An Easy Way To Make Woodfired Like Pizza At Home, On Your Grill ~ A Tipsy Tuesday Tip

I love woodfired pizza, and I mean LOVE! But I don’t always feel like going out to eat it and woodfired pizza that’s delivered just isn’t right by the time it gets to my house. I do make pizza including homemade dough a couple of times a year, but let’s face it, it isn’t quite the same as pizza with a perfectly cracker like charred crust. Making dough, letting it rise and trying to manipulate it into the oven especially when it’s hot, just isn’t fun either. The obvious solution is to make pizza on your grill right? Well if you have tried this then you know, it can be tricky and it doesn’t always turn out right. Something needed to be done.

I decided to try a few different ways to make a wood fire like tasting pizza without the fuss. I am proud to say, I succeeded. After experimenting with at least twenty different pre-made crusts and doughs, I found something that works great and it may be surprising. The solution lies in three little words, Lebanese – Pita – Bread.

What is Lebanese Pita Bread you ask? The Lebanese Pita is a large flat pita bread, about the size of a pizza. It is hollow in the middle and soft on the outer layers. PERFECT for making grilled pizza! I live in Chicago so I fortunately have access to quite a few cultural food options. The pita breads that I always use are from a local bakery called Sanabel Bakery.  Sanabel is located at 4213 N Kedzie Ave,  in the Irving Park Community of Chicago. You can visit their store to buy their products directly and I also find their products at a lot of local grocery stores that carry International Foods and at Whole Foods Market.

The pitas look like this

If you do not have access to Lebanese Pita Bread, I have made this recipe using other types of pita bread that is lighter in texture and I have even used Naan bread that I purchased at Aldi. These two options work almost as well.

Once you find the right pita bread, the rest of the process is simple. Here is what else you need:

Ingredients

• 2 Lebanese Pita Breads
• 1 Can of your favorite pizza sauce. I love Pastorelli brand or Rao’s.
• Good quality olive oil.
• 1 lb of Fresh Mozzarella
• 3 C of Shredded Mozzarella
• Toppings of your choice. I like Roasted Red Pepper, Cooked Italian Sausage, Capers, sautéed Mushrooms and Onions.

The steps are also easy:

Steps

1. Get your grill hot. I use a gas grill and I turn on all the burners to high. Close the lid and go in and prep your pita.
2. Brush both sides of the pita breads well with olive oil.
3. Next you are going to pre-cook your pitas.
4. I start with turning down all the burners to low.
5. Place the pitas on the grill and watch them VERY carefully. Toast them ONLY ONE SIDE until you see decent char marks on the pita.
6. Take them off the grill, turn the grill back up to HIGH heat and take the pitas inside.
7. Now, brush a little more olive oil on both sides and top the charred side with your sauce and toppings.
8. I like to do the fresh mozzarella as the base, then the veggies, then cover the top with a decent sprinkle of the shredded mozzarella. Top all your pitas and bring them back outside to grill.
9. This step you have to work fast so you don’t let all the heat out of the grill. Turn off all the burners but one, place the pita pizza on the side without direct flame underneath. Close the lid and let the cheese melt. Be sure to check the pizza by lifting the lid a little to make sure it isn’t burning. Once the cheese is melted your pizza is perfect!

Pro Tip : If you don’t have a large grill to fit more than one pizza, make sure you get the grill super hot in between each batch by turning on all the burners. Just be sure to follow step 9 for each pizza.

You will find that the crust on this pizza gets perfectly charred, crisp and slightly chewy. In my opinion it is a perfect Summer pizza. Get creative with your toppings and make sure to treat yourself to an icy cold bottle of prosecco.

Enjoy!

For another great grilling idea check out my recipe for SKIRT STEAK!