaging with the cooking. Dutch oven cooking ideas If you enjoyed cooking these pizzas in your Dutch oven and would like some more super simple recipes to make in a Dutch oven over the campfire, then be sure to check out To Stew or not to Stew. If you’d like another cheesy, tomatoey and unbelievably delicious camping recipe then also definitely have read of the Camping Staple(CSC) you can count on the ever-popular lasagne recipe you can make using your Dutch oven.   How to make your own pizza dough If you have a bit more time in advance, why not try out making your own pizza dough- it’s actually really easy. Mix 400g flour, a 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast, 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp sugar together in a large self seal ziplock bag (or a large soup freezer bag with a clip). Then make a well in the centre and add 2 tbsp olive oil then around 225ml water to make the mixture into a doughy consistency. Knead this in the bag for a minute until it becomes smooth.   Put this to one side for the dough to rest whilst you prepare the pizza toping (grating cheese, cutting veggies etc.). To shape the pizzas, roll one ball at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are around 25cm in diameter. The crust of the pizza should be around 1cm thick, and the centre should be 0.5cm thick. You can make this in a bag the day before and store in the fridge to pack with your other food when you go camping. How easy is that. Then add toppings and allow the pizza to rest for around 10-15 minutes until it has risen a little. Stuffed crust If you’re putting mozzarella on top of your pizza, then why not make a super luxurious stuffed crust pizza with any cheese you have left over. Just use around 125g mozzarella to create a ring around the crust of your pizza in the Dutch oven, making sure you leave a gap of around 0.5cm between the mozzarella and the edge of the pizza. Then brush a bit of water on the mozzarella ring and fold around the outside layer to create the stuffed crust, pressing firmly to stick the dough in place. Making your own sauce You could also make your own pizza sauce at home and bring it with you camping, or even make it on your camping stove. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and add one small finely chopped onion and some salt to the pan. Then fry gently until the onion is soft and translucent. Add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves and fry for a minute.   Then add two 400g cans chopped tomatoes (though I prefer passata), 3 tbsp tomato puree and a bay leaf, 2 tsp brown sugar. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for around 30 minutes. You can leave the sauce as is, or blend if you like your pasta sauce a bit smoother. Finally stir in some chopped basil. This pasta sauce keeps for about one week in the fridge or can be stored in the freezer until you go camping.

I hope that this blog has inspired you to try out Dutch oven pizzas.

You can make this an easy camping meal by using ready-made dough and sauce, or you can go down the home-made route – it’s completely up to you!

Here’s me signing out and thank you so much for reading.

Lily Crooke / Environmental and Recreational author

Feeling Inspired – Book A Camping Break
Campfire Cooking
All Topics

Fox Wood Campsite,
Selden lane, Patching
BN13 3UL

Phone: 07983 151 780

[email protected]

© Fox Wood Camping

Sitemap