How To Make the Best Grilled Pizza

How To Make the Best Grilled Pizza at Home

 

 

We have talked about grilled pizza quite a bit here at The Kitchn, but what if you've never actually tried this method? Well, we have just what you need. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on grilling pizza. Honestly, this method is not hard, once you get the hang of it, and thanks to the extra-high heat of the grill, it makes some of the best pizza you'll ever eat!

Why Grill Pizza?

Grilling pizza isn't just an alternate method for when you don't want to heat up your oven (although that is a side benefit). The best pizza is made in the hottest oven possible, and since your grill can get so much hotter than your oven, for most people it is the best instrument for making terrific pizza.
Your kitchen isn't heated up by the oven, and a blazingly hot grill means a crisper bite and those deliciously charred spots on the bottom of the crust. Not too charred, of course, but hopefully just enough for your taste!

Successful Grilled Pizza Belongs to the Organized

I actually used to be very intimidated by grilling pizza. I had a couple of bad experiences (charred crust! Flaming pizza sauce!) but then I got my method straight. It's not hard, but you do need to be organized.
When you grill pizza, you need to have everything ready to go — all the toppings, the sauce, the cheese. This is because the key to pizza on the grill is to top the pizza after you've put it on the grill. It also helps if you cook the dough for a minute or two, flip it, and then top it.

Also, I love really thin-crust pizza (think wafer-thin), but I leave my crusts slightly thicker when grilling — the pizza stays nicely chewy with a crisp crust, and it won't fall through the grates. Here's the pizza dough recipe I like to use, plus a few good sauce recipes.

Essential Grilled Pizza Recipes

• Recipe: The Best Pizza Dough for Grilling
• DIY Recipe: Quick Red Pizza Sauce
• DIY Recipe: White Pizza Sauce

Topping Inspiration & Recipes

• Recipe: White Pizza with Avocado, Spinach & Mozzarella
• Easy Recipe: Classic Margherita Pizza
• Recipe: Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers, Sausage & Jack Cheese
• Weeknight Dinner Recipe: Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza
• Recipe: Sausage & Sauerkraut Pizza

Heat the grill: You should heat it quite hot; my grill was about 600°F with the lid on while baking this particular pizza. Aim for at least 550°F. If you have a choice on your grill between direct and indirect heat, set it up so the pizza is over direct heat.

 

What You Need

Ingredients
1 ball pizza dough (about 1 pound), store-bought or homemade
1/2 to 1 cup tomato sauce, store-bought or homemade
Cheese such as torn mozzarella, grated Asiago or Swiss, and grated Parmesan
Toppings such as herbs, thinly sliced vegetables, pepperoni and salami, prosciutto, chopped greens such as kale, or diced tomatoes
Olive oil

Equipment

Grill, gas or charcoal
Brush
Metal tongs
Metal spatula

Instructions

1. Heat the grill: You should heat it quite hot; my grill was about 600°F with the lid on while baking this particular pizza. Aim for at least 550°F. If you have a choice on your grill between direct and indirect heat, set it up so the pizza is over direct heat.
2. Gather your ingredients and toppings: Set up a table or bench near the grill so you have easy access to everything. Good grilled pizza is as much about the organization and logistics as it is about actual cooking!
3. Also have your tools close to hand: You will want a pair of long metal tongs. A spatula may be helpful, although not absolutely necessary. You may want a hot pad or oven mitt if your grill lid gets hot.
4. Prep your dough: It should be stretched or rolled out into a thin circle. (Circle-is — as you can see, my pizzas usually resemble continents more than they do the moon!)
5. Brush the dough with olive oil: Brush one side of the dough with oil; this is the side you'll lay down on the grill.
6. Grill one side of the pizza: Take the lid off the grill. Lay the dough round on the grill with the olive-oil side down. Brush the top of the dough with a thin layer of olive oil, too. Let the dough cook for about 3 minutes, with the lid off, or 1 to 2 minutes with the lid on. Use the tongs to lift up the dough from time to time, checking on how it is doing. You want grill marks on it, but you don't want the dough to get crispy; it should be just set.
7. Top the pizza: Flip the dough over with the tongs or spatula. The dough should come up easily and flip without tearing. Now is where your organization comes in! You need to top the pizza quickly. Spread on a thin layer of sauce, some cheese, and toppings. It shouldn't be too heavily loaded, or the pizza won't cook well.
8. Cook the pizza: Put the lid on and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Use your sense of smell; if the pizza smells like it's scorching, take the lid off and move the pizza to a cooler part of the grill or turn the heat down.
9. Remove the finished pizza: Remove the lid and check the pizza. The edges should be crisp and well-done, and the cheese should all be melted. Drag the pizza off with the spatula or tongs. Let cool for 3 minutes, then cut into pieces and eat!

