Pizza on the Grill & in the Pizza Oven: How to make it extra delicious

Pizza oven and grill: the best way to make pizza?

Traditionally, pizza is baked in just a few minutes in very hot stone, wood, or gas ovens. The high temperatures make the thin dough beautifully crisp, while the topping stays juicy. With a grill, you can easily recreate these ideal conditions. Smaller charcoal grills or gas grills with a lid are best, as they allow the heat to build up inside.

Top tip: When making pizza on the grill, it's best to use a pizza stone. This slab of heat-resistant material, such as cordierite, gets extremely hot and ensures the dough bakes quickly and evenly.

It's even easier with a pizza oven. It has the same design as the large models you see in a pizzeria, but it's more compact and a great addition to your barbecue area in the garden. The cooking chamber is especially low, delivering concentrated heat from above and below. The oven heats up quickly and comes with its own pizza stone.

Pizza on the Grill: Our Top Tips

The most important thing is that the heat can build up inside your grill. This allows the temperature to rise so your pizza cooks to perfection in a flash. This happens automatically in a pizza oven thanks to its low cooking chamber, but for grills with a high lid, a pizza stone and a few tips will help:

• Preheat the grill thoroughly. Set gas burners to maximum power or use a mix of briquettes, charcoal, and wood logs. Let the briquettes get glowing hot, then the charcoal will provide the next heat boost, and finally, add the wood logs on top.
• Sprinkle the pizza stone with a little flour or semolina. This prevents fresh dough from sticking and allows you to easily remove the finished pizza.
• Place the pizza stone in the centre of the grill right from the start of preheating. However, make sure the heat sources (coals or burners) only heat the stone indirectly to prevent the pizza from burning.
• Use a special pizza peel. With this grill accessory, you can avoid burns and always have a firm handle on your pizza base.
• Keep an eye on the pizza. The baking process only takes a few minutes. Therefore, check regularly to see if the toppings are cooked and the cheese has melted, but the base is not yet burnt.

Cleaning tip: The pizza stone should not be cleaned with washing-up liquid or too much water. Let it cool down in the grill, scrape off any dough residue, and wipe it only with a slightly damp cloth. Avoid sudden temperature changes, otherwise the stone may crack.

Pizza oven tips

A classic pizza oven lets you get creative in the kitchen. It heats up to very high temperatures to achieve the perfect bake. Here are a few tips to make your pizza a real highlight:

• When shaping the pizza base, gently stretch it from the inside out and do not press the crust down. This allows it to rise and become airy.
• Go easy on the toppings. The less you put on your pizza, the crispier and more balanced the result will be.
• Pre-cook meat, fish and ingredients with a high water content. This extra step releases moisture, so your pizza won't get soggy.
• Rotate the pizza. Let the dough bake for about 30 seconds before carefully turning the pizza. This guarantees a more even bake.
• Let it rest. Allow the pizza to cool for one to two minutes before slicing and serving. This helps the structure to set and makes it even crispier.

Tasty tip: In the Lidl Recipe World, you'll find classics, trending recipes and great pizza ideas for the whole family. Take a look!