Backyard Grilled Pizza Birthday Party + Pizza Dough Recipe

We recently hosted a backyard grilled pizza party to celebrate our 10-year-old grandson’s birthday—and it was a hit! With homemade dough, grilled pizzas, and fun Italian-themed decorations, the night turned out to be as delicious as it was memorable. I’m sharing all the details, including our grilled pizza dough recipe using King Arthur 00 Pizza Flour, how we decorated the table, and my favorite gourmet pizza combo of the night.

Grilled Pizza Dough Recipe with King Arthur 00 Flour
This recipe creates a beautiful crust—crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. The base recipe comes from the back of the King Arthur 00 flour bag, but I added my own twist with proofed yeast for even better flavor and texture.

Ingredients:

2 cups King Arthur 00 Pizza Flour

1/8 tsp dried yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions to make grilled Pizza dough:

Proof the yeast:
In a small bowl, mix warm water with sugar and yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it starts to bubble.

Mix the dough:
In your stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. Add the bubbly yeast-water mixture and mix until combined. Knead a few times by hand until soft.

Let it rest:
Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit overnight at room temperature. It won’t rise much, just a little puffier.

Form pizza balls:
Pinch off smaller balls of dough and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another hour.

Preheat the grill to 450°F.

Shape and grill:

Roll each ball into a 5–6″ circle. Brush one side with olive oil and place on the grill, oiled side down, for 4 minutes. Remove from grill, add toppings to the grilled side, and return to the grill for another 4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Optional Flavor Boosts:

Infuse olive oil with garlic before brushing onto dough.

Make hot honey by heating honey on low and adding red pepper flakes to taste. Drizzle over finished pizzas—soooo good!

My Favorite Pizza Combo

Here’s the pizza I made for myself—and I may never go back to red sauce after this one:

Olive oil base (garlic-infused)

Thin pear slices sprinkled with a little sugar

Mozzarella balls

Prosciutto

Chopped pistachios

Fresh arugula on top after grilling

Sweet, salty, nutty, and a little peppery—it was so so good!

Backyard Pizza Party Decor

Even though I didn’t get a picture of the birthday boy (we were both running around!), the table looked adorable and festive.

Here’s what I used:

Adjustable tabletop bar:
This was a new purchase and I love it! It attaches to the ends of the table and can be raised or extended. I bought the gold version and linked it here for you.

Garland Details:
I draped a faux olive leaf garland across the top of the tabletop bar. My daughter Emily made the cutest custom paper garland that spelled out Happy Birthday Pizza! She’s offering them for just $15 and can personalize it—leave a comment if you’d like one!

Table Touches:
I tied red ribbon bows around mason jars filled with skinny breadsticks and another larger jar with spaghetti. These sat below the garland for an easy and festive centerpiece.

Serving Style:
I used my galvanized trays to hold meats, cheeses, sauce, pistachios, little topping bowls, and my olive oil decanter. Everything was self-serve and family-style, which made it easy for everyone (especially the kids) to build their own pizzas.

A Night to Remember
Our grandson absolutely loved his party—and so did we. The grilled pizza was a total win, the decorations were simple but charming, and the atmosphere was full of laughter, creativity, and love.

Let me know if you try this recipe or host your own backyard pizza night. And don’t forget, if you’d like a personalized “Happy Birthday Pizza” garland, just leave a comment below and I’ll connect you with Emily!

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Grilled Pizza dough Recipe