PotjieKing’s Flat Pot Pizza

Add Pizza to your camping (or load shedding – thanks Eskom) menu!

 Ingredients: amounts depend on the number of pizza’s you’ll be making

1 kg pizza dough – this will make about 4 large pizza’s
(or you can cheat and buy premade bread dough from Pick n Pay)
tomato puree
grated mozzarella cheese
your choice of toppings
italian herbs

Also needed: 
2 metal skewers
Baking paper
Cornflour / Flour

Notes:

Dough

For the perfectionist, I would recommend making your own pizza dough (click here for a simple but effective recipe).  I used Pick n Pay’s premade bread dough for this recipe as I was a bit short on time. It works just fine but does require a little more rolling to stay in shape.

Toppings

When it comes to Pizza in a Potjie pot, steam is not your friend. You want to choose toppings that aren’t too high in moisture. Things like mushrooms or courgettes should be used sparingly.

PotjieKing’s Flat Pot Pizza – Method

Pack 24 – 25 briquettes onto the coal grid inside your PotjieKing. Place a couple of firelighters in the bottom section and get that going. We used a size 12 flat-bottomed potjie pot for this recipe. If you are going to use a no 10 flat bottom pot then you can make do with fewer briquettes. Once the briquettes are going nicely pack 15 on to the top of your Potjie pot, keeping 9 inside the PotjieKing, and carefully place your Potjie pot onto the PotjieKing to heat up.

• Cut a piece of baking paper large enough to cover the inside of your Potjie pot and sprinkle some flour/cornflour on to it.
• Sprinkle some cornflour/flour onto your rolling surface. Depending on how you like your pizza, crust pull off a section of dough (more for a thick chewy base and less for a thin crisp base).
• Use a bottle of wine or water to roll it out to fit your Potjie pot (after all who takes a rolling pin camping!). Rub some flour on to the bottle to prevent the dough from sticking.
• Transfer the rolled out base to the baking parchment and spread a thin layer of tomato puree on to it. Poke it here and there with a fork to stop air bubbles forming.
• Spread grated mozzarella cheese over the base.
• Place your toppings on top of the mozzarella cheese.
• I like sprinkling some mixed herbs over the top to give it that Italian taste.

Now you’ll need an assistant to get the Pizza into the potjie pot.

• Get someone to carefully lift the Potjie pot lid while you place the pizza (on the baking sheet) into the potjie pot.
• Grab the 2 metal skewers and, while your assistant lowers the lid, slot them across the sides of the Potje Pot so that they keep the lid open slightly to allow for the steam to escape. The Potjie pot will be very hot so be careful! I suggest using some oven gloves or a dishcloth to protect your fingers.
• Allow it to cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until the crust is done and the top looks ready.
• While the pizza is cooking start prepping your next pizza.