I recently acquired a barbecue. And, by "acquired," I really just mean found along the side of the road with a "free" sign on it. Which, in my part of rural Wisconsin is actually kind of an anomaly! I'm from Oregon where thrifting and free boxes were a thing decades before hipsters latched onto the idea and post-millennial decided that paying full price for fast fashion just might not have been worth it. So, in a relatively nice neighborhood where everyone knows their neighbors and you're kind of an odd duck if you always lock your car? You're not often going to find thrifted or abandoned furniture and appliances! You're not in the city or a college town where we used to live off of this. But it also means that I'm in a part of the world where people don't know the value of their lightly used things and, if it says it works, it probably works. So, now I have a barbecue! And am making barbecue pizza!
It wasn't actually quite that simple. I live alone and was grocery shopping. I do drive a truck and could act fit it in my car. But doing so alone is a bit of a feat! I'm quite short and was in a tan skirt. So, as much as I might have looked like I was gearing up for an Indiana Jones movie? I didn't exactly want to have to lift a dirty barbecue 3 feet in the air by myself! It did end up being worth it, though, and soon enough I was washing all of the soot off of myself and planning on making pizza.
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Variations of Barbecue Pizza
I don't always make pizza that much, but bruschetta is a great substitute for when you want the feel of pizza, without actually having to make pizza. I made the bread for these recipes, but it's a great thing to make ahead of time and utilize throughout the week or swap out with a store-bought version.
This pizza barbecue dough recipe makes 3 individual-sized pizzas. Depending on how thin you roll them, they're about 8-12 inches in diameter. So, it's the perfect opportunity to try out a few different flavor profiles and come up with new and interesting combinations! Today, I made a spinach pesto pizza with red bell peppers, cheddar, fresh mozzarella, and a runny egg. The third is a fresh spinach pizza with red bell peppers, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. And the third is a tomato pizza with cheddar and fresh mozzarella. Although pizza is a great way to have fun with your own toppings.
I used a Barbecue Pizza Dough recipe loosely based off of a New York Times article for Pizza on the Grill. It takes about 20 minutes and 10 minutes to grill. Just make sure to plan in 6 hours of proof time. Otherwise, you can make the dough up to 2 days ahead of time and slowly proof in the refrigerator.
I also used Spinach Dip w/ Walnuts, Parmesan, & Dill in this recipe. This is optional. It only takes about 10 minutes to make in a food processor and I highly recommend it. Alternatively, you can just chop up spinach and use as is in a pinch.
Top Pizzas
Add any sauce and toppings to pizzas.For two of these pizzas I didn't use a sauce. Oilier cheeses, like cheddar or parmesan, will separate when cooked. This creates that quintessential greasiness. I won't always add sauce because of this. When the cheese melts, the oil permeate through the toppings and seep into the crust. Too much sauce can cause the pizzas to get soggy. So, I tend to use sparsely with thinner crust pizzas.You can also add any variety of cheese that you like. Just make sure that it isn't pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheeses contain anti-caking agents additives to prevent sticking. But these also prevent the cheese from melting properly.
Cook Pizzas
Preheat barbecue to medium heat.
Carefully slide each of the pizzas onto the barbecue.You can do this by gently tugging at one side of the crust and sliding it onto the grill. Or by picking up the pizzas at each end and dropping them onto the barbecue. Just don't touch the grill and burn yourself!
Bake for about 6-8 minutes, or until the cheese begins to brown.Since the crust has already been cooked slightly, make sure that it doesn't burn on the bottom before the cheese melts. If there is any doubt, look to the crust to determine doneness.
Sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper and serve immediately.
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