Camping Recipe: Pan-Fried Pizza with Zucchini, Ricotta And Cherry Tomatoes

From The Small Kitchen Cook by Ashleigh Butler

There were many nights camping in the bush that we’ve craved a delicious, hot pizza. So with some time, wine and our favourite kitchen staples on hand, we came up with this recipe. This pizza is texturally satisfying and ticks all the flavour-profile boxes. The sweet caramelised onions match perfectly the creamy ricotta and tart and salty tomatoes.

Makes 2

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 1hr 15 mins

Ingredients:

FOR THE DOUGH

1 and a 1/2 teaspoons of dried yeast (7g)

1 tablespoon of raw sugar

150ml of water, lukewarm

1 teaspoon of salt

250g of strong bread flour(1 and a 3/4 of a cup)

FOR THE TOPPING

1 red onion, finely sliced

Extra virgin olive oil

Flakey sea salt

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of coconut sugar or raw sugar (optional)

2 small zucchinis, finely sliced lengthways

400g of cherry tomatoes, whole

Cracked pepper

1 garlic clove

2 cups of ricotta

A handful of flat-leaf parsley and basil

A handful of rocket

Salt and pepper

Method:

Add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water and stir to dissolve. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Allow the yeast to activate for a few minutes. The top should startto bubble and foam a little. Once it has, add the yeast-sugar water to the bowl of flour and salt.

To cut down on mess in your small kitchen, begin mixing them in the bowl until you have a rough, sticky dough. Once all the liquid has absorbed into the flour, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it until it’s smooth and elastic.

Place the dough back into the bowl with a dusting of flour.Cover it with a tea towel and leave it for around 45 minutes to rise, until it has almost doubled in size.

Meanwhile, finely slice the red onion and fry it with two good glugs of olive oil and a few cracks of salt. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and stir it regularly until onions have cooked right down and are sticky and sweet to taste.

Fry the cherry tomatoes with some olive oil, salt and pepper until they have softened and charred on the outside. Add a splash more oil and fry the sliced zucchini until golden.*Cut the dough in half and roll it out to as thick as you like.I recommend it to be around the same size as a dinner plate.

Keep your frypan on the stove and, if it needs it, add a splash more olive oil; not too much as you don’t want your bases to be too oily. Cook the pizza bases until golden. Keep the heat low, so the dough becomes golden outside but still cooks right through. Once the dough begins to bubble, flip it over and cook the other side. Keep it warm and repeat with the other pizza base.

Give each base a rub of the garlic clove to add a subtle garlic flavour. Spread on the ricotta, then top with the charred cherry tomatoes, zucchini and onions. Garnish with parsley, basil, fresh rocket, salt and pepper.

TIP: If you don’t have ricotta, a good quality buffalo mozzarella works.

This recipe is an extract from The Small Kitchen Cook by Ashleigh Butler, published by Exploring Eden Books (also on Facebook and Instagram). For each book sold, Exploring Eden Books has committed to removing at least 25kg of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Read more here.