It is hot in Florida. The heat index was 105F yesterday, and we keep the inside of our home around 78F on hot summer days. It’s not the kind of weather that makes you want to turn on the 450-degree oven to bake bread. Summer is the perfect time to turn on the outdoor grill and bake a loaf of sourdough bread on the grill.
The first time we baked bread in the grill was during Thanksgiving. Not because the weather was hot, but because the oven was full of lots of Thanksgiving sides like green bean casserole, butternut squash, and ham.
Preparing the Grill for Baking
When we baked the bread on the grill, we used one of my smaller Dutch ovens. One that was shorter and fit inside of our grill. We wrapped the Dutch oven in foil to try and keep as much soot off of the pan.
The grill was preheated to 425F, slightly less than the 450F I heat the oven to when baking bread. This is because our grill tends to run hot, and the heat is less consistent at a constant temperature. Our grill is very smoky when we first turn it on. So I give the grill about 5 minutes to warm up before adding the wrapped Dutch oven.
I used our Pit Boss pellet grill for baking the bread, and it worked great!
Place the empty, foil wrapped Dutch oven inside of the grill. Place it off center from the heat so that the pan is not directly over the flame.
After the Dutch oven is preheated, remove from the grill and add the sourdough loaf sitting on parchment paper. Place the Dutch oven with the parchment paper, dough loaf, and lid back in the grill. Place it on the grill so that it is not over direct heat. Depending on the grill, cooking time will vary compared to the oven. Also, we were cooking bacon on the grill at the same time. So, I had to open the grill lid often to tend to the bacon.
I recommend checking the loaf for doneness after 30 minutes. I ended up cooking my loaf for 45 minutes with the lid on, then removed the lid and cooked for an additional 10 minutes to let the top brown.
Halfway through the cooking time, rotate the pan 180°, so that the bottom will cook more evenly.
The bottom of the bread will be slightly more browned on the grill than in the oven. The sourdough will also take on a delicious slight grilled flavor. I was worried it would be smoky, but it wasn’t. The grill flavor added to the depth of flavor. It is similar to eating fire grilled pizza instead of pizza baked in the oven.
Summer Grilled Sourdough Bread Recipe
I used my regular fast sourdough bread recipe. I made a double batch of dough a couple of days before I baked the bread. Then, I stored the bread in the fridge, ready for a quick bake. I like to have a loaf or two of sourdough in the fridge, ready for baking. This makes mealtime much easier. Then, I feel less tempted to grab some to-go food.
When preparing the sourdough for the grill, prepare it just like you would if you were baking it in the oven. Slice the bread with a lame or sharp knife. Place on a sheet of parchment paper. Then, place in the hot Dutch oven for baking.
Let me know if you try grilling your bread. I’m looking forward to grilling many things this summer. The grilled bacon we made while we were grilling the bread turned out delicious!
Follow along @homesteadonlakeside for more family inspiration and recipes. Have a happy summer filled with grilling!
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