Grilled Pizza

 

Tossing into the growing collection of pizza related recipes, today we’re going the grilled route!  Yes that’s right, Grilled Pizza!  Grilling plus pizza, holy yum!

When I originally presented this idea to Mike, well, let’s just say, considering the guy would eat pizza for every meal and every snack every day for the rest of his life, he was very on board.  I mean, pizza, what’s there to sell?

Usually he’s a wing-it kind of guy but here he did read the instructions and quickly proffered, “hey, this is exactly like the Grilled Yogurt Flatbreads, this will be a cinch.”  And he was oh so right.

Now look, zero reason to fret here, while this may appear complicated, it's actually incredibly easy to pull off, I swear.  Even I can do this and I don’t even know how to do Mike’s big gas grill.

Oh right, about the grill — gas or charcoal, either/or and you’re good to go.  Oh yeah, probably even electric* too.  Do note that everyone's grill is different so adapt timings as necessary to achieve those dreamy grilled pizza desired results. 

Only other equipment would be a mixer* which makes quick work of the dough but if you are sans mixer, by hand is not a problem.

So yeah, Grilled Pizza! 

Probably coulda gotten a better photo, sorry.

Do feel free to top them as you wish but as usual, over here, we are serious about that pepperoni.  Overall these are so easy to make, you can experiment at will.  Even as I sit here, my brain is a’whirl with how to make them into dessert pizzas….

….which is actually brilliant since this recipe churns out four 12” pies. 

We cannot get through that many in a sitting as evidenced by our fridge packed with leftovers.  Mike strangely claims he can’t get all four crusts on so he’s either forgone the last dough round or cooked the dough but didn’t top it.

Huh.  So pizza and dessert all in one grill session.  Nice.  That'd be awesome.  Do it and let me know what you come up with!  I will get on that too, as I spiral down a grilled dessert pizza rabbit hole on the internet….

Right, I’m veering way off track here.  Grilled Pizza is the topic at hand!

A huge bonus with this recipe is it’s actually do-ahead friendly in several ways so you’re not trapped at the grill while your guests are off mingling without you.  You can cook the crusts then top and finish at will, timing it as you like.  Make one, two, take your time, come back and do the rest.

And yes, this recipe does make a lot of freakin’ pizza so if it’s too much, cut the recipe in half if grilled dessert is out.  Or, do them all, stash what you don’t get to in the freezer.  Or, eat them all, who am I to say.

Big note here:  if you're going with vegetables or other meats that require more cooking time, go ahead and pre-cook those as the pizzas, once topped, don't spend a whole heck of a lot of time finishing up on that there grill. 

All right.  Grilled Pizza time.  You ready?

First the dough.  So easy.  So. 

Toss the yeast, water, and sugar into your mixer bowl, let that yeast start blooming and getting foamy.
 

Once it's good to go, dump in the oil and the small portion of whole wheat flour.  If you don't have whole wheat, don't care for it, whatever, go ahead and use more bread flour or even all-purpose is fine too, no big whoop.  Stir a moment but no need to get that thoroughly mixed.

Next, throw the salt in with the big pile of bread flour and flip the mixer onto low.  Gradually add that bread flour into the big bowl and time it all sorta out for about four minutes of mixing total. 

No need to be exact though.  You're looking for a shaggy dough here.

Once all the flour is in, time for the machine to knead.  Give that about five minutes or so on a higher speed.  The dough will come together, look smooth, and clean the bowl for you.

Ok!  Now, just toss that dough ball into a lightly greased bowl, let it rise.  I find mine is ready at just under an hour but it could take up to an hour and a half.  Do the poke test.

All righty, getting close to Grilled Pizza time.

Chop* the risen dough up into four even enough chunks, shape each into a ball, and set them on a baking sheet* to rest for a few more minutes before game time.

Top, pre-rest; bottom, nicely rested, ahhh.

To shape the dough into your pizza rounds, you can do this by hand, pushing and mushing and spreading or you can also incorporate a rolling pin.*  You're looking for twelve inches of general roundness but if you only get to nine or ten, that's ok too.  Smaller bestows a thicker crust while larger is thinner, crispier.

A ruler* helps so you know what diameter you're at.

Now we turn this over to Mike, the grill master. 

Specific temperature type settings are listed in the recipe below but ultimately find what works best for you.  Start with the instructions and work from there.

Check out them bubbles, whoo!

You'll brush* one side with oil, grill it, flip then toast up the other side, add your toppings, heat everything through and get that cheese all nice and melty, then it's time to eat.

Ooohh  yeah.  Now, go as dark and crispy as you like here, it's up to you.

Eat and eat and eat some super delicious, freshly Grilled Pizza which no doubt will beat cold, sad, limp delivery any day of the week.

Happy grill baking!  Yum!

*The electric grills, stand mixers, bench scrapers, baking sheets, rolling pins, rulers, and pastry brushes are Amazon affiliate links.  Happy baking, thanks!  Please see the "info" tab for more, well, info.