I have been making homemade pizza for over thirty years and it is always a crowd pleaser. A few years back, I started playing around with baking it over fire. Grilled pizza is like a whole other food group; it is a life changer. Friends have asked me to share my recipe, so I enlisted my new daughter, Tiffany's help with the camera, as you need all hands on deck to prepare this food of the gods. Brace yourself for moans around the table as your friends and family first bite into that chewy, charred crust. It is really that good. I use the same crust recipe whether I'm grilling or baking traditional pizza in the oven. It is best to prepare it a day ahead and let it hang out in the refrigerator. This makes 2 pizzas, but can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd.
Pizza Crust
1 1/4 c. warm water
1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. all purpose flour
Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into the warm water and let set for ten minutes. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a sturdy mixer; add the olive oil and 1 cup of flour. Beat together on low. Add the salt and another cup of flour. Continue mixing on low, adding a bit more flour by heaping spoonfuls, being sure to incorporate all of it into the dough. By the end, the dough should be coming away from the sides of the bowl and clinging to the mixer attachment. Dump the dough out onto a slightly floured countertop and knead for 5 minutes. Place in a large, well oiled bowl, turning the dough ball over once so that the top is oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Several hours before you want to make the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it set on the counter at room temperature. It should be risen to double in size. You can speed up the process after kneading by covering the bowl of dough with a cloth, and letting it set at room temperature for 1 hour.
Pizza Toppings
Decide what toppings you want on the pizzas. You will want everything prepped and set out, as you will be assembling the pizzas in the few minutes that they are actually on the grill. Remember to use toppings sparingly; the real star is that charred crust. Like a female with too much makeup, excessive toppings will dim the true beauty. My favorite is simple marinara sauce, sausage, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and a light dusting of fresh grated parmesan cheese. You can use pesto instead of the marinara, shredded chicken, fresh veggies like red peppers, mushrooms, or fresh tomatoes. I always tear a few fresh basil leaves over my pizzas just before serving. And I pass arugula and red pepper flakes for those who want to add a little sparkle to their pie.
Assembling the Pizzas
Divide the dough in half. Using a little dusting of flour on the counter, roll the dough out with a rolling pin, turning it and flipping it over, until you have achieved the right size, about 10 x 15 inches. The dough often ends up a bit misshapen, which only adds to its rustic charm. Gently place this on a cookie sheet which has been drizzled with olive oil. This is now ready for the grill.
I found these very cool grill baking sheets at Home Goods. They have small holes in the bottom to allow the heat and smoke to penetrate. My first preference is to place the dough directly on the grill, but these pans allow you to assemble the pizzas completely before you place them on the grill, which is a big time bonus when you are making a lot of pizzas. For this demonstration, I prepared two directly on the grill and two pizzas in these grill pans, so you can see both methods. If you use these pans, be sure to spray the inside with cooking spray before laying in the crust.
The Grilling
Start with a very clean grill. This is paramount to ensure that the dough does not stick. Preheat to medium. I have only ever made this on a gas grill, but I think charcoal would be amazing! You don't want the fire too hot, or the dough will scorch before it is cooked through. Have all your topping prepped and waiting beside the grill. With great courage, gently place the dough on the grill, oiled side down. Let it cook for several minutes and then check the bottom for a slight char. When the dough is ready to be turned, it should release easily from the grill. Large pockets of air will form as it nears turning time. Drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and carefully flip it over. Drizzle the baked side with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, spread a thin layer of sauce, and then add mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni, or whatever toppings you have chosen. Close the grill lid and allow it to bake for several minutes. Check the bottom frequently so that the dough doesn't burn.
For the pizzas in the grill pans, reduce the heat to low. Place the completely assembled pizza pans on the grill and close the lid. Start checking the bottom of the crust at 4-5 minutes. You want it golden brown, but not burnt. When finished, place the pans under the oven broiler for about 1 minute, to allow the top to get all toasty.
And finally, as the sweat drips off your nose, prepare to receive the adoration and compliments from your family and friends for the most incredible pizza of their lives.
Here is an addendum, nearly a year later.
One of the challenges of grilling pizza for a crowd is that you make the pizzas, one at a time, as you lean over a hot grill. The charred dough is best consumed immediately as it comes off the grill. This means that you are sweating over the grill as your guests eat. Tonight I tried another method: I grilled one side of each of the rolled out pieces of dough, same as instructed above. As it grilled, I lightly drizzled the other side with olive oil. When the first side was charred and puffy, I carefully removed the dough from the grill and placed the unbaked side down, onto a baking sheet. I took all the half grilled pieces of dough into the kitchen and assembled the toppings. Next I returned the pizzas to the medium hot grill, sliding them off the baking sheets onto the grill, covered the lid and grilled for a few minutes, until the bottom crust was slightly charred. Serve the pizza with a handful of fresh arugula on top.
