How to cook pizza on your BBQ - Pictures!

[BarbaraC]

Matt,
Do you have an IR thermometer? It really helps to know the temp of the stone. I don't know if it would help, but the double stone technique by Villa roma may help you. Check out the other thread.

[Aimless Ryan]

I've been experimenting with this for quite some time now & believe it or not, I'm finding that my stone gets to hot. Within a minute or so of being on the stone, the bottom of the pizza is burnt while top is still very light. After shaping my pizzas I remove any excess flour but am finding that once it hits the stone it burns immediately. Your pizzas look fantastic. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

A lot of it depends on the grill you use.

I have two gas grills available to choose from, and I get very different results depending on which grill I use. With the grill I use most frequently, I don't even fire it up until I've already stretched my dough because the stone gets really hot really fast. (Sounds like your grill.) Additionally, this grill provides very little top heat, so it's always an adventure. You really have to know what you're doing to make pizza in this grill.

The other grill is less of an adventure. It doesn't get nearly as hot, and it requires less skill to produce an edible pizza. It does make a very good pizza (compared to the electric oven in the house), but not necessarily a memorable pizza. Honestly, I can't remember exactly how it behaves because I haven't used it in a couple years.

I almost always peel my pizzas onto the stone, but with the first grill I described (the hot one), I occasionally use a screen. I really don't like using screens, but this method gives the top of the pizza a chance to cook.

I think the most important factor in learning how to make great pizza in different ovens is experience. Just like with anything else--bowling, football, musical instruments, math, etc.--you need to practice to improve (or to gain knowledge). Obsession helps, too.

Ryan