Pizza on the Grill

# vegetarian #pizzaonagrill

 

Yield: 2 12” thin pizza

 

Toppings

1/2 small onion, diced

Several slices of bell peppers, colors of choice, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

Tomato Sauce or thin slices of an heirloom tomato

Sliced, fresh mozzarella

Grated Parmesan

Other toppings of choice

 

 

Pizza Crusts (yield 2 thin crust)
1 1/4 cups bread (high gluten) flour

2 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast or 1 package

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

​

Toppings

1. Add olive oil into a skillet, warm and sauté the onions and bell peppers, stirring to make sure they cook evenly. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic. Cook another minute or two, until the onions and peppers are soft. Remove from heat.

2. I used fresh mozzarella slices but you can also use shredded mozzarella.

3. You can use tomato/spaghetti sauce, homemade or store bought or you can use thinly sliced tomatoes. Either are good with a slightly different taste and look. If you are using fresh tomatoes, slice thinly and then lay on paper towels to remove some of the moisture. I did one pizza with the tomato sauce and one with the tomato slices. You should use ither cooked vegetables or toppings that are ready to use. Unlike bake pizza, you want this pizza to be fairly light as it is on the grill.
    

Crust

1. In a large bowl, add the bread flour, yeast and salt. Mix. Warm the water so that it feels warm on your wrist. Add the olive oil to the water.

2. Pour water/oil into the flour mixture and stir together. Mix for about 3 minutes either by hand or with a mixer. The dough should be smooth and thoroughly mixed.

3. Sprinkle a little flour onto a clean surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and begin to knead, adding a bit more flour if the dough is sticky. Only add a teaspoon or so at a time. Knead for 4-5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

4. Cut dough in half. Roll out to desired shape that will fit on the grill.
    

Assembly

1. Preheat the grill. I used an inside grill on my stove. You can also use an outdoor grill. Times may vary a bit so keep a close eye on the pizza while grilling as it cooks faster than in the oven. I found this process somewhat like making pancakes. The second pizza was better because the grill was thoroughly pre-heated.

2. If using a stove top grill, oil grill and preheat to medium high. If using an outdoor grill, make sure grill is well cleaned and oiled, to prevent the crust from sticking. Preheat it to medium-high heat. The grill should be hot before you put the dough on top.

3. Follow your favorite pizza dough recipe or use the one below. Rub with a bit of oil. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the grill. On parchment paper, with a sprinkle of flour, roll dough into a manageable size for your grill. You want to have all the toppings ready, as the dough gets cooked rapidly on a grill top.

4. Brush tops of the prepared dough with oil, then lift the parchment the crust is on and carefully flip the crusts onto the grill, oil side down. Peel the parchment paper off.

5. Grill the crusts until puffy, bubbly and have grill marks and a few charred spots, about 2 minutes. It should release from the grill easily for flipping.

6. Flip your pizza and quickly add sauce, cheese, and toppings, leaving a margin around the edges, as you don’t want them on your grill.. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until cheese has melted completely and the bottom of the crust has grill marks and a few charred spots. Lower the grill heat slightly. If you need to melt the cheese or bottom crust is golden.

7. Carefully use a spatula and slide pizza onto a cutting board or plate. Cut into slices and serve.
    

Expandthetable suggestions

Add more toppings of choice: Add any toppings you would use on your favorite pizza; all should be ready to eat

Mozzarella: Use shredded mozzarella.

Don't have a grill pan?  Use a cast iron skillet

​​