First Pizza on the Q

PIZZAS, BREADS, CAKES & DESERTS ON BBQ
chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

First Pizza on the Q

Post by chrisg »

Well, I WAS going to do this for dinner yesterday but it was 37 degrees in Perth and took a long time to cool down, so we had some salad instead.

I'm rather traditional with pizza although I do make them a lot, just in the oven, never have used a BBQ but it looks very tempting on the Q so started reading up on it here and in the books.

First thing, don't currently have a stone, last one was dropped ( made my heart melt when my daughter had it slip from her hands so no yelling, big hugs :) ) I've been using a large perforated shallow pan, $6 from Target, for a while, works fine but the reading did make me remember to chase up a stone. That was interesting, was going to get the Weber one but in surfing around found Kitchenware Direct had a perfectly ok looking one in a set of lifter and cutter (lost the latter in our move as well) for thirteen bucks plus shipping. Hard to go past but ended up replacing the lost pasta maker as well and the wife decided she wanted a good new frypan, which I agreed with, so not so cheap a visit but great value.

Of course that wont be here for a week and I have the yen to do a pizza on the Q so the pan can do another run, it's always been good.

Then I read about needing to raise the pizza into the hood to get into the hot spot and using cans - problem - we hardly eat canned food and certainly did not have three empty ones anywhere unless you count Whiskas and that just seemed wrong :) I was going to just up end three oven proof terrines, seem to have dozens of them, comes of making lots of pate although now I just put that in disposable plastic cups so it can be given away, always make a big batch. I figured the terrines could handle the heat but wasn't sure they were tall enough. With the delay I wondered about alternatives and figured some clean small pavers on their side looked a better bet, anyone ever tried that? With the foil and trivet on top the height is pretty much the same as a 400gm can.

Think I'll give it a go unless someone says no :)

Won't be doing it until Tuesday earliest now, today is our wedding anniversary so eating out.

The actual pizza is as I said pretty traditional, specifically a modification of one an old Italian momma used to cook when I was staying at her pension outside Naples years ago and that she taught me to do.

Her dough recipe uses fresh yeast, again having moved don't know where to get any here yet but tbh after years of bread making and running bread classes I don't think there is much if any difference to dry, especially in pizza, so Lowan dry is fine by me.

Yeast, sugar and warm water, in a small warm bowl, ferment about ten minutes or until frothy, about 250 gms of plain flour, good strong bread flour sieved into my trusty bowl with salt, make a well, pour in the yeast add about 150ml of warm water and five tablespoons of olive oil. Knead to a nice elastic dough, cover with a damp tea towel and let it rise, nice warm place which should not be hard, in the car if it is cool :)

Knock it back and chuck it on the floured bench and flatten it out. The trick as I was taught is don't roll it, flatten with your hands then pick it up and let its own weight stretch it out working around until it is big enough for the pan.

Some melted butter and a dusting of flour on the pan, lay the dough in and trim to size.

A Napoletana sauce.

I make my own paste, skinned Roma toms boiled down with pre sauteed onion and crushed garlic, oregano, basil, seasoning, dash of sugar, a bay leaf. Part covered about an hour simmering gives a real sauce :)

Spread that on the dough when cooled, add a fresh mix of grated Mozzarella, Parmesan and Cheddar. That actually is what the old Italian lady used and you can even buy it now, very convenient if you can't be bothered to grate your own. A thick layer of cheese, forget Dominos :)

The traditional topping is anchovie fillets laid out in a star, maybe some tuna, even the old Italians get that from a can, mushroom slices, thin slices of red capsicum also starred between the anchovies, slices of green and black olives and another layer of the cheese mix on top. A good grate of black pepper and a sprinkle of olive oil - ready to go after sitting somewhere warm for about half an hour.

Now comes the new bit for me. In a normal oven preheated to as hot as it will go that cooks in about 30 minutes on the lowest shelf. The Weber Q book seems to add up to about the same but does the crispy crust pre-bake for 10 of those minutes which is not my preferred pizza. Think I'll let it go for 25 and check.

It is as I said an authentic pizza, slice it up for sure, It's pretty big, but you are not going to eat this with your hands, knife and fork :)

Sometimes I wonder if what Australia and the US has done to Pizza still qualifies for the name tbh. If the Italians were as stuffy as the French they'd probably make us change the name, to Pitza or something, like our sparkling wine can't be called Champagne :)

Don't get me wrong, I like the evolution of pizza with most any topping but this is the one that brings back memories of a hard days flying out of Naples and sitting outside in the warm air as the sun went down sipping on a nice Chianti. ( Oh yeah, that's sitting in the fridge :) )

Anyone able to give me any Weber Q pizza tips before I get this going tomorrow?

