It’s amazing what a difference a grill makes when it comes to pizza. And it’s the perfect summertime food: it’s easy, it’s fast, and you keep the heat outside where it belongs!
I’ve BBQ’d pizza for clients in the past, and it’s always met with shocked looks at first as I throw the dough on the grill, but inevitably that’s followed by ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as everyone takes that first bite. It’s a whole different (and delicious) flavour.
When I started to eat gluten-free, I thought my grilled pizza days were over. Sure, I could use the frozen pre-formed crusts in the freezer section at the grocery store, but it wasn’t the same. But then I found a gluten-free dough that worked. I could actually shape it the way I wanted and put it straight on the grill like ‘real’ pizza dough. It was well worth the wait, and now I can’t get enough!
While the whole process is quite easy, the key to success here is to have all of your toppings ready to go beside the grill before you start.
You will need:
- Pizza dough
- Toppings of choice: sauce, cheeses, meats, vegetables.. whatever you like
- Tongs and a large spatula
- Baking sheet
- Olive oil and a brush
The first step is to make or thaw your dough. If you’re using a frozen dough, you will need to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or while you’re at work that day.
While the dough is resting, pull out and prepare all your toppings. Grate your cheese and slice whatever meats or vegetables you want to use. Preheat your BBQ to med-high heat. You need to cook the dough over indirect heat so only turn on one side of your burners.
When you’re ready, roll out and shape your dough.
With the gluten-free dough, I find this easiest to do on a sheet of parchment dusted with gluten-free flour so you can then transfer the parchment to a cookie sheet to carry outside to your grill.
When the grill is preheated and you have your toppings ready to go, brush the top of the dough with some olive oil. Gently lift the dough and place oil side down onto the grill. It will only take a minute or two to brown so don’t walk away. Once the dough is lightly charred, gently turn the dough over using your tongs and/or spatula. Arrange all your toppings on the charred side and close the lid.
This is the hard part… wait 5 minutes. Open the lid and check your crust. When it’s lightly charred and your cheese has melted, you’re good to go!
Gently remove the pizza from the grill, slice and enjoy!