Who wants to sit in the hot kitchen in summer to bake pizza in the oven? It would be much easier if the pizza could be prepared on the grill. And it can do that too - pizzas are traditionally grilled in the USA in the summer months. Not only because it is more practical, but also because the taste is more similar to the original recipe in the pizza oven. In the article we will tell you what you need to pay attention to and how to prepare a pizza on the pizza stone or directly on the grill. You'll find out how you can quickly make pizza dough yourself and which toppings taste particularly delicious.
What do you have to consider when preparing it?
The grilling season has long been underway, and by mid-July at the latest, all BBQ recipes for meat and sausages have already been tried. But the evening menu doesn't have to be boring - surprise your family and friends with a delicious pizza on the grill. It tastes much better than those baked in the oven. That's because the best pizza is cooked on a very hot surface. The grill grate heats up very quickly and can easily reach the optimal temperature of 220 degrees. The Italian delicacy can be made on either a gas or a charcoal grill. Depending on what type of grill you have, how thick/thin the dough and toppings are, how warm the weather is, and where the outdoor kitchen is located (in the shade, in a windy location), the device may heat up faster/slower . The main thing here is – try it. After a few tries you will develop sensitivity. In any case, these tips may be helpful to you at the beginning:
- Roll out the pizza dough thinly - this way it will be ready faster.
- Only cut the finished pizza with a sharp pizza knife.
- Choose ingredients for the topping that only need to be warmed up - for example tomatoes, cheese, salami, prosciutto. Avoid ingredients such as raw meat or fish, eggs.
- Plan the baking process in detail - the dough will be ready very quickly and you should therefore pay attention to it. Since the pizza is served directly on the grill, you should have everything within easy reach. So prepare all the ingredients, clean the grill and possibly the pizza stone and heat it up.
- A pizza on the charcoal grill has a typical BBQ smoke taste, which you have to get used to at first.
Quick pizza dough recipe
The next pizza dough recipe is great for preparing on the grill. It's also extremely quick - depending on how much yeast is added to the dough, it can rise in an hour or double in volume throughout the night. Thanks to the olive oil, the finished dough does not stick to the grill grate or pizza peel. NB: The dough is slightly firmer than the “normal” dough for the oven so that it doesn’t fall apart on the grill rack.
Ingredients for eight small pizzas: 1 2/3 cups lukewarm water, 1/4 cup olive oil, 5 cups flour (wheat flour type 550 or 00), 2 teaspoons salt, dry yeast or fresh yeast. Regarding the yeast: One pack of dry yeast is equal to half a cube of fresh yeast - both are enough for 500 grams of flour. With fresh yeast you have to mix the ingredients into a pre-dough, while with dry yeast the pre-dough is formed. In the next recipe, you should add a level teaspoon to the dough if you let it rise overnight. Use the dough the same day, then add two level teaspoons.
Preparation: Put the water and yeast in a bowl, crumble the yeast and dissolve it while stirring constantly. Wait several minutes and then first add the olive oil, stir and then add the flour and salt. Using your hands, knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes until it becomes smooth. Then form the dough into eight balls and place in a bowl. Cover with a wet cloth and let rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes. The dough should then have doubled in volume - knead it again for 4 minutes. You can prepare the dough made in this way the same day or freeze it. Optionally, you can store it in the fridge overnight - in this case you will need to let it warm up on the counter for 1 hour the next day. Only then can you roll it out.
Combine direct and indirect grilling
The next step is to heat up the grill - this is turned on 10 to 15 minutes before grilling. If you have a gas grill, you can easily regulate the temperature - we explain the process in detail below. If you have a charcoal grill, you should divide the grill surface into two areas so that you can have direct andindirect grillingcan be combined during preparation. But what is the difference between the two methods? If the food is grilled over direct heat, it lies over the glowing coals. A crust is created and the grilled food remains juicy and soft inside - perfect for the pizza dough. With indirect heat, however, the food to be grilled is not placed directly over the coals. Here it takes longer to finish cooking - perfect for pizza toppings. What is the quickest way to regulate direct and indirect heat? Arrange the coals on one side of the grill only. On this side you have the best conditions for a crispy pizza dough, and on the other side you can garnish the pizza and have the toppings grilled.
Instructions step by step
And this is how the pizza is prepared on the grill:
Step 1: Prepare the sauce for the pizza and the topping ingredients on a side table. Accessories such as grill gloves, pizza cutter, grill tongs, pizza shovel, grill lid, etc. should also be within easy reach.
Step 2: Preheat the grill. On the gas grill, set the temperature to 220 degrees and wait 10-15 minutes. For the charcoal grill - push the coals to one side, fire up the charcoal grill and wait 10-15 minutes.
Step 3: Roll out the pizza dough onto the pizza peel and then carefully place it on the gas grill. On the grill, place the dough directly over the coals.Let grill for 2-3 minutes, then turn over with the grill tongs. With the gas grill you can set the temperature to 200 degrees, with the charcoal grill you can continue grilling the pizza using indirect heat.