Pics when it's cooked, probably tomorrow, just depends on this sudden summer weather :)

Cheers
beachbums
Posts: 1278
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 5:51 pm
Location: Smokefireandfood.com

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by beachbums »

Nice post Chris. I so want to go to Italy and swan around for a while. Just need to find the loot :)

My alltime favourite pizza is Bianca. Just the base cooked with salt, fresh rosemary leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Then once it's cooked a smear of a good black olive tapenade with lots of anchovie in it. Heaven!
Porto Rosa in Fremantle do a great one.

Cheers, Wayne
Nath
Posts: 2095
Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Perth WA

First Pizza on the Q

Post by Nath »

beachbums wrote:Nice post Chris. I so want to go to Italy and swan around for a while. Just need to find the loot :)

My alltime favourite pizza is Bianca. Just the base cooked with salt, fresh rosemary leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Then once it's cooked a smear of a good black olive tapenade with lots of anchovie in it. Heaven!
Porto Rosa in Fremantle do a great one.

Cheers, Wayne
I'm right there with you Wayne. Love a simple pizza


Nath
Nath
chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by chrisg »

:)

Porto do fantastic pizzas, eat there just once and you''ll not be so tempted by Pizza Hut/Dominos ever again :)

I would not have been able to afford spending much time on my own ticket in Italy at the time I stayed at the pension either. RAF sent me there for some NATO exercises, more than once. Time it right and BOQ was full so could stay off-base :)

It is a fantastic country to visit, food especially but also the people, they have the most jumbled politics and economy but they just don't care, just love life :)

My old momma did a mean calzone as well, shall have to post that when I next cook it, another first for the Q :)

Cheers
Bear
Posts: 360
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:23 pm
Location: Adelaide

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by Bear »

beachbums wrote:My alltime favourite pizza is Bianca. Just the base cooked with salt, fresh rosemary leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
Agreed Wayne, I sometimes cook these with a sprinkling of finely diced fresh garlic as a 'test' pizza for guests to ensure the temp of the oven is good to go, & guests love them while waiting for the main event. This is what i remember as my first taste of home-made pizza from a traditional Italian wood oven, when learning the art as a youngster from my Italian neighbours.
Charcoal: 22.5" Weber OTP 2000 | Wood Oven: Al Forno Piemonte R8 | Portable: Weber GA 2006
Gasser: NG WeberQ 320 | Rotisserie: Gaganis custom dual spit | Smoker: 18.5" WSM 2004
EmZed
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:15 am

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by EmZed »

When only cooking for my husband and I, I cook my pizza in a 17 inch Lodge cast iron skillet over direct heat for a few minutes and indirect heat for another 5-10. Oh, and on very high. No fuss, works perfectly every time.... And I mean perfect. I have a large wood fired pizza oven and can honestly say (don't shot me down in flames here) that the pizza I get using this method on the Genisus E 330 is easily as good as any that comes from the wood fired oven. It 's very simple and totally foolproof, but don 't be afraid to ramp up the heat....did I mention that I just love my Lodge cast iron cookware?
Nath
Posts: 2095
Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Perth WA

First Pizza on the Q

Post by Nath »

EmZed wrote:When only cooking for my husband and I, I cook my pizza in a 17 inch Lodge cast iron skillet over direct heat for a few minutes and indirect heat for another 5-10. Oh, and on very high. No fuss, works perfectly every time.... And I mean perfect. I have a large wood fired pizza oven and can honestly say (don't shot me down in flames here) that the pizza I get using this method on the Genisus E 330 is easily as good as any that comes from the wood fired oven. It 's very simple and totally foolproof, but don 't be afraid to ramp up the heat....did I mention that I just love my Lodge cast iron cookware?
Don't work for them by any chance do you?


Nath
Nath
titch
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Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:51 pm
Location: Sth East Melbourne

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by titch »

EmZed wrote:When only cooking for my husband and I, I cook my pizza in a 17 inch Lodge cast iron skillet over direct heat for a few minutes and indirect heat for another 5-10. Oh, and on very high. No fuss, works perfectly every time.... And I mean perfect. I have a large wood fired pizza oven and can honestly say (don't shot me down in flames here) that the pizza I get using this method on the Genisus E 330 is easily as good as any that comes from the wood fired oven. It 's very simple and totally foolproof, but don 't be afraid to ramp up the heat....did I mention that I just love my Lodge cast iron cookware?
The Americans use cast iron for pan pizza a lot, I must try this
Cheers
Titch
waterboy
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:01 pm
Location: Newcastle, NSW

