Grilled Pizza, or Pizza on the Grill is a popular meal to make, especially for parties or fun gatherings. Grilled pizza is also one dish that is easy for kids to help with, making it even more appealing. It isn’t as hard as you might think, but there are some tips and techniques that you can follow to ensure that your grilled pizza is perfect.
First you will need a grill. Gas is a little easier to work with than charcoal, because it is easier to regulate the temperature, but don’t worry, you can get some great grilled pizza using a charcoal grill.
With a gas grill, preheat the grill to medium. If you are using charcoal, you want to cook a moderately hot fire (holding your hand four inches above the grill, you shouldn’t be able to keep it there for more than three seconds). After the charcoal is going, spread it so that the coals are around the outside edge of the grill. This will give you the indirect heat that will make a nice pizza.
For your first time, you might want to start with a ready made pizza crust. This way, it is one less step that you have to do, and you can concentrate on cooking your pizza perfectly. Of course, if you are used to making your own crusts from scratch and want to do it, go for it.
Brush your dough with olive oil and then flip it quickly on to the grill, oil side down. A pizza peel is invaluable for this. Cook the dough for about one and a half minutes. Brush a little bit of olive oil on the exposed side, but be careful not to drip any into the grill, or you may have a flare up!
The dough will start to bubble a bit, like a pancake might. When this happens, it is time to flip it. Quickly, and I have to say this again, quickly, put on your sauce, cheese and toppings. Having everything ready and at hand before you put the dough on will help a lot. If you take too much time to add everything to the dough, your cheese will never melt before the crust is done.
Once you have everything on your pizza, close the top of your grill and cook the pizza for another minute and a half. Remove the pizza with a peel or tongs, slice it up and enjoy.
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