Grilled Pizza

My good friend George was looking to a recipe to server his parents that a) was good, b) used the grill, and c) was a little out of the ordinary. After a few recommendations I remembered the Grilled Pizza recipe from Fine Cooking magazine. Here is it with a couple of modifications by me.

This is really a great recipe for a BBQ with people that want to be involved with their food. Getting the ingredients ready is super easy, and grilling the pizza just requires a watchful eye. I've made this for my family (parents and sister's family) and it was a huge hit.

The process involves making a dough (a bit firmer thus usual), preparing the toppings, grilling the dough on one side, removing it to add toppings (by your guests if they so choose) and then putting back on the grill to heat up the toppings. It's not harder than that.

In the pictures below, I made a pizza with pesto, prosciutto, olives and goat cheese. Mmm mmm good.

Since this is on the BBQ and not in the oven, the ambient temperature is lower. This means that you need to put on toppings that are either precooked or can be eaten warmed up. The only thing cooked is the dough.

Step 1- Make the dough (recipe at then end). Let it rise for an hour and a half or stick it in the fridge over night (then remove it at least 45 minutes before it needs to be rolled).

Step 2- Gather your toppings. I recommend the following:
Cheese: mozzarella, goat, feta, blue
Meat: cooked bacon, cooked sausage, prosciutto, pepperoni
Veggies: olives, cooked onions, fried mushrooms, blanched asparagus, thinly sliced tomato, roasted garlic
Base: tomato sauce, pesto, roasted red pepper tapenade

Step 3 - Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each out to a small dinner plate sized circle. Stack these between wax paper.
Step 4 - Bring dough, toppings, olive oil, tongs and spatula out to the preheated BBQ - heated to a medium heat. Make sure there is a top rack on the BBQ (if not, only heat one side)

Step 5 - Brush oil on one side of a dough round and place on the BBQ. When placing, try to stretch it out just a little. Repeat until the grill is full (I can get two on comfortably)

Step 6 - Watch the dough and turn if one spot is getting too dark. Remove to a cutting board, cooked side up, when blackened spots appear on the underside

Step 7 - As quickly as possible top the pizza with indredients and return to BBQ.

Step 8 - When bottom is browned, move to the top rack of the BBQ and then remove and serve when the toppings are hot enough and the cheese is melted (if it is a melting cheese :) )


Dough recipe
1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/4 C warm water
1 1/4 lbs flour (about 4 1/4 C)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp honey or sugar
1/4 C olive oil

Dissolve the yeast in the water and let it rest for about 5 minutes

With a mixer (or by hand) combine and kneed the water, flour, salt, honey/sugar and oil together for 6-8 minutes until the dough is elastic and a little sticky.

Put the dough in a oiled bowl and let it rise for an hour or two.