Make it sweet. Go for savory. When it comes to grilling, there’s something for every taste.
If you have an outdoor grill with a cover that closes, you can turn it into an outdoor oven and an extension of your indoor kitchen. Casseroles, pies, brownies, cookies, pizza, and cake can all be baked on a gas or charcoal grill. The best part? You don’t have to adjust the recipes.
Hungry for more? There’s no need to heat up your kitchen this summer, scroll on to see how to bake on the grill with Synergy Outdoor Living!
Baking on the Grill
It’s not as weird as it may seem to bake on the grill. If your grill has a temperature indicator, it essentially becomes an oven when you close the lid.
You can bake almost anything with a covered grill since the heat rises and circulates just like in your indoor oven. The heat source can be gas, charcoal, or wood, but gas is our preferred method because it is easier to control and does not transfer a smoky flavor to baked goods.
Talking Temperature
The most challenging part of using a gas grill as an oven is controlling the temperature. A built-in accessory thermometer is useful but can easily be off by 50 degrees which can impact whatever you are baking.
If your gas grill has a temperature gauge installed, perfect! If not, you will need a small oven thermometer so you can regulate the grill’s temperature more accurately.
Grilling tip: Preheat before baking—just like your indoor oven.
Bake with Indirect Heat
When using the grill to bake, indirect heat is the way to go. Heat your grill to the specified temperature in your recipe and then turn off one or more of the burners. Adjust the heat on the remaining burners to maintain a steady oven-like temperature. Now it’s time to bake!
Grab Grill Bricks
When baking on a grill, never set the baking pan directly on the grill grates. Instead, set a brick or two on the grates and place the baking pan on top. This will ensure the bottom of your baked goods doesn’t get overcooked or burned.
No Peeking Allowed
While your items are baking, try not to lift the cover once you have closed it. You will need to watch the timer carefully until you have experimented to know how long certain items like bread, cookies, or pizza take to bake in your outdoor “grill oven.”
Opening the grill lid allows cool air inside, ruining the oven-like temperature and environment that you had going on.
What Can I Bake on My Grill?
The options are nearly endless. Let’s put something on the grill!
Grilled Pizza
Instructions:
- Roll out your pizza dough
- Transfer the rolled crust to a pizza peel that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. (Cornmeal ensures that the dough doesn’t stick.)
- Heat the grill
- Rub the grill grates with oil
- When the grill comes to temperature, slide the dough onto the grill. When it begins to brown, turn it over and grill the other side.
- Now, add your sauce and topping
- Bake until melted.
- Enjoy!
Pro tip: If you have a pizza stone, lay it directly on the grill and bring it up to temperature slowly to avoid cracking the stone. Once it is hot, slide the crust onto the stone. Once browned, turn it over and add toppings.
Grill it right! How to Grill Pizza
If grilling pizza isn’t your thing, consider installing a pizza oven. Not only can you bake delectable pizzas, but you can bake cookies, cakes, and more! Our custom kitchen designers love a pizza oven (who doesn’t?); give us a call — 813-322-2137!
Baking Bread on the Grill
All you need to bake an amazing loaf of bread is an enclosed space with heat and a grill that works perfectly! Flatbreads are very easy to bake on the grill, but bread that requires rising times turns out great too.
Here are a few tips for grill-baked bread perfection:
Any bread recipe can be baked on a grill, it just takes trial and error. Consider starting with frozen pre-made dough or rolls to get the hang of how baking on the grill works.
Try placing frozen loaves or rolls directly on a preheated grill at around 475-500 degrees. Remove them from the heat when they are a nice golden brown.
Next, try a no-knead bread recipe and use a Dutch oven to bake the bread inside the grill. For this method, consider using indirect heat. If your grill has multiple burners, light the ones on the sides and leave the center burner unlit. Allow the grill to come up to temperature—about 475-500F and set the Dutch oven in the middle and close the grill’s lid. Now you have a baking oven!
Brownies on the Grill
Brownies that are baked on the grill are delicious. Plus, they make your entire outdoor living area smell like chocolate. What could be better than that?
Heat + Time: Indirect heat at 350 degrees or medium-low for 45 minutes.
Use a cast-iron pan if you have one, or raise a disposable aluminum pan up on a couple of bricks so the bottom doesn’t burn. Don’t rush it! Turning up the heat will make your brownies burn.
Cookies and Brookies (a delicious combo of the two) are perfect on the grill too!
Cook in Your Dream Custom Outdoor Kitchen
Baking is just one more thing that you can use your grill for which can make cleanup a breeze when you are entertaining. You’ll never want to use your indoor oven again!
Ready to design an outdoor kitchen equipped with a high-quality, built-in grill so you can try your hand at baking brownies or pizza on the grill? We’ll maximize your outdoor kitchen space so you can grill and bake all weekend long.
If you live in the Tampa, Orlando, or Jacksonville, FL areas, call our design team at Synergy Outdoor Living—813-322-2137!