How to Cook Pizza Under the Grill?

Are you tired of the same old oven-baked pizza? Looking to add a flavorful twist to your homemade pizza night?

We will explore the art of grilling pizza, a method that brings out a unique smoky flavor and crispy crust that is sure to impress your family and friends.

From the essential tools and ingredients needed to the step-by-step process of preparing and cooking the perfect grilled pizza, Chris Poormet will guide you through the entire process.

Let’s get grilling!

About the Author: Chris Poormet

Chris Poormet, the owner of Poormet.com, is a renowned culinary blogger who has been awarded the prestigious title of Culinary Blogger of the Year for his exceptional recipes and tips.

His dedication to sharing delectable recipes and invaluable cooking tips has earned him a loyal following of food enthusiasts eager to recreate his culinary masterpieces in their own kitchens. Through Poormet.com, Chris has cultivated a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about exploring flavors, experimenting in the kitchen, and honing their culinary skills.

His innovative approach to cooking has not only transformed the way people approach food but has also garnered him widespread acclaim in the culinary world. Chris’s commitment to excellence and creativity shines through in each of his posts, inspiring readers to embark on their own culinary adventures.

What is Grilling?

Grilling is a cooking method that involves applying dry heat to food from below or above, usually over an open flame or on a grill.

This method imparts a unique smoky flavor to the food, enhancing its taste and texture.

Grilling can be done using various techniques like direct grilling, where food is placed directly over the heat source, or indirect grilling, where the heat source is offset. Another popular method is charcoal grilling, which involves the use of charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal to generate heat. Grilling brings out the natural flavors of ingredients, creating delicious caramelization and sear marks on meats and vegetables.

Why Cook Pizza Under the Grill?

Cooking pizza under the grill provides a unique charred flavor to the crust, melts the cheese evenly, and allows toppings to caramelize beautifully under high heat.

One of the major advantages of using a grill for pizza is the intense heat distribution. This high heat quickly cooks the dough, resulting in a crispy yet chewy crust that is hard to achieve in a standard oven. The direct heat from the grill helps to evenly melt the cheese, creating that perfect gooey texture that every pizza lover craves. The grill’s searing heat locks in the flavors of the toppings, ensuring a delicious and aromatic experience with every bite.

Tools and Equipment Needed

To cook pizza under the grill, you will need essential tools and equipment such as a grill, pizza stone or baking sheet, pizza peel or spatula, and oven mitts for safety.

When preparing your grilled pizza, make sure to preheat your grill to the desired temperature. A pizza stone or baking sheet is crucial to provide an evenly heated surface for your pizza crust to cook evenly. The pizza peel or spatula will help you transfer your pizza onto the grill and rotate it if needed during the cooking process. Wearing oven mitts is essential for safely handling hot surfaces and removing the pizza from the grill once it’s perfectly cooked.

Grill

The grill serves as the primary cooking apparatus for preparing grilled pizza, offering a direct heat source that imparts smoky flavors and distinct grill marks on the crust.

Regarding grilling pizza, different types of grills can be used to achieve delicious results. Gas grills, charcoal grills, and even wood-fired pizza ovens are popular choices among grilling enthusiasts. Gas grills provide convenient temperature control, while charcoal grills offer a traditional smoky flavor. Wood-fired ovens add an authentic touch, infusing the pizza with a wood-fired aroma.

Choosing the right grill depends on personal preference and the desired flavor profile of the pizza.

Pizza Stone or Baking Sheet

A pizza stone or baking sheet is essential for creating a crispy crust and even heat distribution when cooking pizza under the grill, ensuring a perfectly cooked and delicious result.

When using a pizza stone, its porous surface absorbs moisture from the dough, leading to a crispier bottom crust. On the other hand, a baking sheet provides a flat, consistent surface for even cooking. Both these tools help prevent soggy and unevenly cooked pizzas. The thermal mass of the stone also helps maintain a steady temperature, mimicking a traditional brick oven.

For those looking to purchase a pizza stone, consider opting for a cordierite stone for its durability and ability to handle high temperatures. When selecting a baking sheet, choose a heavy-gauge one for better heat retention and stability.

