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How to Grill a Pizza

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Q. I want to try grilling a homemade pizza. What do I need to know? — Curt, Black Creek

A. Pizza of any kind is a favorite for most people and when a pizza is grilled, it gets extra special. An easy way to grill pizza is to convert your grill to an oven. This requires cooking indirectly instead of what we normally do when we grill, which is cooking directly. Set your grill up to bake at the temperature you desire. Everything depends on the thickness of the crust and the amount of delicious toppings we put on it. A thin, crispy crust is usually cooked at 600° F or hotter, whereas a thicker crust pizza is usually cooked around 450° F. When I grill pizza at home, I usually pre-bake the crust on a pre-heated pizza stone for about 5-7 minutes to allow the crust to rise to its maximum height and set up firm enough to add our sauces, toppings and cheeses. Then I’ll return the pizza to the grill to let it finish baking, which usually takes another 12-15 minutes. This method produces a nice, crisp crust on the bottom and beautifully browned cheese on the top. Some people grill pizza crusts directly on the grill grate by oiling the dough oil and cooking them very quickly. While great results can be achieved, there is little room for error with this method as the dough can burn very quickly.

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