Recipe Notes

• Every grill is different! You know your grill and it cooks differently than mine. Your pizza may take longer or shorter depending on how hot the grill gets and where your areas of direct and indirect heat are. Consider your first pizza a sacrifice to learning just how to control your grill temperature.
• Cooking times will vary! On that same note, of course, you need to keep an eye on the heat. This method works perfectly every time on my own grill, but the timing depends on how thin you stretch your dough, and how hot your grill gets. Flipping the dough gives you an extra measure of control and certainty, though, that the crust will be cooked through by the time your toppings have melted and warmed.

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How To Make Awesome Pizza at Home

How To Make Pizza at Home

Pizza is a regular visitor to our house, only it doesn't usually come in the form of a delivery person. Making homemade pizza from prepared dough is a quick and easy dinner any night of the week. Even making your own dough only really adds a few minutes to the prep time! Pile on your favorite toppings and get ready to chow down.
 

My favorite method for shaping the pizza is to roll the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. The dough sticks to the parchment, making it easier to work with and easier to transfer into the oven. The pizza will release from the parchment during cooking and the parchment can be removed halfway through cooking. The parchment darkens in the oven, but doesn't burn or catch fire.
If you'd prefer not to use parchment, take a look at Method #2 or #3 below.

  

There are also no rules about the kinds of toppings you put on your pizza. Choose ones you love. They will cook a little in the oven, but if it isn't something you like to eat raw, like sausage or mushrooms, allow some time to cook them ahead of time. If you'd like fresh greens, like arugula or basil, on your pizza, sprinkle them over the pizza right when it comes out of the oven. The residual heat from the pizza will wilt the greens just slightly and bring out their flavor.
It's best, though, to keep the toppings to just a handful at most. If you load homemade pizza down with a ton of toppings, it may take too long for the crust to cook well.
Pile on the cheese or keep it all veg for a healthier midweek meal; it's all up to you. Play around with this basic recipe and make it your own.


 Bake the pizza on a pizza stone or a baking sheet for 5 minutes. Rotate, removing the parchment if used. Bake another 3-5 minutes until crispy and golden. (The parchment will darken, but won't burn.)

 
 

How To Make Pizza at Home

Makes two 10-inch pizzas

What You Need

Ingredients

1 pound pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
1/2 to 1 cup sauce: tomato sauce, white sauce, or other spread
2 to 3 cups other toppings: sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, pepperoni, cooked sausage, cooked bacon, diced peppers, leftover veggies, or any other favorite toppings
1 to 2 cups (8 to 16 ounces) cheese, shredded or sliced: mozzarella, Monterey Jack, provolone, fontina, or any other favorite.
Cornmeal or flour (optional)

Equipment

Pizza stone or baking sheet
Pizza peel or baking sheet
Parchment paper (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 550°F or higher: Don't be afraid to really crank the heat up to its highest setting. The high heat will help make a crunchier and more flavorful crust. Let the oven heat for at least half an hour before baking your pizzas. If you have a baking stone, place it in the lower-middle of your oven.
2. Divide the dough in half: One pound of dough makes two 10-inch pizzas. Slice the dough in half and cover one half with an upside-down bowl or a clean kitchen towel while you prepare the first pizza.
3. Roll out the dough:
Method #1: Pizza Baked on Parchment: Tear off a large piece of parchment paper roughly 12 inches wide. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the parchment paper. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.
Method #2: Pizza with Cornmeal or Flour and a Baking Stone: Sprinkle a handful of cornmeal or flour on a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the peel. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. Shake the peel or baking sheet frequently as you shape to make sure the dough isn't sticking. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.
Method #3: Pizza Baked on a Baking Sheet: Brush a thin film of olive oil on a baking sheet. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the baking sheet. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.
4. Top the pizza: Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce into the center of the pizza and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges. Pile on all of your toppings.
5. Bake the pizza: Using a pizza peel or the back side of a baking sheet, slide your pizza (with the parchment or with the cornmeal) onto the baking stone. If you don't have a baking stone, bake the pizza right on the baking sheet. Cook for 5 minutes, then rotate the pizza. Slide the parchment out from under the pizza, if used. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese looks toasty.
6. Slice and serve: Let the pizza cool slightly on a cooling rack, just until you're able to handle it. Slice it into pieces and serve.

Additional Notes:

• How To Make Pizza on the Grill: Great for a smoky flavor and extra-crispy crust.
• Pizza on the Stove top: Try this method when you don't want to h

eat up the kitchen.

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