Grilled Pizza Crust Recipes

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 CRUST

Steps:

• ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUTDOOR GRILL.
• 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.
• FOR INDOOR COUNTER TOP GRILL.
• Follow the instructions up to where it says "Brush both sides of crust with additional oil." (STEP 5).
• Place dough on the grill and leave the top up, let cook for about 3-4 minutes and them put top down for 1-2 minutes.
• Take grilled dough and place on cookie sheets, top with desired toppings and place in a 400F oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Enjoy!
• MAKE DOUGH AHEAD OF TIME.
• Dough (but NOT individual crusts) may be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.
• Punch down and roll out just before grilling.
• I formed my dough into balls, rolled it out, brushed with oil and let thaw/rise for 20 minutes before I grilled it. Worked perfectly for me.

GRILLED PIZZA FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Make the pizza dough: Whisk together the bread flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine the water, oil and sugar in a second large bowl; add the yeast, and let sit until it begins to foam, about 5 minutes. Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture, and use your hands to combine until it comes together into a rough, shaggy ball. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle a work surface with flour and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Clean the bowl and lightly coat it with oil. Return the kneaded dough to the bowl, brush with oil, cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the dough to the work surface, and punch it down. Quarter the dough, and cut each quarter into 4 for a total of 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Evenly space the dough balls on the work surface, cover and let sit until they poof slightly, about 30 minutes. (To make ahead, after cutting the dough, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.)
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat and brush the grill grates with oil.
• Roll out the dough: Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment, and sprinkle with cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking. Roll out each ball of dough into an 8-inch circle on the work surface (keep the other balls covered as you work). Arrange 2 to 3 rounds without overlapping on the parchment. Repeat with layers of parchment, cornmeal and dough rounds.
• Par-grill the dough: Working in batches, brush the top of each dough round with oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill, oiled-side down, until grill marks just form and the dough starts to bubble up, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn the dough over and repeat. Transfer to a cooling rack or another baking sheet to cool. The dough shells will be underbaked and flimsy (they finish cooking when guests top and grill them). Stack the shells, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and set aside until ready to use. (The shells can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Or tightly wrap each one in plastic and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before topping and grilling.)
• Set up the pizza bar: Prepare a grill for medium-high heat and brush the grill grates with oil. Set out a large cutting board with a knife or pizza cutter nearby. Set out a stack of the pizza shells and any combination of the suggested sauces, cheeses and toppings.
• Grill the pizzas: Let your guests add their desired toppings to the dough shells. Transfer the pizzas to the grill, cover and cook until the bottom of each is slightly charred, the cheese has melted and the toppings are cooked through. Remove the pizzas from the grill, slice them and encourage your guests to top them with some of the finishings.
• One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• For the red sauce: Combine the tomato sauce, basil, oil, garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead.
• For the arugula-pistachio pesto: Pulse the arugula, basil, parsley, pistachios, capers, 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until a paste. The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate.
• For the ricotta spread: Stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, oil, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate.

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 CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine molasses and yeast with 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water. Stir. Set aside until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Add salt and oil and stir. In a separate bowl, mix flours together. Add yeast mixture to flours and stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms. Divide dough into 8 portions. (Freeze any unused dough.) Using hands, roll dough into balls, coat fully with cooking spray and set aside. Prepare a charcoal, gas or stovetop grill. Grill should be very hot. Position grilling rack 3 or 4 inches from heat source. Flour a baking sheet. With hands, flatten a ball of dough into an 8-inch circle on baking sheet. Using fingertips, gently lift dough, and set it on the grill. When dough puffs and underside stiffens (about 1 minute for gas or charcoal, several minutes for stovetop grill), flip crust with a spatula; move to the coolest part of the grill. Top according to the recipes above.

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.