Recipe: Braai Day Pizza

It’s National Braai Weekend and we’re celebrating with a fresh, Italian-inspired pizza that you can make straight on the grill!

What you need: Prepared pizza dough Tomato Sauce Herbs Cheese, onions, peppers and toppings as you prefer.

What you need to do:

1. Roll out and stretch prepared pizza dough into a round shape, using your fingers to flatten and stretch it.

2. Prepare the grill for high direct heat. Prepare a small bowl with olive oil for greasing the grill grates and for brushing the pizza. Prepare the toppings so they are ready to go on the pizza—tomato sauce, cheese, and anything else you wish.

3. Once the grill is hot, dip a tightly folded up paper towel in olive oil and use tongs to wipe the grill grates. Then place a pizza dough round on a lightly floured (or you can use cornmeal) rimless cookie sheet (or pizza peel if you have one). Let the dough slide off the cookie sheet onto the hot grill grates. Close the lid of the grill and let cook for 2 minutes.

4. After 2 minutes, open the grill and check underneath the dough to see if it is browned. Rotate dough to get an even heat distribution. The top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets.

5. Once the pizza dough has browned lightly on one side, use your cookie sheet or pizza peel to remove it from the grill. Use a spatula to flip the dough over so that the grilled side is now up. Keep the grill covered so it retains its heat for the next step.

6. Paint the grilled surface of the pizza with a little olive oil, then cover with 1 ladle of sauce – no more, or you’ll end up with a soggy pizza. Sprinkle on your toppings, ending with Mozzarella cheese (if using), and if using meat, put that over the cheese. Remember to go light on the toppings, or your pizza will be heavy and soggy.

7. Slide the topped pizza back onto the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the bottom begins to char and the cheese is bubbly. Pull off the grate with a spatula onto a cutting board and slice!   Read more here.