I hesitated about sharing this recipe because there is really nothing glamorous about this pizza. Its simple and basic, which I often think means it doesn't deserve to be posted. However, having found a pizza dough recipe that works on grill, and tastes so damn delicious, I decided I had to share. So here you have it, for those warm spring/summer nights, when all one is craving is fresh pizza and a cold beer on the back deck.
PIZZA ON THE GRILL // makes 2 pizzas
Dough & BBQ technique adapted from Happyolks
Happyolk's original recipe describes a pesto, cherry tomato and burrata combination. I prefer my pizza to be topped with a standard tomato sauce (as described below) and simple veggie ingredients. Feel free to get creative with your sauce and toppings.
Ingredients:
Dough //
1 1/2 cups + 2 T lukewarm water
2 T olive oil
2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups all purpose white flour
Pizza Sauce //
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
red pepper flakes
pinch of sugar
Toppings //
fresh whole tomatoes, sliced
1 ball buffalo mozzarella
fresh basil
What to do:
Start by making the dough. Combine the water, oil, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, until the water is murky. Add both flours to the bowl and stir together (add a touch of oil if it feels too dry). Using your hands, form a large ball of dough and place it back in the bowl. Cover with a cloth and let rise for 2 hours.
While the dough is rising, make the sauce. Place the canned tomatoes in a colander and let strain for 30 minutes (you'd be surprised at how much liquid they hold). Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Stir to combine. Using a handheld blender (or magic bullet), puree the sauce to your desired consistency. I like to keep mine a little chunky, but feel free to add a little tomato juice to thin it out if need be.
Once the dough has sat for 2 hours, remove from the bowl and transfer to a well floured countertop. Punch the dough down a few times, divide into 2 pieces and knead a few times. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to desired thickness. For a thinner crust, gently tug at the edges to stretch out the dough further. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet for easy transport to the bbq.
Lightly grease the bbq grates with oil and then heat on medium-high. Once the temperature reaches 425, quickly transfer (or fling) the prepared dough onto the hot grates. Lower the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, checking to be sure the bottom isn't burning.
Carefully, with all your bbq tools and/or the baking sheet, flip the dough (we cracked one is half - as you can clearly see in the photos). Lower the bbq to low and dress your pizza as desired.
Cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the edges are brown and the cheese has melted.
Serve immediately (with an optional cold beer).