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by waterboy »

EmZed wrote:When only cooking for my husband and I, I cook my pizza in a 17 inch Lodge cast iron skillet over direct heat for a few minutes and indirect heat for another 5-10. Oh, and on very high. No fuss, works perfectly every time.... And I mean perfect. I have a large wood fired pizza oven and can honestly say (don't shot me down in flames here) that the pizza I get using this method on the Genisus E 330 is easily as good as any that comes from the wood fired oven. It 's very simple and totally foolproof, but don 't be afraid to ramp up the heat....did I mention that I just love my Lodge cast iron cookware?
Great Tip, I must try this. I too love Lodge cast iron cookware that I have bought - while it is significantly more expensive that standard cast iron the seasoning of the cooking surface is amazing - just doesn't compare to standard cast iron, to the point where we chucked all our old dis-used cast iron ware when our first lodge griddle turned up. Yes, I know that you can get a similar surface by seasoning at home - I just don't want to spend hours doing multiple heats and recoats.
Nath
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Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Perth WA

First Pizza on the Q

Post by Nath »

Would love to see some pics EmZed! Sounds good


Nath
Nath
beachbums
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Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 5:51 pm
Location: Smokefireandfood.com

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by beachbums »

Looks like we're not the only ones that like PortoRosa :D

We followed them there from the old restaraunt in Spearwood, "Bella Napoli" Anyone else used to go there? It was a great place to eat always bustling with the local Italian families. After it changed hands just never seemed the same to us and haven't been back for a long time now.

Cheers, Wayne
chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by chrisg »

:)

Yeah I did Wayne, when I lived in Leeming which is where I recently moved from, a South Lakes mate found it years ago, I do sort of agree, the Freo place has a different atmosphere and I haven't been in a while either, partly just location. I love Freo but it's not so easy any more :)

TBH when I go to Freo, and I so hope they are still there, I have a biz meeting to attend before Christmas out from Freo, I just head to Nick's Kebabs :)

I've yet to do that pizza, damned heat, just been rabbits :)

Weather and getting the house sorted has put a serious kink in my exploration of the Q but because that has meant a lot of trips to Bunnings and Masters my tool set is covertly growing :)

I'm starting to read the wood-fired stuff, we've inherited a huge tree that a mate of mine knows the name of, NZ import, the tree and the mate, I'll have to ask him, but it has to come down, unsafe limbs and rather old apparently. Mate is waiting on the ok to remove it but the wood he thinks will be great to bbq on.

Plenty of room for a pizza oven or a fire pit, she who likes me to cook probably won't object :)

Fun forum, love to catch up with you guys when I'm down there.

Cheers
EmZed
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:15 am

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by EmZed »

Busio90 wrote:Would love to see some pics EmZed! Sounds good


Nath
Image

Here you go...and no, I don't work for Lodge :D
EmZed
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:15 am

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by EmZed »

titch wrote:
EmZed wrote:When only cooking for my husband and I, I cook my pizza in a 17 inch Lodge cast iron skillet over direct heat for a few minutes and indirect heat for another 5-10. Oh, and on very high. No fuss, works perfectly every time.... And I mean perfect. I have a large wood fired pizza oven and can honestly say (don't shot me down in flames here) that the pizza I get using this method on the Genisus E 330 is easily as good as any that comes from the wood fired oven. It 's very simple and totally foolproof, but don 't be afraid to ramp up the heat....did I mention that I just love my Lodge cast iron cookware?
The Americans use cast iron for pan pizza a lot, I must try this
Give it a go, you'll be surprised by how effective it is!
titch
Posts: 5868
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:51 pm
Location: Sth East Melbourne

Re: First Pizza on the Q

Post by titch »

EmZed wrote:
titch wrote:
EmZed wrote:When only cooking for my husband and I, I cook my pizza in a 17 inch Lodge cast iron skillet over direct heat for a few minutes and indirect heat for another 5-10. Oh, and on very high. No fuss, works perfectly every time.... And I mean perfect. I have a large wood fired pizza oven and can honestly say (don't shot me down in flames here) that the pizza I get using this method on the Genisus E 330 is easily as good as any that comes from the wood fired oven. It 's very simple and totally foolproof, but don 't be afraid to ramp up the heat....did I mention that I just love my Lodge cast iron cookware?
The Americans use cast iron for pan pizza a lot, I must try this
Give it a go, you'll be surprised by how effective it is!
Do we need Lodge or will others suffice
Cheers
Titch
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