I’ve wanted a kettle BBQ for a long time so I could get it hot enough to make a good thin crust pizza with ribbons of butternut squash or pumpkin (depending upon where you live in the world). John found one on sale so it was a win for me.
There was some store bought pizza sauce in the pantry but when I took the cover off, it had leaked around the protective seal so in the trash it went. I was too sore to go to the store so I opened a can of crushed tomatoes, added a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, a teaspoon of sugar and a shake of dried oregano and then cooked it for seven minutes and left it to cool. I put a head of garlic along with some olive oil in a foil packet and put it in the oven at 325F/160C for about 45 minutes then left it to cool. I sliced an onion into chunks and cut a few pieces of red bell pepper (capsicum) and put it into a measuring cup with a tiny piece of butter and cooked it for 3 minutes in the microwave. I don’t like raw onion on a pizza, do you?
I made the thin crust pizza dough recipe I’ve used before.
Then it was time to crank up the BBQ. I’m not used to handling lump charcoal and I was covered in soot and then I was covered in smoke but it was good fun.
Once the chimney was roaring hot, I placed them in a C shape at the back of the BBQ and then added a few more pieces of charcoal, then put the cast iron grill on and the pizza stone on top of that – then I waited. While waiting, I used my peeler and shaved ribbons of butternut and tossed them in a plastic bag with a teaspoon of maple syrup and squooshed it all around.
Once the bbq was hot, I tossed in a few pieces of hardwood and let them catch on fire and went to roll the dough. I put cornmeal on a 10 inch aluminum pizza dish, then put the thin dough on top of that and crossed my fingers that it would slide right off.
I used my homemade sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, the butternut ribbons, the onion and pepper and I cut a few roasted garlic cloves in half and dotted it over the pizza and then added a shake of dried oregano. Then off to the BBQ where I quickly lifted the lid and one quick shake and the pizza was on the stone.
Was it good? It was amazing! Wait til my next pizza when I’m going to be a real pro. 🙂
What’s your favorite pizza topping and do you like thin and crispy or a thick crust?
Chris Scheuer says
Wow, a wood fired pizza oven of your own! The pizza looks amazing, I love butternut squash on pizza!
Sues says
That’s such a cool grill and the pizza looks incredible. Love those butternut squash ribbons!!
John/Kitchen Riffs says
I like both think and thick pizza crusts. On the thin side, if I could have only one, but glad I have choices. 🙂 This looks great — we live really close to some excellent pizza places (we can walk), so we rarely make our own. But we should — love how you’ve used squash in yours, and it’s so much fun to play with the toppings. Good stuff — thanks.
Manuela says
I love pumpkin and butternut squash! Will have to try them on a pizza one day. Your BBQ and pizza are so nice! Maybe one day I will try making a pizza in the BBQ.
A_Boleyn says
Your kettle bbq looks like an interesting DIY pizza oven and the pizza must be amazingly tasty.
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert says
I KNOW this was delicious. I adore pizza (it’s my lost on an island and can only have one thing to eat – pick) and only last year started grilling pizza. I must try this version with the homemade sauce (brilliant) and the ribbons in maple syrup. Wow it sounds great. Have a terrific week Maureen!
SallyBR says
That looks STUPENDOUS! Wow, I am drooling all over my keyboard!
well, I like a thin crust, as thin as possible, which I never quite manage to do.
back in Sao Paulo there was – maybe still is – a fantastic pizza place called Cristal, that specialized in ultra thin crust… I left the country not too long after they open, but still dream about it, only managed to have dinner there twice.
Your pizza took me straight to Cristal… sweet memories!
Veronica (Roni) says
I’ve got one word for you Maureen…YUM!!!!!
Roberta Huntere says
Oh my!!! That pizza looks supercalifragilisticexpialidocious decadently divine!!!!! How much would it cost and how long would it take to send to USA?????
Maureen says
Not much and 24 hours if I leave right now. 🙂
Roberta Hunter says
Cool. I’ll keep the light on.
Liz Posmyk (Good Things) says
Love a thin crust. Your toppings are fab, Maureen xx
Healthy World Cuisine says
We are huge thin crust pizza lovers. We have not grilled pizza yet but with the weather warming up we would love to try. Your toppings are the best.
Ruby & Cake says
Thin crust! Always thin crust! this is my kind of pizza.
Gerlinde says
I love a thin crust for my pizza but I never made a pizza on a barbecue. I have to show this to my hubby who is the Grillmeister in our house.
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
I love a good thin crust, and nothing tastes better than wood fired pizza!
