Cast Iron Pizza
Pizza dough holds for five days. Cast iron and charcoal do the rest.
Real pizza made in a cast iron skillet over charcoal. Press pre-made dough into an oiled skillet, top with canned San Marzano sauce, hard salami, olives, and parmesan, then cover and cook over charcoal for 12 minutes. The bottom gets crisp and almost fried in the oil while the lid traps heat to melt the cheese. Make 3-4 pizzas to feed 8. The dough is made at home and keeps 4-5 days in the cooler — this is a day-5 meal built on foresight.
Prep at home: Make pizza dough at home 1-2 days before launch. Divide into 4 balls, oil them, bag individually in quart zip-locks with the air squeezed out. Refrigerate. The cold ferment develops flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 dough balls (about 10 oz each) pizza dough — made at home, bagged individually, cold-fermented Standard pizza dough recipe: flour, water, yeast, salt, olive oil. The cold ferment in the cooler is a feature, not a bug.
- 1 can (28 oz) canned San Marzano tomatoes — crushed by hand or with a spoon in the can No need to cook the sauce. Crush tomatoes, add a pinch of salt, done.
- 8 oz hard salami — sliced thin Cured meats last well. Pepperoni works too.
- 1 cup kalamata olives — drained, halved Jarred or canned — both shelf-stable
- 6 oz wedge parmesan cheese — grated in camp with a knife or microplane Hard cheese lasts a week plus in a cooler
- 12 oz mozzarella cheese (optional) — torn or sliced If you still have mozzarella on day 5, use it. If not, parmesan alone is fine.
- 4 tbsp olive oil Generous oil in the skillet is the key to the crispy bottom
- 4 cloves garlic (optional) — sliced thin
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
Method
- Light charcoal 30 minutes ahead. You want medium heat — fewer coals than a sear, more than a warm. About 15-18 briquettes spread evenly. While coals ash over, pull a dough ball from the cooler and let it warm for 10 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the cast iron skillet and spread it across the bottom and up the sides. Press the dough ball into the skillet with your fingers, stretching to the edges. Don't worry about perfect shape — the pan is the shape.
- Spoon crushed San Marzanos over the dough, leaving a half-inch edge. Top with salami, olives, sliced garlic, and cheese. Don't overload it — less is more.
- Set the skillet on the grill grate over coals. Put the lid on. Cook 10-12 minutes. The bottom will start to smell toasty and the edges will pull away from the pan slightly when it's done.
- Check the bottom by lifting an edge with a spatula — it should be deep golden and crisp. If the top needs more heat, pile a few coals on the lid for the last 2-3 minutes.
- Slide the pizza out of the skillet onto a cutting board. Slice and serve immediately. Re-oil the skillet and start the next one — the pan is already hot.
Gear
Required
- cast iron skillet with lid
- charcoal
- fire pan
- grill grate
Optional
- spatula
- cutting board
- pizza cutter or knife
Field Notes
The oil in the skillet is non-negotiable. It prevents sticking and creates the fried-bottom texture that makes this work. Don't skimp. The dough will fight you if it's cold — let it warm up for 10 minutes before pressing. If it springs back, let it rest 5 more minutes. People will crowd the kitchen for pizza night, which is great for morale but means you need a system: one person on dough, one on toppings, one managing coals. Batch cooking takes an hour — serve each pizza as it comes out instead of waiting for all four. In wind, the coals cool quickly between pizzas. Keep extra lit coals ready.
Variations
Margherita
Classic: just San Marzano sauce, fresh mozzarella (if you have it), torn basil (if you packed it), olive oil. Simple and clean.
- remove salami and olives
- add fresh mozzarella and basil
White Pizza
Skip the tomato sauce. Brush dough with garlic oil, top with ricotta (if you have leftovers from the lasagna), parmesan, and thin-sliced onion. Finish with black pepper.
- garlic oil for tomato sauce
- ricotta and onion for salami and olives
Packing
Dough balls in individual quart bags — keep flat and cold in the cooler. Cured salami can ride in the cooler door or top. Canned tomatoes and olives go in dry boxes. The parmesan wedge keeps for 7+ days wrapped in parchment inside a bag.
Dietary
Vegetarian: skip salami, top with olives, roasted garlic, and whatever vegetables remain. Dairy-free: skip cheese entirely — a good dough with San Marzano sauce, salami, and olives still works.