The weather is getting warmer here in Pittsburgh, and in our house that means the most requested dinner option will be had often.
Two words….Grilled Pizza.
I don’t like to boost, but I have in my possession a darn good grilled pizza dough recipe. I’ve had it for so long, I do not even know where it originated.
Now, I will be the first to tell you that I am not a baker. NOT A BAKER. Baking requires you to follow the recipe to the T unless you have a finite understanding of the methods to achieve the final result. I do not have that knowledge, and I also do not like to follow recipes. Therefore, I am not a baker. My mother is a baker. I am a cook. I like to create. I like to add and take away things. I will glance at a recipe to get a feel for the final product, then take off on my own path to get to the end result.
That being said, I do enjoy this nice and simple recipe for grilled pizza dough that is, yes, technically a ‘baking’ recipe. I guess the fact that I am lobbing the dough on to a grill distracts me from the whole baking thing.
Grilled Pizza Dough
2 TBSP dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 cups luke warm water
Mix those three together and let them do their magic for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix…
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
…together in a large bowl.
After the 10 minute yeast show, mix the dry and the wet together along with…
1/2 cup olive oil.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together in a soft ball. About 5 minutes.
Grab a small handful of the raised dough and roll out with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 thickness. Perfect circles are for squares, make any shape you want! We had one tonight that was shaped like a tooth!
Once you have all your dough rolled out, proceed to an already heated grill (I’ve only ever made these on a charcoal grill, so I’m going to say about med-high heat for you propane users).
Brush the dough shapes with some olive oil (but not too much, you don’t want to cause flare ups), and place oiled side down on grates. Brush the other side with oil too before turning.
Once the dough starts to bubble, it’s time to flip them.
Grill until nice and golden brown.
At this point, you could go one of two ways. You could top your pizzas and finish them on the grill, or you could bring the in the house and finish them in an oven. Since I am always cooking for a hungry brood of people, I opt for the latter. Plus, the porch where the grill’s at is pretty small, and DR likes to top his own pizzas.
Oh yes, toppings.
You can use whatever you’d like. Really, the sky’s the limit. DR likes BBQ Chicken. B likes the classic pizza toppings of pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and peppers. RED likes cheese and pepperoni. I prefer some melted sharp provolone with prosciutto, arugula, and a drizzle of Tuscan herb olive oil on top.
Welcome to grilling season, you’re going to love it!
Cheese, BBQ Chicken, and Prosciutto Arugula Pizzas.
Ventures In Green 