Grilled Pizza: A Tutorial

Plus: Breakfast Pizza with Amanda Hesser

Hello Pizza Friends,

After I posted my review of the Gozney Dome two weeks ago, someone emailed me saying:

“We don’t currently have a pizza oven. Would you ever consider doing an issue on grilling a pizza on a regular Weber style grill? If that’s something you’d recommend even.”

It is indeed something I recommend! If you are interested in taking your pizza cooking outdoors this summer but perhaps aren’t ready to invest in an outdoor oven, grilled pizza is a great option. Whether you use a charcoal or a gas grill, your pizza will emerge thin and crisp, branded with grill marks, cheese and toppings melding into the golden, olive oil-tinged crust beneath.

I find grilling pizza on a gas grill to be easier and a little more foolproof than grilling on a charcoal grill, but you’ll find both methods outlined below as well as in the video above.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

PS: Last month I spent some time at the Food52 headquarters and had a blast. I made a breakfast pizza from Pizza Night with Amanda Hesser, who I’ve long admired and who is as funny and personable as I’ve always imagined. Watch the video here and get the recipe here.

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Grilled Pizza: #1 Key for Succcess

Regardless if you are using a charcoal or a gas grill, the key for success when grilling pizza lies in the parbake: grill the pizza without any toppings first; then flip, top, and return to the grill.

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Grilled Pizza on a Gas Grill

When grilling pizza over a gas grill, you’ll cook it over direct heat first, then indirect heat. In short, here’s the process:

• Grill dough over direct heat on one side for two minutes. Flip, then immediately remove.

• Top as desired.

• Return pizza to grill over indirect heat. Grill covered for 5-7 minutes until bottom is evenly golden and crisp and cheese has melted.

Here’s the process outlined in more details. Note: This is the method I use in Pizza Night, which is designed to use with the Thin-Crust Pizza Dough recipe also included in Pizza Night. Find the recipe in the link below.

1. Prepare the grill: Turn all the grill burners to high until it reaches 500ºF. This may take 15 to 20 minutes depending on your grill.

2. Roll the dough & peel: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 14 × 9-inch oval, using flour as need to prevent sticking. Dust a peel with all-purpose flour or rice flour. Place the dough on the peel and give it a shimmy to ensure it isn’t sticking. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil.

3. Grill the pizza: Shimmy the dough, oiled-side up, onto the grates. Cover the grill and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and use tongs to flip the dough so that the grilled side is facing up, then immediately transfer to the pizza peel.

4. Lower the heat: Turn off the middle burner and turn the remaining two burners to medium.  (If your grill only has 2 burners, turn 1 off and the other to medium.) You need the grill to be around 400ºF.

5. Top the pizza as desired.

6. Finish the pizza: Shimmy the pizza back onto the grill grates over the turned-off burner and cover the grill. Grill until the cheese is melted and the underside is evenly golden, 5 to 7 minutes more.

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Grilled Pizza on the Charcoal Grill

When grilling pizza on a charcoal grill, you’ll use indirect heat the entire time. In short, here’s the charcoal grill process:

• Grill dough over indirect heat covered for 1-2 minutes; rotate the dough 180 degrees, re-cover the grill; grill for another 1-2 minutes.

• Flip, then immediately remove. Top as desired.

• Return pizza to grill over indirect heat. Grill for 5-7 minutes covered or until the bottom is evenly golden and crisp and the cheese has melted.

Here’s the process outlined in more details:

1. Prepare the grill: Prepare the coals however you wish to create a direct and indirect zone.

2. Roll the dough & peel: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 14 × 9-inch oval, using flour as need to prevent sticking. Dust a peel with all-purpose flour or rice flour. Place the dough on the peel and give it a shimmy to ensure it isn’t sticking. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil.

3. Grill the pizza: Shimmy the dough, oiled-side up, onto the grates in the indirect zone and cook covered for 1-2 minutes. Uncover and use tongs to rotate the dough 180 degrees. Re-cover the grill and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Use tongs to flip the dough, then immediately transfer it to the peel. Re-cover the grill.

4. Top the pizza as desired.

5. Finish the pizza: Return the pizza to the indirect zone. Grill covered until the underside is evenly golden and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes more, rotating the pizza 180 degrees halfway through if necessary. Use tongs to transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Cut and serve.

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   Love pizza? Find recipes, tips, and tricks in Pizza Night 🍕🍕🥗🥗

   

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