Guide to Great Grilled Pizza
Pizza on its own is incredibly delicious, but when you throw it on the grill, it reaches a whole new level of mouthwatering. The grill is the ideal tool for pizza results that match – or even top – the most popular pizzerias. Using the grill allows for higher heat, which ultimately cooks your pizza faster and more efficiently. Here are a few tips and tricks for creating picture-perfect grilled pizzas.
1. Turn Up the Heat
Pizza is best when it’s cooked for a short period over high heat. Before preparing your pizza, allow time for your grill to heat up to the proper high temperature. The grill should reach between 500° and 550° so it can give your pizza that crispy char you desire.
2. Make a Smart Dough Transfer
You may be wondering how to get your delicate pizza dough from your kitchen to the grill. A rimless cookie sheet or the underside of a rimmed pan make great vessels for transferring your dough. Without rims, they both allow you to effortlessly slide the pizza onto the grill with no extra maneuvering. If you sprinkle the bottom of the cookie sheet or pan with cornmeal before placing the dough on top, it will help prevent it from sticking to the grill.
3. Grill on the Grates
Believe it or not, pizza cooked directly on the grates won’t fall through. Brush the crust and the grill with olive oil before cooking. With so much heat, the crust will cook quickly, so be sure to pay attention! Flip the crust after three to five minutes.
4. Ready, Set, Toppings!
On a hot grill, pizza cooks in a flash. Once you add toppings, there likely won’t be enough time for them to cook completely before the crust is ready. Solve this by pre-cooking your toppings or slicing them so thin that the heat of the crust will warm them up. Also, make sure all toppings and sauces are within arm’s reach of the grill – high temperatures and quick cooking times may not allow for time to run back to the kitchen.