I had my first grilled pizza at a friend’s house close to 10 years ago and I still remember it. Sautéed wild mushrooms and smoked mozzarella on a slightly charred pizza crust. Heaven!
With the lid closed, a grill mimics a wood fired oven more than your conventional indoor oven does. Plus it is such a simple and fun way to cook your pizza.
The sky is the limit on variations you can make, but here is a good starter recipe -
a “not-so-traditional” pizza margarita topped with halved cherry tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, kalamata olives and fresh basil.
When grilling pizzas, the lid is your best friend.
Use the lid to control the heat as well as to help your toppings to cook and the cheese melt more quickly.
To ensure a crispy crust, you cook the pizza dough without the toppings on one side first. Then flip and add the toppings.
You have lots of options for the pizza dough. You can always make you own.
For a short cut, you can now find pizza dough in the refrigerated section of most markets. Gourmet varieties are available, but to be honest, that first delicious grilled pizza I had was made on Pillsbury canned pizza dough! Definitely not gourmet but definitely a great short-cut option!
Feel free to use your favorite pizza toppings. Since the crust cooks rather quickly, it is best to use toppings that are pre-cooked or thinly sliced.
If you choose to add tomato sauce, be sure to lightly sauce your pizza. Too much liquid will result in a soggy crust.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!
Grilled Pizza Margarita
- Vegetable oil, for the grates
- Unbaked pizza dough, enough for a 12-inch pizza
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 pound smoked mozzarella, coarsely shredded
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Preheat a clean grill to medium with the lid closed for 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly brush the grates with oil.
Let the pizza dough come to room temperature. Place the dough ball onto a baking sheet. Using your hands, gently flatten, and pull into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Brush the crust with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the dough to the grill, oiled-side down. Close the lid and cook until the dough begins to bubble on the top, about 2 minutes. Working quickly, brush the dough with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn and top with the mozzarella, tomatoes, and olives. Close the lid again and cook until golden and crisp on the bottom and the cheese is melted, 4 to 5 minutes more.
Remove the pizza from the grill. Evenly sprinkle the basil over the top of the cooked pizza. Serve warm.
Serves 4 to 6.
Reprinted with permission from Simply Grilling by Jennifer Chandler.
