Grilled Pizza Dough Recipes

GRILLED PIZZA -THREE WAYS

Steps:

• Dough: Combine the flour and yeast in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt, water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and malted barley syrup. Start the mixer on low, using the hook attachment, and mix until the dough just comes together, approximately 1 1/2 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead for 15 minutes.
• Tear off a small piece of dough and flatten into a disk. Gently stretch the dough until thin. Hold it up to the light and look to see if the bakers windowpane, or a see-through, taut membrane has formed. The dough will be quite sticky, but manageable. Fold the dough onto itself and form it into a smooth ball. Oil the bowl of the stand mixer or other large canister with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and roll it around to coat with the oil. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and leave at room temperature to double in size, approximately 1 hour.
• Split the dough into 3 equal parts using a knife or dough scraper. Flatten each piece into a disk on the countertop. Form each piece into a ball. Roll each ball on the counter until they tighten into rounds. Cover the balls with a tea towel and rest for 45 minutes.
• To shape and cook the margherita pizza: Heat a gas grill to high and make sure the grill grates are clean and free of debris.
• Toss the tomato with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the garlic, salt and red pepper flakes in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
• Lightly flour the countertop and flatten 1 of the dough balls. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 16-inch round, rotating and stretching the dough as you go. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel and stretch to re-shape if necessary.
• Oil the grill grates and decrease the heat to medium. Brush the dough with 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil and flip onto 1 end of the hot grill, leaving room for the tomatoes on the grate. Put the prepared tomatoes on the grill, close the lid and cook until the bottom of the crust is golden brown and the tomatoes are softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Brush the raw side of the dough with 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil, then immediately flip using the peel. Top with the grilled tomatoes, smashing and spreading the tomatoes to create a sauce. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, mozzarella and basil. Close the lid and cook until the bottom of crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted, another 1 to 2 minutes. Using the peel, remove the pizza to a cooling rack and let rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
• To shape and cook the date and Prosciutto pizza: Heat a gas grill to high and make sure the grill grates are clean and free of debris.
• Layer 2 paper towels on a plate and lay the mozzarella slices in a single layer. Top with 2 more paper towels, a second plate, and a 2 pound weight. Set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lightly flour the countertop and flatten 1 of the dough balls. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 16-inch round, rotating and stretching the dough as you go. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel and stretch to re-shape if necessary.
• Oil the grill grates and decrease the heat to medium. Brush the dough with 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil and flip onto the hot grill. Close the lid and cook until the bottom of crust is golden brown, for 1 to 2 minutes. Brush the raw side of the dough with 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil, then immediately flip using the peel, brush with remaining 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and top with the Parmesan, prepared mozzarella, prosciutto, dates and thyme. Close the lid and cook until the bottom of crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using the peel, remove the pizza to a cooling rack and rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
• To shape and cook cracker pizza: Lightly flour the countertop and flatten 1 of the dough balls. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an 11 by 17-inch rectangle to fit a standard, stainless steel cooling rack. Lay the dough sheet onto the rack and gently stretch around the edges, pinching to hold in place. Brush the dough with 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Attach the Vise-Grips to 1 end of the cooling rack to use as a handle. Turn a gas burner on high. Hold the rack about 2 inches above the flame, and move back and forth constantly until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully turn the dough over, brush with 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Cook, as before, until golden brown, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pizza dough: Place the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and water; once added, continue mixing for 1 minute.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until smooth.
• Divide the dough into 3 even pieces and form into balls. Spray with cooking oil and then place in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days for best flavor. (See Cook's Note.)
• When ready to bake, transfer each dough ball to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Make the pizza pies: Preheat a gas grill to 500 degrees F or get a charcoal grill as hot as you can. Lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour.
• For each pizza: Gently flatten a piece of dough with the palm of your hand and then roll it into a 10- to 11-inch round, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Don't worry if it's not perfectly or even barely round; just make sure it's of uniform thickness (even if it's the shape of a beaver tail!).
• Sprinkle a pizza peel with semolina flour and transfer the stretched dough to the peel. (If you don't have a peel, use the back of an upturned sheet pan instead.) Slide the dough directly onto the grill. Cook until golden grill marks appear, about 1 minute per side; use tongs to flip.
• For the white pizza: In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and fontina cheeses along with the thyme, rosemary, honey and some salt and pepper. Brush a grilled crust with olive oil. Spread with the cheese mixture in an even layer. Use the peel to return the pizza to the grill. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and the crust is fully browned. Remove from the grill and top with the prosciutto and arugula.
• For the margherita pizza: Brush a grilled crust with olive oil and spread evenly with the marinara sauce. Top with the torn mozzarella and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Use the peel to transfer the pizza to the grill. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. Remove from grill and top with torn basil.

GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• Start charcoal fire or preheat gas grill to medium-high heat.
• Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead** on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic but not sticky, about 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8 portions. Pat or roll dough on a well-floured counter to about 8-inch circles; they do not need to be perfect.
• Brush both sides of crust with additional oil. Using hands, lift each crust carefully and place on grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until bottom is lightly browned and top looks set. Using long handled tongs, remove crust from grill, grilled side up, to a platter or baking sheet.
• Lightly add sauce and top the grilled side of each pizza crust. Excess sauce or toppings makes the pizza hard to handle. Repeat with remaining pizzas.
• Carefully slide each pizza onto the grill. Cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes until bottom of crust is browned and cheese is melted. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

BASIC GRILLED PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Pour 1 cup warm water into a medium bowl; add sugar and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, 5 minutes.
• Whisk oil and 1 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until liquid is incorporated (dough will appear dry). Turn out onto a floured work surface. Knead until dough comes together in an elastic ball, 2 minutes. Transfer to an oiled medium bowl; brush lightly with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; set in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, 45 minutes. Punch down dough and cover; let rise another 30 minutes.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Let rest 15 minutes before using.

GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• Dough
• Stir yeast, sugar, and 1¼ cups warm (not hot) water in the bowl of a stand mixer until yeast dissolves. Let sit until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add whole wheat flour, salt, and 2 Tbsp. oil to yeast mixture and mix to combine. Fit mixer with dough hook and, with mixer on low speed, gradually add 3 cups (375 g) bread flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms, about 4 minutes from when you start adding the flour. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl to incorporate any dry bits into dough. Increase mixer speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to bring together. Shape into a ball, place in a large lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover bowl and let dough sit in warm draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1-1½ hours. Make your toppings while your dough is rising.
• Burst Cherry Tomatoes
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until skins start to blister and split, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and toss to coat. Cook, lightly pressing on tomatoes with spoon to release juices without smashing completely, until garlic is softened, about 2 minutes. Mix oregano into sauce; taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
• Do ahead: Sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and stir to combine before using.
• Lemony Swiss Chard
• Cut Swiss chard leaves away from ribs and stems, then cut crosswise into 3"-wide strips. Trim away woody part from stems; discard. Finely chop ribs and stems.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add ribs and stems and season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they release some liquid, look slightly shriveled, and are a shade or two darker, about 5 minutes. Add leaves and red pepper flakes and toss to coat. Season with more salt and black pepper and reduce heat to medium. Cook, tossing occasionally, until leaves are bright green, wilted, and tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer chard mixture to a medium bowl and let cool slightly.
• Finely grate garlic into bowl with chard mixture, then finely grate in zest from lemon; mix well. Add Parmesan and mix again to combine. Taste and season with more salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if needed.
• Do ahead: Chard mixture can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and stir to combine before using.
• Tomato Passata
• Purée tomatoes in a blender on low speed (or use an immersion blender if you have one) until smooth (try not to aerate it too much). Transfer sauce to a medium bowl and stir in oil and salt.
• Do ahead: Passata can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill, or freeze up to 6 months.
• Assembly
• Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Clean grate. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces. Working one at a time, gently shape into balls. Transfer to a lightly floured small rimmed baking sheet and cover. Let sit 20-30 minutes.
• Place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface (keep remaining balls covered) and, using your fingers, press out to an 8" round. Drape dough over the backs of your hands and gently pull and stretch, rotating dough as you go, until about 12" in diameter (it's okay if it's not a perfect circle).
• Brush dough with oil. Place, oiled side down, on grill over direct heat and cook until large bubbles appear across surface, dough stiffens, and underside is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Brush top with oil, turn over, and cook just to lightly dry out second side, about 30 seconds.
• Using tongs and a metal spatula, move dough over to cooler side of grill. Top with a spoonful of passata or burst cherry tomatoes and one quarter of cheese (either alone or in combination). Add pepperoni or salami (if using), then some of the lemony Swiss chard, and/or Rosemary Agrodolce as desired. Carefully slide pizza back over direct heat. Cook until cheese is melted and toppings are heated through, about 2 minutes. If dough is in danger of burning on underside but toppings need more time, return pizza to cooler side, cover grill, and cook another 1-2 minutes.
• Transfer pizza to a cutting board and drizzle with more oil. Top with basil and red pepper flakes if desired.
• Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 3 more pizzas.

