Pizza On The Grill

Since I was a little kid I have loved all things pizza. From Pizza Hut as kid to Quatro's in college to Chicago Style pizza as an adult there hasn't been a type of pizza I haven't liked.  But the best is finding local mom and pop pizza shops (the best in Springfield are Joe's Italian Pizza and Sam's Italian Pizza).  I've been making my own dough since high school and it's always been a big event for my family, some family members even request it for birthdays.  About four years ago I decided it was time to attempt pizza on the grill after seeing a recipe in a Grill This, Not That cookbook. This week I will walk you through my process of making pizza on the grill.

The Dough:  It's best if you make the dough the night before but as long as it has 90 minutes to rise you'll be okay.

  You'll Need:
      1 Cup Hot Water
      1 Tbsp Honey
      1/2 tsp salt
      1 Package of Yeast (1 Tbsp if you have jar of yeast)
      2-1/2 Cups Flour (you may need a little more for kneading)

Directions:  Combine the Water, Honey and Salt in a large bowl and sprinkle with yeast.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes while the yeast activates.  Stir in flour using a large spoon.  Once the dough is no longer sticking place on a cutting board, cover with more flour, and knead for 5 minutes.  Place the dough in a large bowl, cover, and allow to rise at room temperature for at least 90 minutes.  (The dough will keep refrigerated up to 2 days.)

Grill Setup 1:  For cooking pizza a two zone fire works best.  You will cook one side of the dough on direct heat and then after toppings are added you will cook the other side of the dough with indirect heat.  You do this because the dough doesn't take very long to cook when placed directly over heat (maybe a minute).

Grill Setup 2:  Make sure to clean your grate thoroughly.  Once it's clean brush the grate with olive oil.

Note:  When cooking pizza on the grill I essentially assemble an outdoor kitchen.  I will arrange all of my pizza toppings, cooking ingredients, and tools on an outdoor table.  I will also take some extra flour (1 Cup) and some additional olive oil (1/2 Cup) as the floor helps in rolling dough and the oil prevents the dough from sticking to the grate.

Cook Step 1:  Roll the dough into the shape of a rectangle (approximately 8"x12"), once it is rolled out brush the top side of the dough with olive oil, and then place the dough oil side down on the direct heat zone of the grill.  While the dough begins to cook brush the top side of the dough with oil.   ***Don't put the lid back on the grill as this step won't take long and you need to stay at the grill.

Cook Step 2: Flip the dough while moving to the indirect cooking side of the grill.

Cook Step 3: Apply whatever toppings you desire on your pizza. I suggest working quickly so the dough doesn't get overlooked. ***Simce I own a pizza peel I will flip the dough on the peel and remove it from the grill as the peel doubles as a good working surface.***. Once you have applied the toppings close the lid and allow the cheese to melt.

Cook Step 4: When the cheese has melted remove from the grill and either serve immediately or put in your oven at a low temp to keep it warm until your other grill pizzas are done.  I normally make two pizzas as that's what the dough recipe allows for.

Pizza on the grill is like all other pizza in that it never disappoints.  Just remember you are free to get creative with your toppings, some of Kendra and I's favorites are Bacon & Pineapple, Pulled Pork, BBQ sauce, & Pepper Jack, and Meatballs with Olives and Onions.

The gem of this cook ended up being a leftover smoked turkey, bbq sauce, and pepperjack cheese!!!

Grill Master Tip 1:  Invest in a pizza peel as it makes the process so much easier (thanks again Dad and Laura)! When I first started I would use two spatulas to do the job and it was rather difficult.

Grill Master Tip 2: (for charcoal grillers):  Invest in a chimney starter.  If you are still using lighter fluid you are doing it wrong.  Unless you let all of the coals get white hot you are probably cooking lighter fluid into your food.  With a chimney starter you use newspaper to get the fire started.

In case you wondered, the pizza was fantastic.....but honestly it's always better on the grill.

Thanks for reading again!  I am having a lot of fun doing this so I hope everyone else is enjoying reading.  If you try making any of the items I blog about let me know.  Also feel free to comment here or contact me at m_overbey@hotmail.com