Mackay Sherry says
Yum yum Maureen. It looks like a fair bit of effort for someone in pain. Good on you. Love a thin crust. Not a big fan of dough:)
The Ninja Baker says
Wow! Gourmet pizza was John’s reward for a victorious money-saving purchase =) Seriously, you could open a pizza shop with this scrumptious supper…er, maybe without the soot on the clothes. But, who knows? You may have started the new pizza server fashion =)
Judy Purcell says
Maureen, that pizza looks amazing! I use our charcoal grill all the time, but have not yet tried pizza on it. I think I’ve been planning too much and need to just jump in! YUM!
Glamorous Glutton says
Wow! That pizza looks good. I know it can seem a faff to make your own but there is such a massive difference. I make my dough with live yeast and the flavour is wonderful. I had no idea you could make pizza on the BBQ, I’m off to find my cast iron grill. GG
Simone says
O wow Maureen that looks totally awesome! I’ve never tried making a pizza on a barbecue before and to be honest, the weather has been terrible here lately so no barbecue as of yet, but will definitely remember this!
Kim | a little lunch says
Maureen, I can only imagine what you’ll be whipping up on your grill after this! Trying it for the first time and making PIZZA was a bold move. You should be proud of yourself. The pizza looks marvelous beyond words! xo
Amy (Savory Moments) says
This pizza looks delicious! Love the topping combination and the grilling technique.
Norma Chang says
A fabulous looking pizza, love the butternut squash ribbon idea, am copying hope you do not mind. No, I do not like raw onion on a pizza, actually I do not like raw onion period.
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
I love a thin crust with lots of different cheeses and I’m partial to a cheeky bit of pineapple. I also love goats cheese on a pizza with caramelised onions, so good! You pizza looks amazing : D
Mary Frances says
This looks AMAZINGLY delicious – but a little too time consuming for me right now. 🙂 I’ll keep it on file…
bella says
The pizza looks amazing, I love butternut squash on pizza!
Hotly Spiced says
I’ve never seen a BBQ like that before. Great work on the pizza – it looks so good and so much better than store-bought. I like my onions cooked as well. The pizza crust looks amazing. Where’s the photo of you covered in soot???
Eva Taylor says
We make our pizzas at home all the time, never too much work. I’m absolutely loving your ribbons of butternut squash, so gorgeous and tasty. We’ll be bringing our charcoal BBQ home from the cottage this year, I’m definitely going to try this pizza recipe. Thin and crispy crust all the way for us!
Liz says
My mouth is officially watering! What a scrumptious pizza and I appreciate that there are no raw onions 🙂
Pam says
Woo hoo! This would be pizza love at first sight! Yumeeee! I’ve haven’t made a pizza in years but now I have to try it soon. I think you’re a real pro now!
mjskitchen says
What a great idea to use strips of butternut! And of course onion and roasted garlic are a must for any pizza. We are just starting grilling season here and the husband loves to cook pizzas on the grill. Can’t wait to give this one a try. Thanks Maureen!
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
Mom would LOVE this pizza so much, I must make it for her asap. 🙂
My favorite pizza topping is BBQ chicken and mushroom on a thick crust, also enjoy Hawaiian. Old school, but yummo.
Mary Pisarkiewicz says
Looks divine, and so colorful!
Chris Waghorn says
I’m the sort of person that wouldn’t think to make a pizza that didn’t have meat on it. But I want to eat this pizza, and I want to eat it right now.
jessica says
Awesome! Crust Pizza soo delicious thanks for sharing and also visit https://ozfoodhunter.com.au/
Blumen Zurich says
Wow. I wish I had the oven to BBQ to make the thin crust, I’m wondering if it would be as good if cooked in a traditional way without the BBQ, but the pictures make my mouth water…. butternut squash on a pizza looks like a definitive win to me.
Cheers,
Jörg
Helena says
OMG I love butternut pumpkin. Looking forward to making this pizza. Thanks for sharing
First time I tried to make my own pizza was last 2 months when i followed my friend’s recipe using raw asian noodle. It was amazing and my kids love it. I hope my family will enjoy this time as well
Jason Freeman says
I love food cooked in wood fire. That’s the classic way to do it. Great recipe also.
MeCooks says
That looks delicious. Worth trying at home.
Nancy Perine says
Hello! I love pizza!!! Your recipe for Butternut, pumpkin, onion, roasted garlic, thin crust pizza sounded out of this world … and it was!! Here on Maui we’re lucky to have fresh veggies year around, so I used pumpkin, Maui onions, roasted garlic and used your recipe for thin crust. It was soooo yummy. Everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing your recipe and how to do it!
With Aloha, Nancy On Maui
mornington cafe says
Wow! This is very interesting. Pumpkin in a pizza is unique. I wonder how it taste.