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How to Bake On Your Grill

Sweet things, cakes, cookies, tarts, and pies, as well as deliciously homemade breads, don’t bring to mind your Napoleon Grill, but they should. You may be wondering how you could make desserts, pastries, and gourmet breads on your barbecue. Have you ever roasted something delicious like the 101 Cloves of Garlic Prime Rib? Any recipe that you have cooked that requires the use of the indirect method of grilling has prepared you for using your Napoleon Grill to bake. Here are some tips and tricks to ensure that everything comes out perfectly when you bake on your BBQ.

 

Why Bake On The BBQ?

Now, why would you want to bake using the barbecue? There are many excellent reasons to bake on a grill.

  • Making a big family meal and run out of oven space

  • It’s the height of summer and hot, but you want dessert or homemade cookies

  • You live in a house without an oven

  • You love the flavor and fun of grilling

  • If any of that has ever applied to you, then you should try barbecuing your next sweet treat.

Blog - How to Bake On A BBQ - 101 Cloves

 

How To Bake On Your BBQ

Setting up your gas grill to use the indirect grilling method, and keeping an eye on the grill’s temperature are the two most important things to consider when using your BBQ to bake. By turning the two outside burners on to low, you can create a convective environment, ideal for all sorts of baked goods. Baking on the grill is virtually the same as baking in the oven, and the tasty results will leave you doing so at every opportunity.

 

Tips & Tricks For Baking On Your Grill

Here are a few things you can do to ensure the best results when baking on the BBQ.

  • Always preheat your grill like you would preheat your oven for baking.

  • Use your Napoleon Pizza Stone to ensure even heat conduction and prevent over-browning. Simply place the stone over the unlit burners to warm as you preheat the grill. Instead of using a pizza stone, you can also use cast iron, (baking platters, griddles, or pans) preheated in the oven, as a barrier between the grids and your baking pan.

  • Keep the lid closed as much as possible to keep the heat in.

  • Check your dessert at one third to halfway through the bake to make sure that everything is baking evenly. You can rotate the pan, or move the crispy ones (in the case of cookies or scones) to the middle.

  • Use parchment paper to line the cookie sheet, pizza stone, or bread pan, being careful to ensure that no paper overhangs enough to touch your cooking grids in any way. When baking breads, bagels, and similar foods, create steam by pouring about half a cup of water into a preheated cast iron pan. This only needs to be done once, at the beginning of the bake.

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Baking On A Charcoal Grill

When baking using your charcoal grill, if you are a traditionalist and prefer to use a charcoal grill, remember that charcoal will lend a different flavor to the baked goods. Controlling temperature in a charcoal grill is imperative. You only need eight to ten briquette sized lumps of charcoal on either side of a kettle that has been set up for indirect grilling (or two to three lit coconut charcoal briquettes). Always allow the charcoal to completely ash over before cooking with them. The charcoal will last for about an hour of baking. Keep the bottom vents wide open and control temperature by keeping the top vents halfway open. Open the top a little farther if the grill is too cool for baking. If the grill is too hot, close the vents at the bottom just the tiniest bit.

 

Try these delicious dessert recipes baked on the grill

Blog - How to Bake On A BBQ - CoffeeCaramel Brownies

Coffee & Caramel Brownies

Blog - How to Bake On A BBQ - Lemon Blueberry Cake

Lemon & Blueberry Cake

Blog - How to Bake On A BBQ - Mocha Cupcakes

Mocha Cupcakes

 

It’s very easy to bake on your barbecue. Just remember to set up for indirect heat and your Napoleon will take care of the rest, especially if you follow these tips and tricks. Once you are well versed in using the BBQ to bake, consider jazzing things up by making baking dishes from wood planks, or adding smoke with wood chips. Tell us how you did when you baked on the grill using the hashtags #BBQBakery and #NapoleonGrill. We love to hear from you on our Facebook Page, or our Instagram.

Happy Grilling!

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