Post by Carolyn™ on Aug 7th, 2008 at 2:03pm
| All the talk of pizza, I think we are all getting on a similar wave length. Surfing a week or so ago I saw ladies and girls making pizzas in pans/skillets, then the great roasted veggies in a lid in here, my mind thought hmmmmmm pizza in a lid maybe. Then the good news about the Anaconda Box of goodies with cheap postage. The sun was shinning today and I thought why not make one for lunch. I would never be a chef just a cook and I am not overly fussy mostly so I just used what I had. Ham, onions, tomatoes, capsicum (green pepper), mushrooms, a few olives, cheeses (tasty and parmesan), italian dried herbs, no sauce but I had some salsa. | ||
| For the crust I used: 2 cups of plain flour which was about right for my 12" pan. (for cups I used the mug in the picture) 1 packet dried yeast 1 teaspoon sugar and salt 1/2 cup of milk powder. I always put yeast, sugar, approx l tablespoon of flour and about four tablespoons of WARM water in a cup mix it and wait for it to froth and bubble. Then I mix it into the flour, milk powder (for breads I would use a couple of tablespoons of oil and an egg but for pizza I left it plain)and I used about 1 1/2 cups more of warm water to get a dough. I kneaded it a few minutes then went out and put the beads on to heat. Starting from cold I hoped it would rise sufficiently by the time the beads were ready. Once the beads were ready I lightly oiled the pan and I folded the baking paper in four to see if this idea worked with lifting out the pizza when cooked. I rolled out the pizza dough and pushed it to fit the pan and up the sides - next time I would do it a bit thinner on the sides. I spread salsa in lieu of pizza sauce or tomato paste (I wouldnt use salsa again as it went a bit liquid. Put on the rest of the filling sprinkling with Italian herbs and parmesan cheese and topped with grated cheese. |
| I agonised a bit about how many beads. I settled on 30 and this was all I had anyway. I ended up with 9 on the bottom and 21 on the top - most of the top ones in a large outside ring. I have a great trivet made by PD. I felt it has good clearance and above all I didnt want a burnt bottom. | ||
| I have seen a lot of recipes where they turn the lid so at 15 minutes I went to check it and to turn the lid, I found the outside was already browning very well and so I turned the lid and pushed all the beads to the centre for another 15 minutes. So in all cooked it for 30 minutes from a cold start. |
| In a camp fire situation I am sure it would be eaten straight from the pan but as I was also testing using the paper I got it out very easily. One thing I had cut the ends tidy but should have left them longer to grab them all in the centre. | ||
| | When cut a bit of liquid came from the salsa but other than that the crust was fine, just a bit thick on the side ends but still quite edible. The bottom was perfectly browned. I might use more oil another time to get it a bit crisper. When we first started reading up on 4WD and camping after many years of not doing it, I took onboard not loading up too much gear. I think this idea works fine without the need for a pizza pan as well. In saying that if weight is not a restriction and the number to be fed is more, making it on a pan and putting in an already heated oven would mean for faster cooking and then being able to quickly cook a second one. The MOTH came home early and had some and said the rest would do him for tea so alls well with my world :D I am off to a dinner with friends and a good red wine or two :o. |
