With autumn looming on the horizon, the smokers are out in full force. While the traditional fare of burgers, brats, dogs and barbecue create mouthwatering meals, there is a less traditional, albeit no less tasty food smoking option. Tread the lesser known path by smoking a pizza cooked in a smoker. This gives your pizza an edge with a traditional smoky flavor with a modern twist. If you are looking to find a creative way to wow your guests, crank up the smoker, and in approximately an hour and a half, you will be eating smoky, flavorful pizzas. Learn How to Treat Yourself with a Smoked Pizza This Fall!
Here you’ll learn how to make the pizza dough and how to add your favorite toppings. To smoke cheese, use the Bradley cold smoker attachment or visit our Cold Smoke Cheese blog for more details.
What You’ll Need
1 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
½ cup slightly warm water
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
½ tsp kosher salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus a little extra ½ cup tomato sauce
1-2 cups of whatever pizza toppings you like (pepperoni, onions, bacon, peppers, mushrooms, etc…)
1 cup shredded smoked cheese*
To smoke your own cheese, simply smoke your hard cheese of choice (Cheddar, Gouda, Edam, Havarti, etc…) for 1-2 hours with your cold smoker attachment with mild bisquettes such as alder, maple or pecan. Or see our how-to Cold Smoke Cheese Blog
Remember that you can add cold smoked salmon or other garnishes to make this pizza the bomb for your friends and family!
Pro Tip: You can use whatever pizza dough you prefer. Options range from creating your own homemade pizza dough to buying prepared pizza dough. You can also change your cheese from mozzarella to goat cheese for a zesty California-type pizza. Add in pineapple and chicken for a more Hawaiian flavor.
Directions
1. Dissolve sugar & salt into warm water
2. Sprinkle yeast over top
3. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes
4. Add oil into mixture
5. Stir together dough while slowly adding the flour and mix until a dough ball forms
6. Transfer dough onto clean, floured surface and knead by hand until a smooth ball comes together
7. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and brush top with oil. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place to double in size. It takes about an hour.
8. Gently knead the dough and roll out into a 12” round
9. Top with tomato sauce, toppings and your smoked cheese
10. Brush the crust of the pizza with olive oil and bake at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown
Pro Tip: Remove the pizza from the smoker and place back on a serving dish. Be certain to wait a few minutes to dig in as the melted cheese, meat and vegetables will be very hot.
What’s A Pizza Stone & Why Should I Want One?
Pizza stones are usually made of a ceramic composite material which is great for high heat grilling and baking. The purpose of these is the ability to retain and distribute heat evenly (like cast iron). The benefit of using a pizza stone in a smoker is that it will help to wick away moisture in baked goods so that your breads and pizza crust will have a light and crispy exterior. Therefore, the pizza stone can get the pizza a lot closer to a wood oven’s result!
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, this is How to Treat Yourself with a Smoked Pizza This Fall! Check out the Bradley Smoker Blog for more insights and food smoking tips & tricks!
