Grilled Pizza
I love when the weather begins to take a turn for the warmer and it seems like every meal is done on the grill. One of my favorites is pizza.
You'll need to start with a batch of your favorite pizza dough. I like this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens:
Pizza Dough
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (not hot)
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a large mixer bowl combine 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the yeast, and salt. Stir in warm water and oil. Beat at low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. (6 to 8 minutes total).
Cover dough and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into as many pizzas as you'd like to make and roll out on a floured surface. (I recommend starting out with small pizzas while you get the hang of cooking them on the grill).
Place dough on floured pans.
Lightly cover the top of each crust with olive oil. (I like to use olive oil that can be sprayed on for this). Light grill and set at low-medium low. Hold pan over grill and carefully flip the dough (the side that you've oiled) onto the grates. If the dough gets crinkled, quickly use a spatula to straighten it out, by placing the spatula under the dough and using your hand on top of the dough to guide the dough out. Transferring the dough to the grill is the trickiest part and takes some practice. (This is why I recommend starting out with small crusts). Spray the side facing up with olive oil. Once the crust has very lightly browned and is stabile enough to turn, flip it with your spatula and lightly brown the other side. (You are not trying to completely cook the dough at this point, just giving it a light grilling). Place crusts back onto pans and return to the kitchen for toppings.
Now comes the fun part: your favorite toppings. Add anything you'd like. Here are some ideas:
Pesto, spinach, and parmesan:
Olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, fresh oregano and mozzarella: (fresh basil is even tastier, but I was out at the time)
A sudden windfall of 5 pounds of asparagus from my neighbor inspired this one: olive oil, asparagus, marinated feta, and pine nuts. (I should have added some ricotta or mozzarella too, as it was tasty, but a bit too dry).
And of course, kid favorites like cheese and ham with olives:
Take pizzas back to the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is browned to your liking:
Then remove from the grill, slice, and serve immediately.
Tips: I buy my pizza pans from a local restaurant supply store in Spokane. (Most cities have these stores). It's really helpful to have a lot of pans when feeding a crowd.
I usually double the dough so there's plenty to go around and to enjoy for leftovers the next day.
