Grilled Margherita Pizzas Recipes

GRILLED PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• Whisk the yeast and sugar into warm water and allow to stand for 5 minutes until frothy.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. With the mixer running, pour in the yeast mixture. Add the olive oil then allow to knead for a few minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and only slightly tacky. If the dough is very sticky, add a little bit of flour and knead in.
• Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and allow to rise for at least 1 hour. I usually make the dough a few hours before cooking.
• Once risen, divide the dough into 4 and form into balls. Place on a floured board and cover with a dish cloth and allow to rise for another 30 minutes while you prepare the toppings.
• To make the sauce, drain off any excess liquid from the tomatoes then crush the tomatoes into a bowl. Season with salt (and your chosen additions if using). Grate/tear the mozzarella and finely slice the basil.
• Preheat the grill (braai/barbecue) to its hottest setting. I like to have a cooler zone to move the pizza to should it be needed. Brush the grill grid with a little oil.
• Form the dough into pizza bases with your hands, pressing from the middle, forming the pizza as you go. Take care not to thin it out too much.
• Transfer the dough to the grid then allow to cook for a few minutes until the dough has started to bubble up. Remove from the grill and place grill side-up on a wooden board or pizza peel.
• Top the grilled side with sauce, cheese and basil then carefully transfer the pizza back to the grill. Close the grill if possible and allow to cook for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and there is some color on top.
• Remove from the grill, slice, top with more basil and serve.

GRILLED MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. In small bowl, mix garlic, oil and oregano; brush over pizza crust. Top with tomato, basil and cheese.
• Cover and grill over medium-low heat 7 to 9 minutes, moving pizza around grill every 2 minutes to prevent bottom from burning, until cheese is melted.
• Cut pizza into 36 squares. Serve immediately.

CRISPY GRILLED PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Place pizza dough in a bowl to rise 2 to 3 times the original size, about 1 hour. Flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Divide dough in half; roll each half to a 10- to 12-inch diameter circle.
• Place pizza dough rounds on the preheated grill using a wooden paddle (pizza peel) and close lid; cook until grill marks appear on the bottom of each round, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from grill and flip over on a work surface. Lower grill heat to medium.
• Brush each round with olive oil. Spread half the Asiago cheese on each crust; add tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer pizzas to grill with wooden paddle and close lid. Cook until bottom of rounds is cooked with grill marks and cheese is melted, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from grill and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

GRILLED PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• Make sauce and prepare cheese:
• If using fresh tomatoes, cut an X (just through skin) in each, at end opposite stem, and immerse in boiling water for 10 seconds. Transfer to cold water with a slotted spoon, then peel.
• Seed and chop tomatoes (fresh or canned).
• Simmer tomatoes, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick and reduced to about 1 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Toss together mozzarella and remaining tablespoon oil.
• Form pizza rounds:
• Do not punch down dough. Gently dredge 1 ball of dough in a bowl of flour to coat, then transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Holding 1 edge of floured dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom touch work surface, carefully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch round to roughly 7 inches in diameter. Lay dough round flat on floured surface and continue to stretch by pressing dough with your fingertips, working from center outward to edge, stretching it into a 9-inch round. Transfer to a large floured tray and make another round in same manner, then place it next to other round. Lightly rub a long sheet of plastic wrap with flour, then invert loosely over pizza rounds and let them stand to puff slightly while preparing grill, 10 to 20 minutes.
• To prepare charcoal grill:
• Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a heaping chimneyful of charcoal and pour it evenly over 2 opposite sides of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of charcoal), leaving clear a 9-inch-wide strip in middle (for grilling over indirect heat).
• Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds.
• To prepare gas grill:
• Preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.
• To grill pizzas by either method:
• Remove plastic wrap from both rounds of dough and lightly brush dough with some oil. Carefully flip dough rounds, oiled sides down, with your hands onto middle of lightly oiled grill rack and brush top of each with oil. Grill crusts, uncovered, until undersides are golden brown (rotate them if 1 side of grill is hotter than the other), 2 to 3 minutes on gas grill or 4 to 6 minutes on charcoal grill.
• Flip crusts over with tongs and a spatula and top each crust with half of tomato sauce, spreading evenly over dough and leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over sauce and grill pizzas, covered with grill lid, until undersides are golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes on gas grill or 5 minutes on charcoal grill.
• Scatter basil over pizzas.

GRILLED MARGHERITA PIZZAS

Steps:

• Heat a grill until medium-hot. Generously brush one side of pizza dough with oil; grill, oiled side down, until underside is golden brown and top begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes. Quickly brush top with oil; flip crust. Top with thin layers of sauce and cheese. Grill until cheese is just melted, sauce is hot, and crust is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Slide pizza with a large spatula onto a cutting board. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange basil on top. Repeat to make more pizzas.

BOBBY FLAY'S MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare the grill for direct and indirect cooking.
• Once the grill is hot (you can hold your hands an inch over the grates for no more than 2 seconds), stretch and shape the dough into a 12-inch round on a flat surface. Brush the top with oil, salt and pepper and toss on the grill, oil-side down. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, 1 minute. Check the bottom of the dough to see if it is getting browned. If it is on one part, but not the other, use a spatula or tongs to rotate the dough 90 degrees and cook for another minute. If it is still not beginning to brown, cover the grill and continue to cook a minute at a time until the bottom has browned evenly. (It should only take a couple minutes if you have a hot grill.) The top of the pizza dough will also start bubbling up with air pockets.
• Once the pizza dough has browned on the bottom, flip over and grill until golden brown and the dough is just firm, another minute or so. Remove to a sheet pan. Cover the grill so it retains the heat for the next step.
• Drizzle the top with more olive oil. Put the mozzarella and tomato slices on top and season with salt and pepper. Return the pizza to the grill on the sheet pan, cover the grill and cook for 3 or 4 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from the grill and tear the basil leaves over the top. Slice and serve immediately.

ROUND 2 RECIPE - GRILLED MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• In a medium skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When it is hot, add the tomato and garlic. Cook down until slightly thickened and some of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
• Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium heat. Preheat the broiler.
• Pat the pizza dough out into a 12 by 6-inch rectangle and brush with 1 tablespoon of oil. Transfer the dough to the grill and grill, oiled side down, until the dough starts to crisp and turn brown on the bottom side, about 3 minutes. Brush the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and flip it over and grill for another 3 minutes. Remove from the grill to a sheet pan. Spread it with the tomato sauce and cover with the mozzarella slices. Put it under the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Remove from the broiler, sprinkle with basil leaves, then cut and serve.