To maintain these tools, it’s crucial to properly season and preheat the stone before each use and avoid sudden temperature changes that may cause cracking. Regular cleaning and avoiding the use of soap are essential for extending the lifespan of your pizza stone or baking sheet.

Pizza Peel or Spatula

A pizza peel or spatula is necessary for transferring the pizza onto and off the grill, ensuring a seamless cooking process and preventing any mishaps during grilling.

Using a pizza peel or spatula not only makes the task of grilling pizza easier but also adds a professional touch to your cooking experience. These essential tools allow you to effortlessly slide the pizza on and off the hot grill surface, maintaining the integrity of your pizza toppings and crust. Ensuring that the pizza is adequately supported during the transfer is crucial to avoid any accidental spillage or uneven cooking. By having a pizza peel or spatula at hand, you can streamline the grilling process and handle your pizzas with precision.

Oven Mitts

Oven mitts are essential for protecting your hands while handling hot dishes and equipment during the grilling process, ensuring safety and comfort throughout the cooking experience.

When cooking under the grill, the intense heat can make handling surfaces and dishes a risky affair, hence the need for reliable oven mitts. Not all mitts are created equal – heat-resistant mitts are a must for withstanding the high temperatures encountered during grilling.

These specialized mitts are designed to offer superior thermal protection against burns and provide a secure grip for safe handling. They come in various materials, such as silicone, neoprene, and aramid, which offer different levels of heat resistance.

Whether flipping burgers or adjusting grill racks, a quality pair of oven mitts is your trusty companion in managing the sizzling heat of the grill with ease and confidence.

Ingredients for Pizza Dough

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The key ingredients for preparing pizza dough include flour, yeast, salt, and olive oil, which form the foundation of a delicious and well-structured crust.

Flour serves as the main component of the dough, providing structure and texture to the final crust. Yeast is crucial for leavening, helping the dough rise and creating a light and airy consistency. Salt enhances the flavor while regulating yeast activity, ensuring proper fermentation. Olive oil adds richness, moisture, and a subtle flavor to the dough, resulting in a softer and tastier crust. When selecting these ingredients, opt for high-quality flour with a good protein content, fresh yeast for optimal leavening, pure salt without additives, and extra-virgin olive oil for its superior taste and texture.

Flour

Flour serves as the primary dry ingredient in pizza dough, providing structure and texture to the crust while absorbing moisture during the kneading process.

Choosing the right type of flour is crucial to the success of your pizza crust. All-purpose flour is commonly used and provides a balance between protein content and gluten development, resulting in a chewy yet tender crust. Bread flour, with its higher protein content, yields a stronger and chewier crust, ideal for thick and fluffy styles. For a thin, crispy crust, consider using 00 flour, which is finely ground from durum wheat.

Experimenting with different flours can help you discover the perfect texture and flavor for your pizza.

Yeast

Yeast is a crucial leavening agent in pizza dough that helps the dough rise and develop a light, airy texture, contributing to the overall flavor and structure of the crust.

Yeast is a living organism that feeds on sugars, producing carbon dioxide gas as a byproduct, which creates bubbles in the dough and makes it rise. There are various types of yeast used in baking, such as active dry yeast, instant yeast, and fresh yeast, each with its own activation process and characteristics. Activating yeast involves dissolving it in warm water with a pinch of sugar to kickstart the fermentation process. Incorporating the activated yeast into the dough mixture at the right temperature and consistency is crucial for a successful rise during the fermentation period.

Salt

Salt enhances the flavor of pizza dough, regulates yeast activity, and strengthens gluten formation, contributing to the taste and texture of the final crust.

When salt is added to pizza dough, it not only imparts a subtle savory undertone but also plays a crucial role in controlling the fermentation process. The presence of salt helps to regulate the activity of the yeast, ensuring a balanced rise and optimal dough development. It interacts with the proteins in the flour to promote gluten formation, which is essential for achieving the desired elasticity and structure in the dough.

Furthermore, salt contributes to the overall flavor profile of the pizza crust by enhancing the perception of other taste elements. Its ability to accentuate sweetness and suppress bitterness creates a well-rounded taste experience that complements the toppings and sauce. To strike the perfect balance, it is recommended to use a precise amount of salt in the dough recipe, typically around 1-2% of the flour weight. This ensures that the dough is not overly salty but has enough seasoning to elevate the flavors without overpowering them.

