Ever since the time my husband nearly blew his eyebrows off lighting an old, rusted out barbecue (August 15, 2003, the night of the big blackout, unforgettable!), I’ve been a bit afraid of grilling. Even though we have a much more solid and safe grill now, I never light the thing without a shiver of fear. That said, the BBQ is almost the first garden tool that gets cleaned off every spring and I bet we’re not the only ones who grill before the first tulip pokes its shoots above ground.
Most foods taste better grilled. Vegetables do! Meat’s a natural. Seafood’s good too. And grilled pizza? You bet. Making pizza on the grill gives the crust a fired flavour that’s different than baking in a conventional oven, and a great option in the absence of a backyard wood-burning pizza oven — definitely worth that little thrill of adrenaline that happens whenever I apply flame to propane!
Grilled Pizza with Fresh Toppings
Page 27 & 28, The Good Book
- 2/3 Cup warm milk
- 1 1/4 Cups warm water
- 2 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 3/4 Cups all purpose flour
- 2 Cups semolina flour (Durham semolina)
- pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (additional oil for brushing)
Dough:
(this dough recipe will yield approximately eight, 8-inch long, think crust pizza shells)
In a abowl, combine milk, water, yeast and sugar. Mix well and allow to sit for 10 minutes. (You should see some bubbling and expanding. If not, check the expiry date on the yeast.) Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all purpose flour, semolina flour and salt and begin to mix with a dough hook. Add the activated yeast mixture and the olive oil. Mix on medium setting until the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl — about five minutes. Gather the dough and place it in a well-oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free location until it about doubles in size.
Punch down, re-cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Lightly flour counter top. Turn out the dough and cut into 8 pieces. Roll each dough piece out to desired shape. (Keep the surfaces of the dough and counter top well-floured, as the dough will have a tendency to become sticky.) Place each on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour and return to the refrigerator until ready to grill.
Clean and oil your grill thoroughly. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Using a brush, lightly oil one side of the pizza dough. Place the dough directly on the hot grill and cook for about 2 minutes. Brush oil on the top surface of dough, flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from grill and garnish with your choice of fresh toppings…such as
Pesto, Prosciutto and Parm Pizza
- 3 tbsp pesto
- 6 slices prosciutto
- 1 Cup arugula
- 6 red grapes, halved (optional)
- 1 wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- cracked black pepper
- truffle oil (optional)
Spread pesto on the freshly grilled pizza dough. Drape with prosciutto and layer on arugula and grapes (if using). Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese and layer on top. Finish with the pepper and truffle oil (if desired).
Serve with a delicious, chilled glass of The Good Earth’s Rosé!