Pizza is a fun meal and relatively easy to make; all you need is a little planning ahead to make the dough. Plus, it tastes so good and beats frozen grocery-store pizza any day (those inexpensive versions have a long list of questionable ingredients).
We’ve been making pizza for years and discovered that grilling it on the BBQ cooks the dough more efficiently than baking it in the oven. The grill adds a nice char underneath and a smoky flavour overall. If you prefer baking, you can still follow this recipe and pop it in the oven instead (see notes).
This recipe uses a Flammkuchen-style bread dough base, which I adapted from Sarah Wiener’s Frau Am Herd cookbook. Flammkuchen typically has a thinner, crispier crust than regular pizza, which tends to be a bit thicker.
We fell in love with Flammkuchen from visiting festivals here in Germany, including the Christmas markets. It’s traditionally served with onions, bacon, and crème fraîche; vegetarian versions are also available and taste just as good.
After some research, I learned that Flammkuchen (German), Flammekueche (Alsatian), and Tarte flambée (French)—which translates to “flame cake” in English—all refer to the same specialty from the Alsace region. Alsace originally belonged to Germany but has been part of France since the 17th century, which explains why you’ll find this dish in both countries today.
Historically, farmers used leftover bread dough to test the temperature of their wood-fired ovens before baking loaves. I couldn’t confirm exactly why onions, bacon, and crème fraîche became the classic toppings, but they were likely pantry staples in the region.
Get creative with the toppings!
Whether you’re making a pizza or a Flammkuchen dough base, have fun choosing what goes on top. For the recipe below, I made a vegetarian version inspired by chef David Rocco using potato, along with the traditional Flammkuchen toppings of red onions, crème fraîche, plus young Gouda cheese. Pile on as many toppings as you like, or keep it simple with tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil for a classic Italian Margherita. Seasonal gems like asparagus also make excellent companions.
As you’ll see in the last photo in the gallery below, Ralph recently grilled the second ball of dough I froze and topped it with young Gouda, feta, and gorgonzola, plus thinly sliced shallots and fresh basil. Absolutely delicious.
If you like this pizza combination, you may also want to try our Prosciutto di Parma, Gorgonzola, and Gouda version.
Grilled Pizza (Flammkuchen) with Potato, Red Onion, and Gouda Cheese
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preboil the potato for approximately 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water and set aside to dry.
- Whizz together the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and a pinch of salt to form a sauce.
- To prepare the dough, mix the ingredients in a bowl and knead by hand or with a mixer until a ball is formed. I use our KitchenAid and mix it with the dough hook on the 6-speed setting for about 5 minutes. It seems strange not to proof the yeast, but I’ve been making this recipe for years without that step, based on Sarah’s original recipe.
- Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and set somewhere warm to rise. (I drizzle the leftover olive oil from the spoon on top of the dough and rub it in before placing it in the bowl.) If making this during cooler seasons, I will preheat the oven at a low setting and turn it off before placing the bowl inside. It usually takes around two hours to rise, but it’s best to leave it as long as possible.
- Rip off a piece of baking paper the size of your pizza dough and place it on a baking sheet. Roll the dough into a circular or rectangular form (depending on your stone). Set aside to let it rise again.
- Place the pizza stone on the BBQ grill. After lighting the grill, put all burners on high until the grill reaches 500°F (260°C), then turn them all down to low. The stone should be ready in about 15 minutes after going to low.
- While the pizza stone is heating, it’s time to assemble the pizza. Start by spreading the tomato sauce on the pizza crust near the outside edge (QB).
- Layer with the grated cheese, sliced potato, and red onion. Grind fresh salt and pepper on top.
- Once the stone is heated, place the pizza, with the baking sheet, on top of the stone. When the dough is baked enough, lift it with a wide metal spatula and slide it out of the baking pan (about 5 minutes in).
- Continue to grill the pizza until it forms a nice char on the bottom.
- Slide the baking sheet back under the pizza and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbling and the top is a lovely brown colour (approx. another five minutes).
- Remove from the grill and cool slightly before slicing. Dollop crème fraiche on top if using.
Notes
- Freeze one of the doughs if not making two pizzas. When ready to use, thaw the dough, roll it out, and let it rise again.
- Store the leftover tomato sauce in the fridge for a few days, or freeze it for your next pizza or pasta dish.
- For oven baking, preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with the stone inside for about an hour. Add the pizza with the baking paper on top, then remove the paper when you can lift the dough with a metal spatula. Allow the bottom to char and the top to bake, approximately 10 minutes.
- Leftover pizza reheats beautifully in an air fryer at 165°C (325°F) for approximately 5 minutes, maintaining its crispy crust without burning the top. Do not reheat pizza in the microwave! Eat it cold instead.