Pizza Chronicles: Wood burning pizza in a Weber? You bet.

So, it’s like 1000 degrees around here. I decided to make pizza (shocked right?) on my Weber Silver C grill like I did last summer, but this time I wanted it all, char, smoke, wood, browned cheese and yum.
About 20 months back, when I redid my heating system, I had my heating guy cut me a piece of sheet metal the size of the grill, minus about 1/2 inch. I covered it with aluminum foil, took two halves of a brick and wraped them in aluminum. soaked some hickory chips in water, and prepared myself.

I got the fire real hot, added the wood, and brought it to med/low. I formed the dough as usual and carefully placed on the grating, making sure to use lots of extra bench flour so it would not stick. A minute or so later, I flipped it and did another minute or so until browned. I removed it and loaded it up as usual placing iton a cool metal pizza pan. Back onto the grill it goes, but this time I placed a brick on each side of it and place my sheet atop the bricks. Tis makes the sheet ‘float’ about 1 inch above the pie. Close the lid and sure enough, the smoke was churning in a few minutes. The chips actually caught fire! I was concerned, but then realized: This is what I wan’t! Beautiful fire creating wonderful smokiness, just not blackening the pie since its on the pan. About 6 minutes later, I slide the pie onto the grating and (no more fire) and a nice final char forms on the bottom. What I got was browned cheese, charred bottom, browned edges, and just a wonderfully rigid perfectly cooked pie.
This is the idea given to me by Jeff Varasano a few years back via a few email communiqué we were having. The problem with most bbq/grill pies is the uneven heat to the top of the pie. This really focuses the heat where want it. Not really sure if I need to adjust anything next time. Real happy with the results. The pizza has a mild wood burning oven flavor just like I wanted.
Jeff Varasano: Pizza Genius.
PS; The Ove Glove is perfect for all this jockeying around of hot stuff.

mike,

I like that idea, of that containment on top… I think I will go two brick high and use my pizza stone

I have a pair of doughs… im working with right now but… I think my yeast is bad. The cool risen dough… didnt get much movement from wed. I tried to bloom some yeast today… and I’m not seeing any bubbles… so…Im going to add a bit of heat.

Paul

btw what yeast are you using ?

Paul, although my dough is great (it should be, I experimented enough) I get an AMAZING dough in my neighborhood for .99cents. It’s dense, chewy and perfectly balanced with all things good.

500˚ convection oven for today’s lunch
Fresh sweet corn & roasted poblano pepper pizza

I’ll have to try the grilled pizza soon.

Mike, I’m liking the concept, but I’m struggling with hickory. Do you think some other type of wood might be better suited to pizza? If so, which one?

Good question that I have pondered a bit myself.

Maybe a fruitwood? Apple wood?

OAK wood or maple would be the best choice

If you want it to taste like a dining room table…

I think fruitwood is the way to go. Milder.

Just a follow-up on this subject. I have found Apple Wood chips to be best for pizza. It’s mild enough without overpowering.
I soak a handful of chips for 20 minutes in warm water and put it all into a loosely wrapped foil blanket placed directly between 2 preheated Weber ‘flavor bars’ on the left side of the grill. Wait another 5 minutes while I make the pie. When I place the raw pie on my stone, I get some nice smoke, but again, not too much as I had with hickory or mesquite. I found a bunch of 2 pound bags at my local grocer and wiped them out. I have 12 bags in storage. :slight_smile:

Ever think of using grape cuttings for the wood component ?
L

Mike, I don’t know how much smoking effect you get/want, but Apple seems to impart a dark color that other woods don’t…at least on poultry and fish…

I use oak, usually one good size log for 2-3 pizzas over a bed of lump. Never had an issue with too much wood taste as the pizza doesn’t really seem to take on the smoke flavor that other foods do. Ive tried pecan, cherry and apple and could never tell the difference.

Stuart, I don’t find that issue with pizza.

I know you guys know all about wine, but you dont soak wood chips for smoking.

I hang out with two world champions on a regular basis, and I assure you, no one soaks anything.

Mark I have heard both sides of the soaking story. I’ll wager Tuffy is using log rather than chips. I soak my chips and chunks for a slow burn.

I use straight lump for pizza, no need to up the smoke.

+1

IMO chips are a bad idea in the first place but if you have to use em don’t soak em

Tyler what is you theory on soaking being a negative? I do not want my chips to catch on fire and burn too quickly.

Water doesn’t really do any good. Conventional wisdom would have you believe that it slows the burning of the chips. It does a bit but there is no need for it. You are better off using a foil packet or smoker box with wood chips and no water. This way you can control the airflow to prevent the chips from burning up too quickly while getting some nice smoke out of em.

Or just use larger chunks of wood and avoid the whole smoker box thing.

I don’t think soaking is a plus for the quality of the smoking process, either. It creates steam and, I think, allows for more of a creosote component in the item being smoked. I stopped doing that many years ago as a result. It does slow the process down, but…IMO, the downsides of soaking outweigh that…and what is being smoked doesn’t absorb smoke after some point, relatively early in the process, I 've read.