Ways to Bake Pizza

Ways to Bake Pizza

We all love pizza! Pizza is amazing and we all have found our favorite pizza by adulthood. Most people just go and buy pizza from a shop, which is a great and very easy way. But sometimes we get curious as to how to do some things on our own. Maybe you are curious about making your own pizza? Or maybe you are very experienced in making your own homemade pizza. Did you know that there are options other than baking it on a cookie sheet in the oven? Most people do not know that! Let’s all learn more about alternative ways to bake a pizza!

On the BBQ

Yes, you can indeed grill your pizza! It gives it a delicious smoky flavor. Your grill is a fabulous place to bake your pizza because it gets hotter than your oven. The best pizza is cooked at a higher temperature according to many pizza experts. It gets ooh so deliciously crispy on the bottom with just the right amount of charring. Because it gets very hot you are going to need to make sure you have an instrument to remove the pizza in one piece. A pizza paddle is a great way to remove a pizza safely.  Making pizza on the grill is a great option when it is hot outside and you don’t want to heat up your home by turning on your oven.

Here is a great recipe for the perfect grilling pizza dough from thekitchn.com:

The Best Pizza Dough for Grilling

MAKES 8 small pizzas

INGREDIENTS

-1 2/3 cups 

-water

-1 to 2 teaspoons 

-active dry or instant yeast

-1/4 cup 

-olive oil

-5 cups all-purpose flour

-2 teaspoons 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you want to use the pizza dough that same day, use 2 teaspoons yeast. If you are going to let the dough rise overnight, use 1 teaspoon yeast.

1. Mix the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Let stand for a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir the oil into the yeast mixture, then add the flour and salt. Mix with a spatula until a shaggy, floury dough is formed.

1. Knead the dough on low speed with a dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes, or knead by hand on the counter for 6 to 8 minutes. When kneaded, the dough should form a smooth ball, feel smooth to the touch, and spring slowly back when poked.

1. Use a pastry scraper or knife to cut the dough into 8 lumps. Grease a baking pan lightly with olive oil or baking spray. Place the dough lumps in the pan and turn them over so they are coated with oil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.

To Make Pizza the Same Day

1. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.

1. At this point the dough can be used immediately, or refrigerated or frozen for later use.

→ How long the dough lasts in the fridge: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. After that it should be cooked or frozen.

To Make Pizza the Next Day (or Later)

1. If you don’t need the dough until the next day, place the covered pan immediately in the refrigerator and let it rise slowly overnight or up to 24 hours.

1. Before making the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

1. You can also of course remove just one or two balls of dough and return the remaining dough to the fridge. If removing just part of the dough, prepare a baking sheet or countertop surface by greasing lightly with oil or baking spray. Place the dough balls on top, then cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel while they rise.

To Grill the Pizza

1. Preheat your gas grill with all the burners on high 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to cook. (Alternatively, start a charcoal grill.) Once heated, turn off or lower half the burners, creating an area of direct heat and an area of indirect heat. (Alternatively, bank a charcoal grill to create areas of direct and indirect heat.) Set up a workspace near the grill with space for shaping the pizza and bowls with sauce and toppings.

1. Working with one piece at a time, pull and stretch a dough ball in your hands into a round. Once it becomes large, drape it over your fists to continue stretching it into a large, thin round. If it feels more comfortable, you can also do this on a greased work surface.

1. Flip the shaped pizza onto the grill over direct heat. Close the grill. Let the pizza grill until the bottom is just barely cooked and shows char marks, 1 to 3 minutes. Every grill is different, and depending on yours and how long you preheated it, this time could vary.

1. Use tongs to flip the pizza over and move it to the indirect heat. Quickly spread it with sauce and spread a thin layer of toppings over top. (Don’t over-top the pizza as this will interfere with it cooking quickly and completely.) Close the grill and cook until the toppings are warmed through and the cheese is melted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Again, time on your grill may vary. Use your sense of smell; if the pizza smells like it’s scorching, open the grill and rotate the pizza into a cooler spot

1. Use tongs or a large spatula to slide the finished pizza onto a cutting board. Cut the pizza into slices and serve. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough; as you get into a rhythm, you can start a second pizza over direct heat while the first pizza is finishing over direct heat.

Wood Fired Oven

It is well known in the pizza making community that the best way to make a pizza is in a wood fired clay oven. As mentioned before, the best pizzas are made at high temperatures. You can make the oven extremely hot, it is far superior to a gas or electric stove. It is surprisingly quick and very easy to use! As with the grill you will need a paddle to move the pizza in and out of the heat. You can also build you one wood fired stove at home. If you do a little online research you can easily find step by step instructions on how to build it. Plus, there are many things you can cook in one! 

Baking or Pizza Stone

If you are limited to using an oven in your home then you should consider using a pizza stone. A pizza stone helps get your crust perfectly hot. It gives it more of an authentic taste. It allows the bottom to get crisp. Like the wood fired oven you can use it for many different types of foods. You can buy a stone that has handles to move the pizza stone or you can also use a paddle to remove the pizza. Do your research and get a well rated pizza stone!

Here at Odd Moe’s Pizza we think it’s great to have options, learning different ways to bake pizza is a great way to have options. If you just want to take it easy tonight, order out and get some Odd Moe’s Pizza!