Grilled Pizza
A hot trend these days is to make Pizza on the Grill! Interestingly, the outdoor grill is probably the best appliance you may own to make pizza. The dry, high heat is ideal for pizza and this basic recipe will help you convert even the most adamant “take out” Pizza purist into a Grilled Pizza addict.
TOOLS:
You will need a grill with a cover, a hot fire of course, a pizza peel and/or a long spatula or two, and/or a set of tongs, mixing bowls, and a food processor or electric mixer. A Pizza slide (or flat metal cooking or cookie sheet) and pot holders are essential.
INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
You can either make your own dough from scratch or purchase pre-made dough from your local grocer. If choosing to make from scratch, see the dough ingredients below:
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 _ cup of warmed water (about 110 degrees F)
- 2/3 cup of whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon of light olive oil
- 1 package of active dry yeast (The GrillJunkie team recommends Fleishman’s Yeast only)
- 1 _ teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
Toppings / Other ingredients:
- Pizza Sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
- Oregano and Basil Flakes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Sliced meats and vegetables*
- Whatever Fire You Up!
PREPARATION:
Place/combine water, oil, yeast and sugar in a small and very clean bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the mixture bubbles. Mix the all purpose flour, the wheat flour, and salt together preferably with a food processor or electric mixer. While the flours and salt are blending, add the water/yeast mixture. Mix for 2 minutes. Knead the mixture briefly on a lightly floured surface, and then place in a large, slightly oiled bowl and let rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours until the dough doubles in size. Once the dough has doubled, lightly flour two cooking sheets. On a floured surface, roll out 1/2 of the dough into a circle approximately 1/4 inch thick. (Be sure to make each pizza round small enough to fit on your grill.) Place on a floured cooking sheet. Repeat this process until you have 2 pizza rounds.
Fire up the grill to high! Be sure grill is clean and the grids are lightly oiled. Place one pizza round on the clean, oiled, and pre-heated grill. Grill pizza round for about 1 _ minutes or until the bottom is browned. With a set of tongs, flat cookie or cooking sheet, or long spatula, gently flip the pizza round over and grill it for an additional 30 -45 seconds. Remove from the grill and repeat the grilling process for the remaining round. Turn down the heat of your grill slightly while letting the pizza rounds cool a bit, and then top each with your favorite toppings.*
Next, return the topped pizza to the grill using a flat cooking sheet, long spatula, or pizza peel, sliding the pizza onto the grilling surface. This technique keeps your hands away from the fire while ensuring that the pizza is carefully placed on the grilling surface and not dropped onto the grill. If you are using a charcoal grill you will want one side hotter than the other, so you can put the topped pizzas on the cooler side. The goal here is to get the topping heated and cheese melted before the crust burns….any where from 3-6 minutes depending on your grill.
Close the lid to create a dry, high heat environment, but keep a close eye on your creation. With the lid down, you are baking your toppings to get the pizza just right.
*If you are using heavy toppings, such as meats or thickly cut vegetables, the GrillJunkie team suggests grilling them a little before cutting them and loading onto your pizza. While the grill is an ideal environment to cook a great pizza, the intense heat can cook crusts very quickly, while taking longer to cook heavy meats or vegetables. The last thing you want after all this work and anticipation, is a burnt crust and cold toppings.
Remove the pizza after 3-5 minutes, or when desired crispness is reached desired, using a flat cooking sheet, a set of long spatulas, or a pizza slide, and place on a counter to cool slightly. Top with some grated parmesan cheese, oregano and basil flakes if desired, slice and serve! Sit back and enjoy your Grilled Pizza. You will be the hero of any barbecue, and now truly “addicted” to your newly discovered art of Grilled Pizza!
