2 Shelf-Stable Complete Pizza Kits for Camping and Beyond

    I spent an evening a while back teaching how to make these awesome shelf-stable pizza kits with some of my friends in Utah.  These are "just add water" simple and they use the technology of freeze-dried cheese. Yes. It is real cheese. Yes, it hydrates beautifully and gets gooey and awesome for pizza. Yes, it is shelf-stable for a very long time. These kits are perfect for any day of the week! They're easy to make and delicious!  They can travel anywhere without needing a fridge for the ingredients. People often ask, where to get the freeze-dried products.  My family is greatly blessed by the extra money brought in by sales tracked back to my freeze-dried food website.  

The crust is a quick rise with the addition of some baking soda and buttermilk powder so it will raise light and fluffy without yeast! The other secret is the addition of a tablespoon of lemonade powder. It is just enough to give the lemon-herb crust a fantastic depth. I use my spice blends because I know what they taste like. If you have a favorite, go with it, right? 

Pizza Kits for Camping and Beyond

Each kit:

•      1 quart-sized bag crust mix
•      1 snack-sized bag sauce mix
•      1 sandwich-sized bag 2 cups freeze-dried cheese

 I use freeze-dried mozzarella cheese for the Italian and Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese for the Enchilada Pizza.

Storage: Place all bags in a mylar bag or PETE container with a metal lid and an oxygen absorber.* Seal. Store meals in a cool dry place.  Meals will be shelf-stable up to 2 years with an oxygen absorber. *If making vegetarian pizza, no oxygen absorber is needed, but they will only be shelf-stable about 6 months.

Crust quart bag:

No-Raise Lemon and Herb Pizza Crust Mix

3 cups bread flour

1T lemonade powder

¼ cup buttermilk powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1T Chef Tess Romantic Italian Seasoning (or Fajita seasoning for Southwest pizza)

¼ cup powdered shortening

1T SAF yeast or Instant active-dry yeast

Directions: Combine with 1 ¼ cup cool water and knead until a soft dough is formed about 5 minutes. Allow dough to rest 5-10 minutes. Roll or stretch-out into a 10-12 inch circle. Top with hydrated sauce and cheese and place in a heated Dutch oven or baking pan. Bake 425 degrees 25-30 minutes until cooked through.

Sauce Bags :

Chef TessBakeresse™ Instant Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup tomato powder
2T  freeze-dried onion
2T freeze-dried bell peppers
2T  freeze-dried mushrooms
1T granulated honey
1tsp Chef Tess Romantic Italian Seasoning 
1/4 cup ultra-gel

Directions: Add 2 cups warm water (depending on how thick you want your sauce) and stir well.

For meaty sauce, add 1/2 cup freeze-dried sausage and increase water to 2 1/2 cups. Always use an oxygen absorber if you use the real meat. 

Chef TessBakeresse™ Instant Fiesta Enchilada Sauce Mix
1/4 cup ultra-gel
1 ½ T freeze-dried onion
2T  tomato powder 
2T -4T ground ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp Chef Tess Wise Woman of The East Spice Blend 
1T Chef Tess Fajita Seasoning 
1 tsp baking cocoa (not hot chocolate)
2 tsp chicken bouillon (I like the no msg versions)
2 tsp lemonade powder

Directions:  Combine the enchilada sauce mixture with 2 cups of  cool water. Whisk well. 

For Chicken enchilada pizza: add 1/2 cup freeze-dried chicken to the sauce bag and increase the water to 2 1/2 cups when hydrating. Always use an oxygen absorber if you use the real meat. 

I apply a label to the baking directions onto the container so I can remember what the heck I'm supposed to do. 

They look like this:

Chef Tess Bakeresse Shelf-Stable Gourmet Pizza Kit Crust Directions: Combine with 1 ¼ cup cool water and knead until a soft dough is formed, about 5 minutes. Allow dough to rest 5-10 minutes.  Hydrate sauce and cheese. Roll or stretch-out into a 10 inch circle. Top with hydrated sauce and cheese and place in a heated Dutch oven or baking pan. Bake 425 degrees 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Sauce Directions: Add 2 cups warm water (depending on how thick you want your sauce) and stir well. Cheese: Lightly mist with cool water and allow to hydrate about 10 minutes. Top Pizza.

Chef Tess Bakeresse Homemade Shelf-Stable Gourmet Pizza Kit Crust Directions: Combine with 1 ¼ cup cool water and knead until a soft dough is formed, about 5 minutes. Allow dough to rest 5-10 minutes.  Hydrate sauce and cheese. Roll or stretch-out into a 10 inch circle. Top with hydrated sauce and cheese and place in a heated Dutch oven or baking pan. Bake 425 degrees 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Sauce Directions: Add 2 cups warm water (depending on how thick you want your sauce) and stir well. Cheese: Lightly mist with cool water and allow to hydrate about 10 minutes. Top Pizza.

Chef Tess Bakeresse Homemade Shelf-Stable Gourmet Pizza Kit Crust Directions: Combine with 1 ¼ cup cool water and knead until a soft dough is formed, about 5 minutes. Allow dough to rest 5-10 minutes.  Hydrate sauce and cheese. Roll or stretch-out into a 10 inch circle. Top with hydrated sauce and cheese and place in a heated Dutch oven or baking pan. Bake 425 degrees 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Sauce Directions: Add 2 cups warm water (depending on how thick you want your sauce) and stir well. Cheese: Lightly mist with cool water and allow to hydrate about 10 minutes. Top Pizza.

Chef Tess Bakeresse Homemade Shelf-Stable Gourmet Pizza Kit Crust Directions: Combine with 1 ¼ cup cool water and knead until a soft dough is formed, about 5 minutes. Allow dough to rest 5-10 minutes.  Hydrate sauce and cheese. Roll or stretch-out into a 10 inch circle. Top with hydrated sauce and cheese and place in a heated Dutch oven or baking pan. Bake 425 degrees 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Sauce Directions: Add 2 cups warm water (depending on how thick you want your sauce) and stir well. Cheese: Lightly mist with cool water and allow to hydrate about 10 minutes. Top Pizza.

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There you go my darlings! Shelf-stable pizza kits! Have fun with these! Onward and upward my darlings!

My family is greatly blessed by the extra money brought in by sales tracked back to my freeze-dried food website.  You also have the option of joining as a consultant/member and getting the commission on anyone who buys from you! I'd love to have you on my team! Thank you so very much for your support. Xoxo!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess