The heating capacity of the QUATRO kamado is such that it is very easy to obtain a perfect crispy and soft crust! Succeeding in a kamado pizza allows you to obtain a cooking close to that of a traditional wood-fired oven, with a crispy dough and authentic flavors.
In this recipe we would like to highlight 3 points that are very important to us:
- The flour you use is essential: use 00 flour: it is more finely ground than all-purpose flour.
- Use the double indirect heat: baffle + pizza stone in the rotisserie + pizza set (QUATRO accessory): it creates a buffer to make the crust perfect.
- Keep the heat on! so use the rotisserie + pizza set because the door will allow you to put the pizza in and out without changing the temperature inside the kamado QUATRO
Hardware
Ingredients
For 4 pizzas
- 2/4 tasse de sauce marinara
- 4 oz (100g) de mozzarella fraîche
- 6 gousses d’ail tranchées
- 20 feuilles de basilic frais
- sel kasher et poivre noir fraîchement moulu
Pour la pâte :
24 oz (680 g) de farine italienne 00, et plus pour saupoudrer - 12 oz (400 ml) d’eau tiède (105°F – 41°C)
Make the dough:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder until well combined.
Add water and use your hands to mix until no dry flour remains.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours before baking.
Preheat the kamado:
Heat your kamado QUATRO to 600°F – 320°C using indirect heat with the rest on the pizza stone.
Create your own pizza:
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to 0.5 cm x 25cm in diameter.
Lightly sprinkle a pizza peel with the cornmeal and place the dough on top.
Spread the sauce evenly over the dough, working from the center to the edges.
Top with mozzarella slices and garlic.
Top the pizza with whatever you prefer, we also love pizzas with crème fraîche!
It’s time to bake the pizza:
Gently slide the pizza from the peel to the hot pizza stone.
Close the lid of the QUATRO kamado and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and beginning to bubble, about 2 minutes to 3 minutes.
The best is yet to come:
Use the pizza peel to remove the pizza from the QUATRO Kamado.
Top your pizza with basil or whatever you prefer!
Did you know?
The largest pizza in recorded history was prepared by Dovilio Nardi, Andrea Mannocchi, Marco Nardi, Matteo Nardi and Matteo Giannotte in Rome, Italy, on December 13, 2012. It had a total area of 13,580.28 square feet. Guinness was there to document the huge pie!
How to make a successful kamado pizza?
Succeeding in a kamado pizza allows you to obtain a cooking close to that of a traditional wood-fired oven, with a crispy dough and authentic flavors.
1. To achieve cooking similar to that of a pizza oven, it is important to preheat the kamado to a high temperature (between 300°C and 350°C).
This ensures crispy dough and quick cooking of the ingredients.
2. Use a baffle or pizza stone (placed on the rack) to provide indirect cooking, which helps prevent the dough from burning before the topping is cooked.
3. Using a pizza stone: The pizza stone is a must for a kamado pizza.
It distributes the heat evenly and absorbs moisture from the dough, ensuring a crispy base.
Place the stone in the kamado during preheating so that it reaches the desired temperature at the same time as the appliance.
4. Preparing the dough: The dough should be thin to achieve a quick and balanced cooking.
Make pizza dough made with gluten-rich flour for a more elastic and crispy texture.
Let the dough rest for 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator to develop a more complex flavor and texture.
5. Heat Management: Use quality charcoal to maintain consistent heat and avoid temperature spikes that could burn the pizza.
For a slight smoky taste, you can add a few pieces of beech or cherry wood, but use them sparingly so as not to overpower the delicate flavor of the pizza.
6. Fast Cooking and Constant Monitoring: Pizzas cook very quickly in a kamado, usually in 5 to 8 minutes.
So, it’s essential to monitor the pizza regularly to prevent it from burning.
Turn the pizza halfway through cooking so that the heat is evenly distributed, especially if some areas of the pizza are cooking faster than others.
7. Balanced toppings: Don’t overload the pizza with toppings, as this can result in a soggy dough.
Prefer quality ingredients, divided into thin layers, for a more homogeneous cooking.
If you’re using very moist ingredients (like fresh mozzarella), drain them well before adding to avoid excess liquid on the pizza.
8. Resting Time After Cooking: Once the pizza is cooked, let it rest for 2-3 minutes before carving.
This allows the flavors to stabilize and the dough to keep its crispness.
With these tips, you’ll get kamado pizzas worthy of a traditional wood-fired oven, with crispy dough, well-puffed edges, and perfectly cooked ingredients.