3 Easy Bread Recipes to Make at the Campground

Fresh bread compliments many campground dishes; try one of these three recipes on your next RV trip to elevate your meal. 

Related How to Bake Bread at the Campground

Open-Flame Pita Bread

This soft, fluffy pita bread is a great side dish for grilled meats, soup, or chili. It comes together fairly quickly, and you can cook it straight over an open flame in minutes. 

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups (10 ounces) room temperature water
• 2 teaspoons (6 grams) instant yeast
• 3 cups  (454 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir until well combined, forming a rough dough. 
2. Turn the dough out onto a clean, stable, lightly floured table top (a picnic table with a clean vinyl tablecloth works well for this.) Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth and soft. 
3. Spray the inside of a container with non-stick cooking spray and move the dough to the container. Cover and let rise until the dough doubles in size. 
4. Use a dough scraper to coax the dough out of the container onto a clean, lightly floured tabletop. Divide the dough into eight equal-sized pieces. 
5. Shape the dough into balls and roll them lightly under your palm to build tension in the dough. Flatten into a disk and drape with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Rest for 20 minutes.
6. While your dough is resting, build a small fire and let the fire reduce to coals and a low flame. Place a cooking grate over the fire to preheat.
7. Use a rolling pin, wine bottle, or water bottle to roll each disk into a 0.25-inch-thick circle. Let the bread rest for 10 minutes, uncovered.
8. Use long cooking tongs to rub the cooking grate with a paper towel coated in cooking spray or oil. Then place your pita bread circles (a few at a time) on the grate. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until the bread is golden brown on both sides with light charring. 
9. Serve with grilled meat, chili, or as is with butter.

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Roasted Tomato and Herb Focaccia 

This recipe doesn’t require any kneading—it’s a slow rise, which allows time for a big adventure before baking up fresh, warm focaccia bread. This is a hearty, savory bread that’s a perfect accompaniment to a simple salad for a quick dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups (300 grams) room temperature water
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoon (7 grams) honey
• 2 ½ cups and 2 tablespoons (400 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (9 grams) kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil, divided
• 12 to 15 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, or oregano) 
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt or extra kosher salt

Instructions

1. Combine water, instant yeast, and honey together in a small bowl. Whisk to combine well.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the water mixture, flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until well combined.
3. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours until doubled in volume. If it’s warm out, it might rise faster.
4. Meanwhile, create a foil mold of the inside of your Dutch oven by pressing a large sheet of foil into the pot. Remove and set aside. 
5. Once the dough has doubled, use a dough scraper to fold the dough on itself several times. Spray your foil mold with cooking spray and pour the dough into the make-shift foil pan. Use your fingers to stretch the dough to the edges of the foil. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, spreading it across the top of the dough. Rest for 30 minutes, uncovered.
6. While your focaccia rests, light your coals. Your Dutch oven should reach 450 degrees Fahrenheit. For a 10-inch Dutch oven, this requires 27 hot coals in total—18 for the top of the lid and nine for under the legs. For other oven sizes, check this chart.
7. Preheat your Dutch oven over an open flame for 5 minutes while finishing the bread.
8. After the 30-minute rest, use your fingertips to make divots in the dough and then top it evenly with tomatoes, herbs, and flaky salt. 
9. Drop the foil sling with the focaccia into the preheated Dutch oven and cover. Place the Dutch oven over the bottom coals and place the top coals on the lid. 
10. Cook for about 25 minutes, rotating the lid and the bottom a quarter turn in opposite directions every 8 minutes for even cooking. 
11. After 25 minutes, use a thermometer to check the temperature of the bread. It should be done at about 200 degrees. Cook longer if necessary.
12. Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

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Classic Dinner Rolls

These soft, buttery dinner rolls are perfect to accompany most dinner dishes—or you can use them to make sliders.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
• ½ cup (113 grams) milk
• ¼ cup (60 grams) water
• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt

Instructions

1. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the milk and water to the pan and stir to combine. Turn the heat off and set it aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. 
3. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until well-combined, and a rough dough is formed. 
4. Turn the dough out onto a clean, stable, lightly floured table top. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth and soft. 
5. Cover the dough and rest for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, create a foil mold of the inside of your Dutch oven by pressing a large sheet of foil into the pot. Remove and set aside. 
7. After the dough has rested, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape the dough into balls and roll them lightly under your palm to build tension in the dough. 
8. Spray your foil mold with cooking spray and place the dough balls in the make-shift pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough balls double in size, about 30 minutes.
9. While your dinner rolls are resting, light your coals. Your Dutch oven will need to reach 375 degrees. For a 10-inch Dutch oven, this requires 23 hot coals in total—16 for the top of the lid and seven for under the legs. For other oven sizes, check this chart.
10. Preheat your Dutch oven over an open flame for 5 minutes before adding the foil pan with the dough balls to the pot, then cover.
11. Place the Dutch oven over the bottom coals and place the top coals on the lid. 
12. Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the lid and the bottom a quarter turn in opposite directions every 5 minutes for even cooking. 
13. After 20 minutes, use a thermometer to check the temperature of the bread. It should be done at about 190 degrees. Cook longer if necessary.
14. Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

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These easy bread recipes only scratch the surface of the yeasted goods you can bake in your Dutch oven at the campground. Once you have the basics down, you’ll never lack fresh-baked carbs on your camping trips.

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Tips for Baking Bread at the Campground