How do I get a pizza crust onto the grill?

[crankin]

I really want to make grilled pizza but the one time I tried it, it was a disaster because the dough completely fell apart as I tried to get it onto the grill. I do not have peel so I tried to sort of just move one part at a time - obviously not the right thing to do. It broke into multiple pieces. The good news is that the parts all tasted great, it's just that it became about 3-4 sections of pizza rather than one uniform piece. So... how can I do this?

[Chicks]

Start small with lots of corn meal. Little individual pizzas work well, grill first then add the toppings.

[Bigjim68]

I haven't tried this, but I would try a large terra cotta or natural tile, being sure to get an unfinished one. and use it for a baking stone. Works in the oven.

[pacanis]

You're just having a problem placing it onto the grill?
I'm not sure if this is what you're after, but have you tried setting it on a cutting board, holding the board where you want the shell to wind up, and letting the first edge that slides off "grab hold" of the grill while sliding the board out from underneath it? I do that with foil pans/trays all the time, because obviously you can't carry a tin foil tray with potato halves on it without some kind of support
You probably want flour or corn meal on the cutting board..... if this is what you are asking.

[GotGarlic]

You can use the back side of a large baking sheet as a peel. Sprinkle cornmeal on it, then roll out the dough into a rectangle on the counter or wherever you do that. Then pick up one short side of the dough and lay it over a rolling pin - use that to pick up the whole piece of dough. Lay the dough flat on the back of the cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet, then take it to the grill.

You can try to shake the dough off of the baking sheet onto the grill - the cornmeal will help it to slide. Or you can pick up a short side of the dough and do the same trick with the rolling pin to lay it flat on the grill. I made my first grilled pizza a couple of weeks ago - worked great

And here's a great booklet someone referred to a while ago when we were discussing grilled pizza: Weber's Book of Grilled Pizza - Asiaing.com

[pacanis]

Good suggestion, GG! A baking sheet would work, too.

[Adillo303]

I have a big 20" or so perferated pizza cooking plate, for lack of a better name. I used this to cook on, could grill on it as well. It also works as a peel, Slide on, Slide off.

AC

[Jeff G.]

Originally Posted by crankin

I really want to make grilled pizza but the one time I tried it, it was a disaster because the dough completely fell apart as I tried to get it onto the grill. I do not have peel so I tried to sort of just move one part at a time - obviously not the right thing to do. It broke into multiple pieces. The good news is that the parts all tasted great, it's just that it became about 3-4 sections of pizza rather than one uniform piece. So... how can I do this?

You need a hot stone or metal plate to put it on. You could also use a pan with holes in it. You need to support the dough until it crisps up.

[GB]

You are trying to hard. Pick up the dough and stretch it out as you normally would. Instead of putting it on a peel or something else just put it on the grill. Once the first side it done the dough will be stiff. You can then flip it over and add your toppings.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by Jeff G.

You need a hot stone or metal plate to put it on. You could also use a pan with holes in it. You need to support the dough until it crisps up.

Actually, I was surprised to find that you don't. You can put the dough directly on the grill grates. It only takes a few minutes to cook the first side, then, as GB said, it's stiff enough to flip over with tongs. Top the first side while the second side cooks. It takes much less time on the grill than in the oven, maybe three minutes or so on the second side, so plan your toppings accordingly