I've done pizza many times on my grill using a pizza stone. One problem with mine is that the smoke, it's a charcoal grill, stained my stone almost black. Now I keep 2, the stained one for the grill and a kitchen stone.

The other problem is temperature control. Grills dissapate heat much faster than your oven when open. I like a really crispy crust so I like that 'convection effect' I get from closing the lid. I've guesstimated that every time I open the lid I add about 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time. A 12 to 14 minute pizza can take upwards of 18 to 22 minutes, because I turn the stone 45 degrees every few minutes to ensure even cooking.

My best girl likes more offbeat pizza from the grill more so than traditional red sauce pizza, the smoke changes the flavor a bit. So we do BBQ Chicken with pineapple. Ham, bacon, peppers, fresh mozzarella, with dried apricots, on fresh chopped tomatoes. A few others.

If you do use a stone, beware of flame ups on the grill, the stone will crack if one part gets too much hotter than the rest. Ask me how I know.

Aug

Hi Azmom - I love grilled pizza - great thing for that hot day...

I make it right on the grill with no stone - it's easier to do small pizzas - the dough is easier to handle. AFter it's stretched out, you just pick it up like dish towel and lay on the hot grate. When one side is done, you flip it, quickly lay your toppings on (have them all prepared and handy - and precooked) and by the time they're heated and cheese is melted, the bottom side is done. It has a great flavor.

I will paste some great tips from the weber grilled pizza booklet. It was a booklet that was available online a few years ago, that I copied some of - too bad I didn't keep the whole thing as I can't seem to find it now...

Lots of information here - I tried to make bold the most important points...

Basic Dough Recipe
11/2 cups lukewarm water
1 package active dry yeast
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling bowl

Place lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast on top and let sit until foamy,
about 5 minutes. Combine flour and salt. Add to water, 1 cup at a time, until well incorporated.
If very sticky, add extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until soft and slightly sticky.
Add 2 tablespoons oil; mix well until dough feels elastic. Turn the dough out onto a wellfloured
surface. Knead, adding extra flour to your work surface as necessary to prevent the
dough from sticking, for 10 minutes, or until smooth and easy to work with. Clean and oil
the bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it more than
doubles in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and knead on a lightly floured
surface for several minutes or until smooth.

Divide dough into four 4" balls and proceed with pizza-making instructions.
(Dough may be made ahead, frozen until needed and thawed at room temperature.)

Makes 4 individual pizzas.

Food Processor Dough

If you crave the taste of homemade dough, but mixing by hand is not your speed,
we offer this food processor version. It uses rapid-rise yeast for even speedier results.
11/2 cups lukewarm water
1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) rapid-rise yeast
11/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling bowl
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting hands and work surfaces
11/2 teaspoons salt
Pour water into work bowl of a large food processor. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over
water and pulse twice. Add oil, flour and salt and process until mixture comes together.
Dough should be soft and slightly sticky. (If it is very sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at
a time, and pulse briefly. If it is too stiff, add 1 tablespoon water and pulse briefly.)
Process another 30 seconds.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball.
Put dough into deep lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in warm oven
(100F). Let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled. Remove from oven, punch dough down
and turn out onto lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4" balls, and proceed
with pizza-making instructions.

DOUGH PREPARATIONS

Whether you make your own dough, buy it frozen or purchase it fresh from a pizza parlor,
these guidelines will help you prepare your dough for the grill.

size: The dough should be the size of a softball, about 4" in diameter. This will
yield one medium-sized individual pizza or serve 4-6 people as an appetizer.
temperature: The dough should be taken out of the refrigerator one hour before use
and allowed to come to room temperature.
to prep: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and flatten with the
palm of your hand. Roll out or pull and stretch the dough gently into either a 12"
rectangle or circle. Make it as thin as possible since the dough will rise as it cooks and
you want the dough to cook all the way through. Always keep dough covered or
the exterior will dry out.

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ROLLING OUT THE DOUGH

There are just a few things you need to know about rolling the dough. It is so easy
that after doing it once, youÂll be an expert, inventing your own tricks of the pizza trade.
Sticky Business
Pizza dough is very sticky, so youÂll need to sprinkle your surface with a handful
of flour or cornmeal before you begin to roll your dough. If you like a more rustic crust,
opt for the cornmeal.
Rolling Pin Method
1. Place ball of dough in center of work surface. Sprinkle with cornmeal or flour.
2. Roll out from center of dough to edges.*
* Wine bottle tip: If you donÂt own a rolling pin, donÂt fret. Just use a wine bottle to roll out
the dough...and if you are in a real pinch, any bottle shaped like a wine bottle will do.
Hand Method
1. Place ball of dough in center of work surface. Sprinkle with cornmeal or flour.
2. Flatten dough from center to edges using the flat palm of your hand.
1. Ball of Dough 2. Rolling the Dough 3. Stretching by Hand
12

****The high heat of the grill is what gives pizza such a great crust. Because the dough cooks
quickly, it is essential that any toppings requiring cooking be prepared before you put them
on the crust. Use pre-cooked meats, or grill, roast or sauté your meat to cook it thoroughly.
Vegetables can be grilled, steamed, blanched or sautéed.