PIZZA DOUGH FOR THE GRILL

Steps:

• Stir the yeast into the water; let sit for 15 minutes. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a large bowl. On low speed in the stand mixer or stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly add the yeast mixture and the olive oil alternately to the flour. Knead for 6 minutes on low speed in the stand mixer or on a floured surface by hand until it becomes elastic. The dough should feel soft and just a little sticky. If it feels grainy or dry, add 1 tablespoon warm water at a time (up to 1/4 cup). Knead for another 2 minutes by hand on a floured surface.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl that's at least twice the size of the dough and cover with a damp dishtowel. Let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour. The dough is ready when you poke a finger in it and it holds the impression.
• Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl that's at least twice the size of the dough and cover with plastic; refrigerate overnight. It will rise slowly in the cold, doubling in size.
• Put the unrisen dough directly into a large zip-top bag. Freeze for up to one month. Transfer it to the refrigerator one day before proceeding.
• Let refrigerated dough warm up for 20 minutes at room temperature before proceeding.
• Punch down the dough and divide it into eight 4-ounce balls. Put each ball on a floured surface and, with your hands, flatten and stretch it into a disk that's about 1/2 inch thick. The dough will be fairly elastic and will tend to spring back. Cover each piece with plastic and let rest for 5 minutes. Stretch or roll each disk into an 8- to 10-inch round about 1/8 inch thick (the thinner, the better). If they continue to seem springy and resist rolling, cover and let rest for a few more minutes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper and layer the rounds on it with a sheet of parchment or waxed paper between each. Use the dough immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Separate the rounds with sheets of parchment or waxed paper.
• Fire up the grill (gas or charcoal).
• Use both hands to pick up a round of dough. Moving quickly and holding the top edge of the dough, lay the bottom edge (oiled side down) on the hot part of the grill. As soon as the first edge of the dough makes contact with the grill grate, pull gently on the dough as you finish laying it down to stretch it thinly. Place the round on the grill.
• Brush the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill without moving until the pizza browns and develops good grill marks on the bottom, 1 to 3 minutes; check frequently to prevent burning.
• Flip the dough with a spatula and tongs and arrange your choice of toppings on the browned side of the pizza. For toppings, try Olive Tapenade, Roasted Vidalia Onions, Roasted Red Pepper Purée, Roasted Garlic, or one of the no-cook toppings listed below. (Work quickly, or move the pizza to the cooler area of the grill while topping.) When the bottom has browned and developed strong grill marks, 1 to 3 minutes, move the pizza to the cooler part of the grill. Flip the dough.
• Close the lid and grill until the pizza toppings are hot to the touch and any cheese has melted, 3 to 8 minutes. Check the bottom of the pizza frequently, turning the pizza from back to front and side to side to prevent burning in case your grill has any hot spots. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and slice. Serve immediately.

GRILL DOUGH

Steps:

• Proof yeast in warm water.
• In separate bowl place flour, salt, sugar, and oil. Make a well in the center and place yeast/warm water mixture in. Mix thoroughly until consistency of an elastic ball. Allow to rise 1 1/2hours.
• Flour surface and roll out 1/2 dough. Rub with cornmeal. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings.
• Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill dough about 5 minutes or until toppings are melted. Repeat with second piece of dough.

