Easy Pizza Base Recipe + Classic Aussie Supreme Topping

Pizza on the Weber pizza stone, in a camp oven, or on a campsite gas oven turns dinner into a kid-pleasing event. The base is the secret — fresh dough beats supermarket bases by a country mile, takes 5 minutes to mix, and the rise can happen while you set up camp.

Here's an easy two-or-three-base pizza dough recipe plus the classic Aussie Supreme topping.

Photo by Christopher Yiu Chung on Unsplash

Makes: 2 thick or 3 thin 12-inch bases · Prep: 5 minutes · Rise: 30 minutes · Cook: 12 minutes per pizza

• 1 tbsp dried active yeast (or 1 sachet)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water (~38°C — warm but not hot to a finger)
• 2½ cups Tipo "00" flour (or strong bread flour)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil + extra for the bowl

Photo: Katie Marshall-Smith / Unsplash

1. Activate the yeast. Combine yeast, sugar and lukewarm water in a small bowl. Stir, set aside 5 minutes. You're looking for a foamy/bubbly surface — that's the yeast waking up. If nothing happens after 10 minutes, your yeast is dead — start over with fresh yeast.
2. Mix the dough. Combine flour, salt and olive oil in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
3. Pour in the yeast mixture. Mix with floured hands, then knead lightly in the bowl for 3-4 minutes until smooth.
4. Rise. Cover the bowl with a tea towel. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes — the dough should double in size. If it's a cold day, sit the bowl in a sunny spot or use the oven on its lowest setting (some have a "warm/proof" setting that's perfect).
5. Knock back + portion. Punch the dough down. Cut into 2 (thick) or 3 (thin) sections. Knead each section for 30 seconds on a floured bench.
6. Roll out with a rolling pin to your desired size and thickness. If you want a chewier base, leave it slightly thicker; for crispy, roll thinner.
7. Top + cook at 220°C+ for 10-12 minutes (Weber pizza stone, camp oven over coals, gas oven). The base should be golden and crisp underneath.

Toppings (per pizza):

• 3 tbsp tomato passata or paste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or fresh basil)
• ½ tsp chilli paste (optional)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella + ¼ cup parmesan
• ¼ small red onion, finely sliced
• 4 slices ham OR 4 slices salami, torn
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 2 tbsp pineapple pieces
• ¼ green capsicum, sliced
• 4 sliced black olives
• Drizzle of olive oil to finish

Photo: Nik Owens / Unsplash

1. Mix tomato paste with garlic, oregano and chilli paste. Spread thinly on the rolled-out base — too much sauce = soggy pizza. Leave a 1cm border for the crust.
2. Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese FIRST (creates a barrier, stops the base getting soggy from juicy toppings).
3. Add the meats next, then the vegetables, then the rest of the cheese on top.
4. Drizzle with olive oil. Cook 10-12 minutes.
5. Rest 1 minute before slicing — molten cheese needs to set slightly.

The golden rule: don't overload. Heavy pizzas don't cook through and end up soggy. If in doubt, half the toppings.

• Margherita — tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil. Restaurant-grade simplicity
• BBQ chicken — BBQ sauce base, shredded chicken, red onion, mozzarella, coriander after cooking
• Hawaiian — tomato, ham, pineapple, mozzarella (controversial, popular)
• Mediterranean — tomato, kalamata olives, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, rocket on top after cooking
• Pepperoni — tomato, pepperoni, mozzarella, chilli flakes. Crowd favourite
• Mushroom + truffle oil — sautéed mushrooms, mozzarella, drizzle of truffle oil after cooking. Indulgent

• Weber pizza stone — the easiest at-camp option. Pre-heat with the lid down at high heat for 15 minutes, slide pizza on, cook 10-12 minutes
• Camp oven on coals — pre-heat hot, place pizza on baking paper, lid on, coals on top, ~12 minutes
• Gas camp oven — pre-heat to maximum, base on lined tray, cook 10-12 minutes
• Pizza peel — flat paddle for sliding pizzas in/out. Cheap ($25), invaluable
• Cast iron skillet — works as a pizza pan in any of the above

Pizza night at camp is one of those occasions that makes a trip memorable. Get the dough rising while you set up, get the kids involved with their own personal-sized bases, and the family eats happy. Once you've made fresh dough you'll never go back to supermarket bases.

The dough freezes well in zip-lock bags too — make a double batch at home, freeze in portions, defrost on day one of the trip. Even faster.