Step 4: Quickly garnish the pizza and it should be ready in about 3 minutes. The time given may vary depending on the type of grill and is for guidance only. Never leave the pizza unattended when grilling.
Grilling pizza on a pizza stone – instructions
If the pizza is not prepared directly on the grill but on a pizza stone, the process is also different. First, the pizza stone is thoroughly cleaned and wiped down. Then the grill is preheated. The pizza stone is then preheated covered for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the ingredients into pieces on the side table, prepare the sauce and arrange the accessories within easy reach. Then roll out the pizza dough onto the pizza peel and place it on the pizza stone. Let the pizza bake under the lid for three minutes, then turn it over with the grill tongs, garnish and grill for another three minutes.
NB: If you have a pizza stone, you will need to prepare the pizza dough and toppings over indirect heat. It's best to arrange the coals on the edge of the grill so that an empty circle is created in the middle - and place the pizza stone just above that. The stone itself regularly distributes the heat over its entire surface, so the perfect pizza is baked on every grill. At the end, simply let the pizza stone cool down and clean it thoroughly.
Further in the article you will find various recipes with ingredients that are suitable for pizza on the grill.
Pizza topping with sausages and mozzarella
Have you just had a barbecue with friends over the weekend and there are leftover sausages? Then you can grill the next pizza with the remaining ingredients. For the topping you need: mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, arugula, pesto sauce and of course the already grilled sausages. Simply grill the pizza on one side, turn it over and garnish with the pesto sauce, mushrooms and arugula leaves. Continue grilling until the cheese melts and then remove from the grill. Distribute the sausages evenly among the pieces.
Our tip: Never grill a pizza with eggs or raw meat on top - 3-4 minutes on indirect heat is simply not enough. The end result is that either the dough will burn or the meat and eggs will not be fully grilled. Raw eggs and meat are dangerous!
Pizza topping with leafy vegetables and bacon
Ingredients: Olive oil, freshly pressed garlic clove, 2 cups finely chopped and cooked leafy greens, 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup bacon.
Preparation: Grill the bacon separately and leave aside. Grill the pizza dough for 3-4 minutes on one side until the dough becomes crispy, then carefully turn it over with the grill tongs. Brush the dough with the olive oil, sprinkle the pressed garlic clove regularly on top, top with the leafy greens and Cheddar cheese and bake for another 1-2 minutes. Once the cheese melts, top the pizza with the bacon.
Prosciutto, corn and basil topping recipe
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 freshly pressed garlic clove, mozzarella cheese, grated, fresh corn kernels, 30 grams of prosciutto, very thin, cut into 2.50 cm pieces, 1 cup of basil, fresh and finely chopped, 1 1/2 cups of arugula , 1/4 tsp pepper.
Preparation: Grill the pizza on one side, turn it over, brush with the olive oil, garnish with the finely pressed garlic clove, the prosciutto ham, the corn kernels and the mozzarella cheese. Grill for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts. Then sprinkle the finely chopped arugula and basil on the pizza and sprinkle with pepper.
DeliciousPizza without meat: Recipe with feta cheese, tomatoes and pesto sauce
Ingredients: 1/2 cup pesto sauce, 4 tomatoes, finely sliced, 1/2 cup feta cheese, grated, freshly ground pepper to taste, 1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped.
Grill the pizza on one side, then turn it over and garnish with the pesto sauce, tomatoes and feta cheese. Let it bake under the lid for another 2-3 minutes and then remove the pizza with the pizza peel. At the end, sprinkle with the finely chopped basil leaves.
No pizza tastes as good as homemade pizza. Hobby chefs shouldn't necessarily limit themselves to baking - the garden grill offers another option. So instead of sitting in the hot kitchen, you can sit comfortably in the cooling shade of the garden. Of course, this delicacy from Italy will not lose its taste, and vice versa - the grill quickly gets very hot and therefore offers the best conditions for a delicious, crispy pizza. In any case, you must follow these tips when preparing:
- Prepare the pizza dough yourself - depending on how much yeast you add, the dough will rise faster or slower.
- The optimal temperature for the perfect pizza is 220 degrees. If you have a gas grill, you can easily set the desired temperature. If you are the owner of a charcoal grill, then you need to constantly monitor the baking process.
- The thinner the dough is rolled out and the toppings are garnished, the faster the pizza will be ready.
- Never garnish the pizza with raw meat, fish or eggs. You always have to prepare these separately in advance.
- Depending on what type of grill you have, the cooking process will differ. With a charcoal grill, the pizza is first grilled using indirect heat and then using direct heat. This is not necessary with a gas grill.
- Try the recipes for pizza dough and delicious toppings and enjoy!
Also read:Cleaning the pizza stone: What is allowed and which means are not?