Olive Oil

Olive oil adds richness, moisture, and a hint of flavor to pizza dough, enhancing its texture and creating a tender, flavorful crust.

When olive oil is incorporated into pizza dough, it not only influences the texture by making it softer and more pliable but also contributes to the overall taste profile of the crust. The natural fats in olive oil help in creating a more supple dough that is easy to work with and results in a lighter, airier crust once baked. The subtle flavor nuances of olive oil infuse the dough, providing a delicate taste that complements the toppings without overpowering them.

Steps to Prepare Pizza Dough

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Preparing pizza dough involves a series of steps, including mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, allowing it to rise, and shaping it into the desired form for baking.

Once the ingredients like flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil are combined, the dough needs to be kneaded thoroughly to develop gluten structure and elasticity. This step is crucial as it affects the dough’s texture and consistency. After kneading, the dough should be set aside in a warm place to rise; this fermentation process allows the yeast to leaven the dough, creating air pockets and flavor. When the dough has doubled in size, it’s time to gently shape it, whether into round discs for traditional pizzas or rectangular shapes for focaccia.

Mixing the Ingredients

The initial step in preparing pizza dough involves mixing the key ingredients – flour, yeast, salt, and olive oil – to form a cohesive and elastic dough mixture.

Once the ingredients are gathered, the flour acts as the base, providing structure and texture to the dough. The yeast, a living organism, adds that airy lightness by fermenting and producing carbon dioxide bubbles during the proofing process. Salt balances and enhances the flavors, while olive oil contributes to the dough’s elasticity and rich taste.

Properly incorporating these ingredients is crucial to the dough’s success. Gradually add water to the mixture, ensuring it is not too hot to kill the yeast or too cold to activate it inadequately. Kneading the dough patiently develops the gluten network, resulting in a chewy yet tender crust.

Kneading the Dough

Kneading the pizza dough is a crucial step that helps develop gluten strands, promote fermentation, and create a smooth, pliable texture for the crust.

This process involves the physical manipulation of the dough, which aligns the gluten proteins and traps air within the structure. Proper kneading ensures that the dough becomes elastic, allowing it to stretch without tearing during shaping and baking. A well-kneaded dough results in a light and airy crust with a good chewy texture.

To achieve optimal gluten development, knead the dough with consistent pressure and motion in a rhythmic pattern, folding it over itself until it forms a cohesive ball. Avoid over-kneading, as this can lead to tough, dense crusts.

Letting the Dough Rise

Allowing the pizza dough to rise is essential for fermentation, yeast activation, and dough expansion, resulting in a light, fluffy texture and improved flavor development.

During fermentation, yeast consumes sugars in the dough, producing carbon dioxide gas which gets trapped in the gluten network, causing the dough to rise. The optimal temperature for yeast activity is around 75-85°F, ensuring proper fermentation. To achieve the best results, cover the dough and let it rest in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour or until it doubles in size.

Shaping the Dough

Shaping the pizza dough involves forming it into a round or rectangular shape, stretching it evenly, and creating a suitable thickness for the desired crust style.

One key aspect of shaping pizza dough is to start by allowing the dough to rest after kneading to relax the gluten, making it easier to work with. Once the dough has rested, gently press it down with your fingertips to flatten it slightly. Then, begin the process of forming the dough by using your hands to push the dough out from the center towards the edges, gradually stretching it into the desired shape. It’s important to maintain an even thickness across the dough to ensure uniform baking.

Steps to Cook Pizza Under the Grill

Credits: Poormet.Com – Nathan Green

Cooking pizza under the grill involves a series of steps, including preparing the grill, assembling the pizza, cooking it to perfection, and finally serving and enjoying the delicious grilled creation.

Preheat your grill to high heat, ensuring it reaches the optimal temperature for a crispy crust and gooey cheese.

Next, dust your work surface with flour and roll out the pizza dough into your desired shape and thickness.

Then, carefully transfer the dough onto a well-oiled grill grate, making sure it doesn’t stick. Grilling the dough first allows for a sturdy base that can withstand the toppings.

Layer the dough with sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings, making sure not to overload it to prevent sogginess.

