Recipe: Barbecued Pizza

Pizzas don’t just have to be oven baked. Cooking a pizza on a barbecue is a great way to get a smoky and wood-fired-oven flavour.

This antipasti pizza is made from scratch but well worth the effort. You can choose any topping you like but this combo works well.

According to Met Eireann, it’s due to stop raining this weekend so if the sun does make a return why don’t you give this a go.

Barbecued Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
• 750ml jar passata
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano or thyme
• ½ tsp sugar
• 250g artichoke hearts
• 200g roasted red peppers in oil, cut into strips
• 80g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and cut into strips
• 250g mini mozzarella balls
• 50g pitted black olives
• 50g cheddar, coarsely grated

For the dough

• 350g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp dried fast-action yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• Olive oil, plus extra for oiling and brushing

Instructions:

1. First make the pizza dough. Sift the flour, yeast and salt into a mixing bowl, add 225ml hand-hot water and mix to a soft dough – add a dash more water if it seems a little dry. Turn the dough out onto a a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Return to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling-film and leave somewhere warm for an hour or until doubled in size.
2. Meanwhile, make the topping. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a medium pan for a couple of minutes until the garlic sizzles. Add the passata, oregano and sugar and simmer, stirring now and then for 30 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce. Season and set aside.
3. If using a charcoal barbecue, light it about 30 minutes before you want to cook. If using a gas barbecue, preheat 10 minutes beforehand.
4. Punch the risen dough to knock out the air, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Halve equally and roll each piece to about 25cm circle. Transfer to two baking sheets and brush with oil.
5. Lift the pizza bases, oil-side down, onto the bbq bars and cook over direct medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until marked by the bbq bars. Flip over and cook for a further 2 minutes.
6. Slide the pizza bases back onto the baking sheets and spread with the tomato sauce , leaving a 1-2cm border. Scatter over the artichokes, peppers, sun-tried tomatoes, mozzarella, olives and cheddar.
7. Brush the bars of the bbq with oil, slide the pizzas back onto the bars, cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes until hot and the cheese has melted.