Golfgar4
Senior Cook
Decided to cook up a couple of dutch oven pizzas for dinner tonight. I was pleased with the results, although I over estimated the number of coals to be used under the dutch oven. I was thinking that I needed an even layer of coals to get the pizza dough reasonably crispy. What I ended up getting was pizza crust that was slightly "over done". I think for a 12" dutch oven, which is what I had, I should have used just the standard 8 coals for a 350 degree temperature. I do think that more coals than normal are needed on the lid to better drive the heat down. Next time I'll probably use 18 - 20 around the lip of the lid.
But the flavor turned out well, and overall, we decided that it was a reasonable success. Here are some pics and the recipe that I used.
I did use 2 dutch ovens, as regular 12" and a 12" deep. I actually think the deep gave us the better of the 2 pizzas.
G’s Dutch Oven Pizza
12” dutch oven
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients:
4 oz. Canola oil
1 Tube of pre-made pizza crust
1 Jar of pizza sauce
½ lb. Shredded mozzarella cheese
½ lb. Grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings
Preparation:
Prepare enough charcoal to lay a good bed of coals in a checkerboard pattern, with extra coals to be used on the dutch oven lid. For the 12” dutch oven, I used 6 – 8 coals under the dutch and 16 – 18 on the lid on the outside edge of the lid. You need to drive more heat down from the top than you need coming up from below.
Pour vegetable oil in the cold Dutch Oven, spreading it around the bottom and sides of the Dutch Oven. You may also line the dutch oven with parchment paper, but using the vegetable oil will result in a better crust.
Take the pizza dough out of the tube and split it in half. Spread half of the dough in the bottom of the Dutch Oven. If you have two Dutch Ovens, you should be able to make two pizzas at once.
Spread the pizza sauce over the pizza dough and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Add whatever toppings you have selected for your pizza.
Place the dutch oven over the bed of coals and place the lid on the Dutch Oven with hot coals on the lid to start the baking process (this allows the dough to bake and the toppings to cook through). Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until done.
After the pizza has cooked approximately 20 minutes and the dough is baked, remove the lid.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese over the top of the hot pizza.
Place lid back on the Dutch Oven and let the cheese melt. The more hot coals placed on the lid, the faster the cheese will melt.
When cheese is melted, remove lid and then remove the Dutch Oven from the coals.
But the flavor turned out well, and overall, we decided that it was a reasonable success. Here are some pics and the recipe that I used.
I did use 2 dutch ovens, as regular 12" and a 12" deep. I actually think the deep gave us the better of the 2 pizzas.
G’s Dutch Oven Pizza
12” dutch oven
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients:
4 oz. Canola oil
1 Tube of pre-made pizza crust
1 Jar of pizza sauce
½ lb. Shredded mozzarella cheese
½ lb. Grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings
Preparation:
Prepare enough charcoal to lay a good bed of coals in a checkerboard pattern, with extra coals to be used on the dutch oven lid. For the 12” dutch oven, I used 6 – 8 coals under the dutch and 16 – 18 on the lid on the outside edge of the lid. You need to drive more heat down from the top than you need coming up from below.
Pour vegetable oil in the cold Dutch Oven, spreading it around the bottom and sides of the Dutch Oven. You may also line the dutch oven with parchment paper, but using the vegetable oil will result in a better crust.
Take the pizza dough out of the tube and split it in half. Spread half of the dough in the bottom of the Dutch Oven. If you have two Dutch Ovens, you should be able to make two pizzas at once.
Spread the pizza sauce over the pizza dough and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Add whatever toppings you have selected for your pizza.
Place the dutch oven over the bed of coals and place the lid on the Dutch Oven with hot coals on the lid to start the baking process (this allows the dough to bake and the toppings to cook through). Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until done.
After the pizza has cooked approximately 20 minutes and the dough is baked, remove the lid.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese over the top of the hot pizza.
Place lid back on the Dutch Oven and let the cheese melt. The more hot coals placed on the lid, the faster the cheese will melt.
When cheese is melted, remove lid and then remove the Dutch Oven from the coals.