Cover the grill and let the pizza cook until the cheese melts and the crust develops those beautiful grill marks.

Using a pizza peel, carefully remove the finished pizza from the grill, sprinkle with fresh herbs or a drizzle of olive oil, and slice it up for an indulgent dining experience.

Preparing the Grill

Preparing the grill for cooking pizza involves preheating it to a high temperature, ensuring even heat distribution, and creating optimal conditions for achieving a crispy crust and flavorful toppings.

One crucial step in prepping the grill is to thoroughly clean the grates to prevent sticking and ensure a perfect sear on the pizza crust. Brushing the grates with oil can also help in creating those beautiful grill marks. Once cleaned, it’s essential to preheat the grill for at least 15-20 minutes to get it blazing hot. Keep the lid closed during preheating to build up heat efficiently. Adjust the burners to create different heat zones if needed, allowing for flexibility when cooking multiple pizzas simultaneously.

Assembling the Pizza

Assembling the grilled pizza involves layering toppings such as cheese, tomato sauce, fresh herbs, and other favorite ingredients on the prepared dough base before transferring it to the grill for cooking.

When selecting ingredients for your grilled pizza, opt for a variety of flavors and textures to create a harmonious dish. Consider using a combination of mozzarella, parmesan, or goat cheese for a creamy base. Pair these with a vibrant tomato sauce or pesto for a burst of freshness. Then, experiment with toppings like thinly sliced vegetables, grilled meats, or even fruits such as figs or pears for a unique twist.

• To achieve the perfect balance, sprinkle a dash of freshly ground pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, or a sprinkle of sea salt before grilling to enhance the overall flavor profile of your pizza.
• Remember, layering is key when building your pizza – start with a solid foundation of sauce and cheese, then add your preferred toppings in a strategic order to ensure they cook evenly and meld together beautifully.

Cooking the Pizza

Cooking the grilled pizza involves placing it on the preheated grill, ensuring even cooking, adding garlic oil for flavor, and achieving desirable grill marks while melting the mozzarella cheese to perfection.

Once the pizza is on the grill, close the lid to create an oven-like environment that cooks the toppings, ensuring a crispy crust. Grill marks not only enhance the visual appeal but also add a smoky flavor to the pizza. The garlic oil not only infuses a rich taste but also prevents sticking on the grill grates.

It’s crucial to keep an eye on the pizza to prevent burning while ensuring the cheese melts evenly. This process typically takes around 8-10 minutes depending on the grill temperature and thickness of the pizza crust.

Serving and Enjoying Your Grilled Pizza

Serving and enjoying your grilled pizza involves carefully transferring it from the grill, garnishing with fresh toppings and herbs like basil, and savoring the delightful flavors and textures of the homemade creation.

Once your pizza is off the grill, consider adding a drizzle of high-quality olive oil for a touch of richness and depth. Freshly cracked black pepper can elevate the flavors further, enhancing each bite with a subtle kick. For those looking to add a bit of heat, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a drizzle of chili-infused oil can provide a spicy contrast to the other flavors. Don’t forget to pair your pizza with a refreshing drink, such as a chilled glass of sangria or a classic lemonade for a perfect balance of flavors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cook pizza under the grill?

Yes, it is possible to cook pizza under the grill. In fact, it is a popular method for making crispy and delicious pizza at home.

What type of grill is best for cooking pizza?

A gas or charcoal grill with a lid is ideal for cooking pizza. This allows for even heat distribution and helps to achieve a crispy crust.

What temperature should I set my grill to?

For cooking pizza under the grill, it is recommended to set the temperature between 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure a perfectly cooked pizza in a short amount of time.

What type of pizza works best for grilling?

Thin-crust pizzas work best for grilling as they cook faster and have a crispier texture. However, you can also use thicker crusts if desired.

Do I need to preheat the grill before cooking the pizza?

Yes, it is important to preheat the grill before cooking the pizza. This ensures that the grill is hot enough to cook the pizza evenly and achieve a crispy crust.

How long does it take to cook pizza under the grill?

On average, it takes about 8-10 minutes to cook pizza under the grill. However, this may vary depending on the thickness of the crust and the temperature of the grill. It is important to keep an eye on the pizza while cooking to avoid burning.