Steps

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  Dennis Prescott Levels Up Pizza with Burnt Ends

  

• 1

  If the pizza dough is cold, let it sit, covered, at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours to make it easier to stretch and shape.

• 2

  When ready to cook, place a pizza stone or steel directly on the bottom grate of the Traeger. Preheat the stone and the grill with the lid closed to 500°F (450°F if that’s the highest your grill goes); this will take at least 15 minutes. Once the grill has reached temperature, continue to heat for another 5 minutes to fully heat the stone.

  500 ˚F / 260 ˚C

• 3

  Meanwhile, prepare the pizza. Flour a work surface and place the dough ball on it. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle the top with a small amount of flour. Press your fingers into the center of the dough ball to start to flatten it. Leaving about a 1-inch border at the edge for the crust, continue to press the dough out toward the edges. If you need to stretch it further, lift the dough off the work surface and place it over the backs of your two closed hands. Using your knuckles, stretch the dough slightly, rotating to form and even round shape 10 to 12 inches across. (If the dough pulls back while stretching and does not retain its shape, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax, and then proceed.)

• 4

  Very generously sprinkle semolina flour or another flour onto the peel. Transfer the dough to the peel. Using the back of a spoon and leaving a border at the edge, brush the top the dough with the BBQ sauce. Distribute the burnt ends, breaking them up, over the pizza. Next add the roasted pepper and onion. Sprinkle the cheese over the pizza; you may not need all of it. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pizza. Give the peel a small shake to make sure the dough moves easily; add more flour under the dough if needed.

• 5

  With the handle of the peel angled slightly up, place the front of the peel toward the back of the hot pizza stone. Slide the pizza onto the stone by thrusting the peel forward and then quickly pulling it back in a swift and confident movement. Close the grill lid and cook the pizza undisturbed for 5 minutes. (There is no need to turn it during cooking.) The pizza is done when the edges are golden brown, the cheese has melted, and the bottom is cooked through; this can take 20 to 25 minutes total depending on the weather and your grill.

  500 ˚F / 260 ˚C

  00:20

• 6

  Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Sprinkle with basil or parsley if desired, and drizzle with more oil and BBQ sauce if you like. Let it cool slightly before slicing. Enjoy!