Grilled Pizza

It's no secret that we love pizza in our house.

I'm actually fairly positive that about 47% of my husband's diet consists entirely of pizza, and it doesn't look like he's going to be sick of it any time soon.

We make our own pizza fairly frequently.  Bruce tends to stick to the basics that he knows he likes, such as pepperoni...or the ever-daring...pepperoni with bacon.  While I like to branch out a bit more.  I had a glorious Thai Chili pizza once, with Thai chili sauce, zucchini, chicken, peppers...mmmm...it was delicious!  But I also like traditional flavors as well.  This go-around, we made a pepperoni pizza for Bruce, and a prosciutto, basil and mozzarella pizza for me.

We have used homemade dough, pre-made dough, French bread, bagels, you name it!  But one thing we always talked about trying, but somehow never did, was grilling our pizza.

It is actually very simple, if you have ever made pizza at home (other than take-and-bake), this should be super simple, with only a few minor adjustments from your normal pizza baking routine.  I implore you to try it, not only is it delicious, but it is fun too!

You can use your favorite pizza dough recipe, or use the quick one below (note that my dough recipe makes 2 pizzas...and doesn't require kneading or rising!) and whatever toppings you want!

Grilled Pizza

Ingredients:
Dough:

1 1/2 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 c. warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs honey
4 c. flour

cornmeal

Toppings:

You can use whatever you want!
I do recommend not piling your pizza too much, or it might not melt evenly, and may get soggy.

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water, then cover with a towel and let the mixture sit until it begins to bubble and foam (about 5-7 minutes).

Add the salt, olive oil and honey, and mix well so that the honey and salt have dissolved.  Stir in the flour, mixing until the dough comes together.  Let the dough rest for 10 minutes before rolling out on a lightly floured surface.

Heat your grill until it is about 375 degrees (or hot enough that you can only keep your hand above it for a couple seconds).  Brush the grill with olive oil to prevent sticking.  Spread some cornmeal onto a plate or baking sheet for later use.

When the grill is ready, place your rolled out pizza dough onto the grill and let it cook on one side, checking the bottom occasionally, until it is browned (about 5 minutes).  Remove the dough from the grill and place the dough raw-side (the uncooked side) down on the plate or baking sheet with the cornmeal. You could skip this step, but your dough will stick to the plate, and be a pain to get off.

Spread your sauce and desired toppings on the cooked side of your pizza dough.  Return the pizza to the grill, sliding it off the plate, to cook the other side.  Close the lid to allow the cheese to melt.  Check often to ensure it is done (about 5 minutes).  Remove from the grill and slice.

Enjoy!