If you're new to backpacking, or if you’re hopelessly in love with someone who wants you to love backpacking, then this podcast is for you. We’ll talk about the essentials, how to lighten your load, and how to make the most of your time on the trail.
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156: The Pizza Episode
Show Notes: Episode 156
Today on the First 40 Miles, follow us on a whim to the land of crispy crust and creamy mozzarella, where the sauce is rich and spicy and the toppings are bountiful and varied. We’re going to make pizza! This episode is for everyone from the kitchen challenged to the culinary adventurers. So set aside your freeze dried sweet and sour textured vegetable protein, and let’s make pizza!
Opening
* Making pizza at the park
* Used the MSR WhisperLite and BEMCO Backpacker Oven
Top 5 Ways to Enjoy Pizza on the Trail
Pick it up on the way (hot and ready…)
* Josh picks it up on the way sometimes
* Great for overnight, spontaneous trips
Cold pre-packed pizza
* Pizza freezes well, so next time you have pizza, save a few slices in the freezer for your next overnight trip.
* You can wither eat it cold or heat it over a flame or a small pan
* We often make something called pizza rolls. Just take your favorite cinnamon roll recipe, and instead of putting cinn/sugar inside, put pizza sauce and cheese inside and roll up and slice—just like you would with cinnamon rolls.
Pizza snacks
* Crackers with pepperoni, pepper jack cheese, maybe a squeeze tube of tomato paste
* Give you the flavors of pizza, but will never be as dreamy as a hot slice with cheese dripping off and burning your hand.
Pre-made Pizza Components
* In Trail Fuel, we have a pizza recipe…
* Instead of mixing dough, letting it rise, rolling it out…just use a tortilla or a pita.
From Scratch–In an oven
* Takes some planning, some extra gear and some tinkering
* We had a great time making pizza using the Bemco Backpacker Oven
* Ultimately, the benefit that comes from baking from scratch is that you have 100% control over the ingredients.
* We made our pizza with a whole wheat crust, pizza sauce (that we made without using sugar), real whole fat mozzarella, and some vegan pepperoni we made.
* You can bring any toppings you want… fresh mushrooms, zucchini, red pepper, olives…
SUMMIT Gear Review™: Bemco Backpacker Oven
Structure
* We’re reviewing the 7″ Backpacker Oven
* Made of lightweight aluminum
* Door opens just like an oven door and has a little latch to keep it from falling open
* Two shelves
* Top can also be used to keep food warm while other food is baking
* Vent hole in top
Utility
* Comes with a screw in thermometer—which you will need
* Came with two pans
* One was a 6” deep dish pan (for cakes, pizzas, etc.)
* The other was a shallow round 6” pan for pizza
* Also came with straps, and a user guide that had some recipes
* You can order a gripper separately and a stuff sack…
Mass
* Weighs 24 ounces
* With pans included 31.85 ounces
* Measures 7.5” x 7.5” x 12″
Maintenance
* Putting away…
* No mess on oven, but if something dribbled over, take a minute after the oven has cooled to clean it off before it goes into your pack.
* Also, the oven comes with straps to keep it together in your pack, but you will most likely want a stuff sack.
Investment
* $40 for the 7” oven without pans
* $50 for the 7″ oven with pans
Trial
* Oven has two shelves, and both can be used at the same time—but you’ll probably want to switch the two pizzas so they can brown evenly.
* The bottom pizza got more crispy and browned than the top one, so we switched after about 10 minutes.
* Heats up in 2 minutes to temp–It heats up so fast, so you’re not wasting fuel on preheating
* To save on weight,