GRILLED PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Pour water into a large bowl. Sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups flour and 2 teaspoons salt, and stir until smooth. Add another 2 cups flour, and stir until smooth. Continue adding flour (up to 1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring, until dough comes away from sides of bowl but is still sticky.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough with floured hands: Throw it down on surface, pulling it toward you with 1 hand and pushing it away from you withthe other. Fold dough back over itself (use a dough scraper or awide knife to scrape dough from surface), and knead until smooth, elastic, and soft but still a little tacky, about 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a ball, and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 3 hours.
• Heat grill to high. Scrape dough out of bowl onto a lightly floured surface, and cut into 6 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Dust with flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until dough is almost doubled in volume, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Holding top edge of 1 dough ball in both hands, let bottom edge touch surface (refrigerate remaining balls as you work). Carefully move hands aroundedge to form a circle, as if turning a wheel. Hold dough on back of your hand, letting its weight stretch it into a 12-inch round. Transfer dough to a lightly floured pizza peel (or an inverted baking sheet). Press out edges using your fingers. Lightly jerk peel; if dough sticks, lift, and dust more flour underneath.
• Heat grill to high. Grill pizza dough, flipping occasionally, until charred and cooked through, about 4 minutes.

GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• Two to three hours before grilling, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into three even pieces. Drizzle a teaspoon of neutral cooking oil into three soup bowls. (Each bowl should be able to hold at least twice the volume of the dough pieces.)
• Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape each into a ball by stretching it and pinching it into a point at the bottom, forming a sort of "skin" that wraps the whole ball. Lightly dust your hands with flour as necessary to prevent excessive sticking. Transfer the ball to one of the oiled bowls and turn it a few times to completely coat the surface in oil, then let it rest seam side down. Repeat Step 2 with remaining dough pieces, then drape a damp kitchen towel over all three bowls. Let the dough balls rest until roughly doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Transfer the tomatoes to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl and shake the strainer, allowing the tomatoes to drain thoroughly. Still working in the strainer above the bowl, season well with salt, and, using clean hands, squeeze them through your fingers until a rough purée is formed. (The pieces of tomato should end up ranging from 1/4 inch to roughly 1 inch in size.) Allow any excess liquid to drain (you can save the strainer tomato juice for another use), then transfer the crushed tomatoes to a bowl and set aside.
• Turn out one ball of dough onto a floured work surface and dust thoroughly with more flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10-inch-by-12-to-14-inch oblong. Dust both sides thoroughly with flour, then transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining two dough balls, stacking them on top of the first with a layer of parchment paper between each.
• To cook, ignite a full chimney of charcoal. When the coals are mostly covered in gray ash, spread evenly under half of the grill. (If using a gas grill, set half the burners to high, leaving the remaining burners off. Cover, and allow to heat for 10 minutes.)
• Using your fingers, carefully lift one piece of rolled-out dough from the stack and drape it quickly on the grill grates directly above the fire. Let it cook without moving until the top starts to bubble and the bottom is lightly browned, about 20 to 30 seconds. Continue cooking, using metal tongs and a large spatula or thin metal pizza peel to move and rotate the crust as it cooks, until the bottom is evenly browned all over with a few charred spots, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Flip the crust, and brush the cooked side with a thin layer of olive oil. Continue cooking until the second side is browned, charred and crisp. Flip again (so that the bubblier side faces up), transfer to a clean baking sheet, and brush the second side with olive oil. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 with remaining two pizza skins, stacking the crusts as they finish cooking. (If using coal, the heat may start to dip. Extend cooking time to compensate, or add 15 to 20 fresh coals to the top of the embers and allow them to ignite before continuing.)
• Working one pizza at a time, transfer the crust to the pizza peel. (A cutting board or the back of a baking sheet will also work.) Spread a thin layer of shredded cheese across the surface of the crust (about 1 cup should do it). Using a spoon, add tablespoon-size dollops of crushed tomatoes, spaced an inch or two apart, across the whole surface of the pizza. Add toppings as desired (see Tips). Slide the pizza onto the cooler side of the grill, cover, and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp, 1 to 5 minutes total, rotating the pizza occasionally to encourage even melting and crisping. Transfer to a cutting board, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with basil or scallions, cut into squares, and serve immediately. Repeat Step 8 with remaining pizza crusts.