Pizza over the fire is a thrill. An intensely bronze crust, scented with smoke somehow makes pizza even more exhilarating. Prepare your pizza dough at home then keep in your cooler until your ready to cook. Didn’t bring a rolling pin to the campsite? Use a wine bottle or simply press into a round and gingerly stretch the elastic dough with your hands. The beauty of fire cooking is the rustic look and feel of it all.
Serves 4
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces mixed mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
Sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 recipe pizza dough (below), rolled out to a rough 10-inch circle
1/3 cup ricotta
3 ounces fresh mozzarella
2 ounces speck
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup roughly chopped basil
Flake salt
In a large cast iron skillet set over coals or low flame melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Sauté until intensely caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add one of the thinly sliced garlic cloves and a hefty pinch of salt then remove the mushrooms to a platter.
Return the cast iron skillet to the fire and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Get the pan screaming hot.
Carefully lay in the pizza dough and let sit undisturbed for a couple of minutes until bubbling and a good bit of color forms on the bottom. Use tongs or heat-safe gloves to flip the pizza dough. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the top then add the ricotta by the spoonful all over the surface of the pizza. Continue with the mozzarella, scattering tablespoon size pizza all over. Once the cheese starts to melt add the mushrooms and the speck.
Once that pizza dough is completely cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate and top with the arugula, basil and flake salt. Feel free to finish with a bit more olive oil.
