Homemade Grilled Pizza

It’s grilling season…yay!

Every year at the end of spring, we ceremoniously enjoy our ‘last oven baked’ dinner for the summer and start planning all the yummy foods we plan to grill. Since we plan to live in our pool for the next several months, we want to make sure we are well prepped for fast, easy dishes that can be cooked and consumed in between cannonballs and croquet putts with minimal clean up required.

If you’ve already tried grilling pizza, you know how over-the-top tasty they are; if you have not yet, you are in for quite a treat! The grilling gives the pizza a fired oven taste, with some smoky and charred bits at the bottom that are just perfect.Go light on the toppings as the crust will cook fast and when making your dough, make some extra for the freezer…simply wrap each dough ball air tight and freeze for up to 3 months, defrosting slowly at room temperature. Note: you can try store bought dough, but only fresh dough…the ‘canned’ dough will burn before rising. Homemade is much easier than it looks, so give a try, kneading dough is fun! 

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 pinch white sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced black olives

1/4 cup roasted red peppers

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, and mix in sugar. Proof for ten minutes, or until frothy. Mix in the salt, olive oil, and flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, and knead in garlic and basil. Set aside to rise for 1 more hour, or until doubled again.
• Preheat grill for high heat. Heat olive oil with garlic for 30 seconds in the microwave. Set aside. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Form each half into an oblong shape 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.
• Brush grill grate with garlic flavored olive oil. Carefully place one piece of dough on hot grill. The dough will begin to puff almost immediately. When the bottom crust has lightly browned, turn the dough over using two spatulas. Working quickly, brush oil over crust, and then brush with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Arrange 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/8 cup sliced black olives, and 1/8 cup roasted red peppers over crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons basil. Close the lid, and cook until the cheese melts. Remove from grill, and set aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the second pizza.