CHECKLIST
Have these items handy before you start grilling:
 Olive oil
 Basting brush
 Tongs
 Mitt
 Pizza peel or cookie sheet
 Toppings and cheese in individual bowls or on a plate side by side

Ready...Set...GRILL

Make sure your gas grill is preheated or your charcoal briquettes are ready to cook on.
And, donÂt forget, always cook with the grill lid closed.
1. Brush both sides of dough with olive oil.
2. Pick up dough by 2 edges (like hanging a wet T-shirt on the clothesline) and gently
place on grill. DonÂt worry - the dough will not fall between the grates!
3. Cook dough over DIRECT HEAT for 2-4 minutes, or until bottom side is well marked and
as brown as a medium slice of toast. If dough bubbles, poke with tongs to release air and
flatten crust. Make sure your grill is not too hot or your dough will burn immediately.
4. When bottom is brown, flip dough over.
5. Immediately cover cooked side with toppings and cheese, move to indirect heat, close lid
and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until bottom is browned, cheese is melted and toppings are
warmed through. (NOTE: If your grill only has one burner, after adding toppings, grill
second side for 2 more minutes over direct heat, turn off and finish, using residual heat.
DO NOT lift lid! For best results on charcoal see page 7.)
6. Remove pizza from the grill, slice and serve immediately.

ready for the grill
Great Cheese Makes
Great Grilled Pizza
When purchasing cheese for your
pizzas, look for the authentic
versions. Parmesan cheese from
Italy (Parmigiano-Reggiano),
fresh or aged mozzarella, and Brie
from France really do taste better.
For maximum flavor, grate cheese
just before using.
1. Brushing the Dough
with Olive Oil
2. Placing the Dough
on the Grill
3. Dough Cooking and
Bubbling
4. Flipping the Dough
5. Placing Toppings on the
Cooked Side of the Pizza
6. Cutting the Finished Pizza
13
14
Here are a few tips to streamline the cooking process, maximize flavor and minimize stress,
whether you are cooking for 2 or 20:
TAKE A SOLO TEST FLIGHT - Grilling pizza is easy, but practice does make
perfect. To avoid the stress of learning a new dish in front of a crowd, make your first
pizza before your party. When your guests arrive, youÂll surprise them with your
confidence and expertise.
BE PREPARED - Before your guests arrive, have your dough rolled out and your
toppings pre-cooked, pre-cut and pre-grated.
STAY IN TOUCH - Grilled pizza cooks faster than a "fire in a match factory." To avoid
burning the crust while you run around in search of that one missing item, use the
Checklist (page 4) and make sure everything you need is within armÂs reach of the grill.
MAKE EVERY SLICE COUNT - Usually the last slices of pizza left are the ones with
the least amount of toppings. To avoid disappointing your guests - or yourself - spread
toppings generously, right up to the edge of the crust.
BE CRUSTY - The key to great grilled pizza is getting the cooking temperature and
timing just right so that the exterior of the crust browns and the interior cooks before
it burns, yielding a perfectly crispy crust. Cooking it slightly longer, over a slightly
lower heat, delivers the best results.
KEEP IT SIMPLE - YouÂve heard the one about too many cooks in the kitchen...
Well, too many ingredients will confuse your palate. Keep it simple. Resist the
temptation to pile on everything but the kitchen sink.
tips from the surreal gourmet
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BE FEARLESS - DonÂt be afraid to experiment with your own favorite flavor
combinations. And donÂt run from cheese with lots of personality. My favorite
pizzas use gloriously stinky cheeses like Stilton and Camembert.
CHECK THE OIL - DonÂt forget the olive oil! A generous brushing of oil will make
your pizza extra delicious and keep it from sticking to the cooking grate.
STRETCH - Make sure the dough is as thin as possible. It will rise as it cooks.
JOIN THE ADVENTURE CLUB - Go ahead, raise the pizza bar a couple of levels
and try new exotic ingredients and flavor combinations: wild mushrooms, fresh clams,
purple potatoes...If you have any questions about whether an ingredient falls
into the Adventure Club, ask yourself, Am I thinking outside the (pizza) box?

I love pizza on the grill also. We normally will do small, individual ones. I have my toppings all ready to go because once on the grill (I use charcoal) it doesn't take long.

I love pizza on the grill but I do it as Stacy does, individual pizzas done directly on the grill. She has given such a great list of instructions and tips I can think of nothing to add.

Can't see an issue with using the stone directly on the grill as long as your BBQ gets really hot and you preheat. I think I would still slightly precook the veggie toppings, onions, peppers, mushrooms etc.

Good luck and enjoy!

Surely glad I posted the questions. Thank you so much for your advices, tips and recipes.

Aug, I have never thought about temperature control issues. I appreciate that you reminded me a pizza stone can be damaged by uneven temperature. You may very possible save me from losing the stone.

Stacy, I have saved your tips and recipes. I like many things from Weber. We had a Weber genesis for a couple of years before installing the build-in one when we redid the landscape. For some reasons I like the Weber much more than the build-in one, so we still keep it in the garage.

Chase, Dixiedog, Ill remember to use ingredients that compliment the flavor from grill. I will make 10 inches pizza instead of the 16 inches. I am so grateful I dont have to heat up the kitchen any more.

Stacy I'm bowing low in your general direction and copying this thread to DH, my pizza, grill and garden meister.