Alli and I were tweeting a few weeks ago about the fact that every Friday night is homemade pizza night at her house and during the summer they grill it. A dear friend of mine (yuppers, that's you April!) also does Friday night pizza nights and it's starting to sound really fun! Anyhoo, Alli sent us her grilled pizza recipe to enjoy this week for our Summertime Recipes.
I'd love to hear if anyone else does Friday night pizza nights or wants to share their fave pizza or grilled pizza recipes below. Here's Alli:
It’s summer, which means there’s no way I’m turning on the oven in 80-90 degree heat. Just no way. Did you know that we don’t have central air? Yea, we pretty much live in the stone ages. So like I said, no oven. Unless the temp inside and outside dips below 80, which doesn’t happen until the wee hours of night.
Instead, we turn to the grill. Chicken. Turkey tenderloin. Brats. Sausages. And my all time favorite, pizza.
While there is a certain art to grilling pizza (read: you must be paying attention to the grill at all times) it’s nothing that you can’t tackle. But with a little bit of practice, you will have a tasty alternative to ordering out.
Note: If you have a pizza stone, it is ideal for grilling. If not, just use some tin foil, lightly sprayed with a non-stick spray.
1. Preheat the grill to about 400º to 450º on Medium. If you are using a pizza stone, put the stone on the grill while the it is preheating so the stone can heat up.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your favorite pizza dough recipe into the desired shape and size (make sure it is not too large, or it will not fit on the grill). Some of my favorite recipes are Beer Batter Pizza Dough or Whole Grain Pizza Dough. Your favorite store-bought brand will work as well.
3. Transfer the dough to a pizza stone or a piece of tinfoil sprayed with cooking spray. Go slow, so the pizza doesn’t loose its shape during the transfer.
4. Place the crust on the grill to par-bake, for about 2-3 minutes, until the dough is lightly browned and firm. Watch closely, the areas directly above a flame can easily burn.
5. Remove the crust from the grill. Lower the temperature of the grill to Medium Low.
6. Add desired toppings to the par-baked crust. Some of our favorites are pepperoni, Italian sausage and chicken BBQ.
7. Place the pizza back in the grill and close the lid. If using tin foil, discard it and place the pizza directly on the grates. Keep the temperature at 400º or lower.
8. Once the cheese has melted and is bubbly, your pizza is done. If you find that the crust is done, but the cheese has not melted, move the pizza to the top rack so the cheese can continue to cook, while avoiding burning the crust.
9. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before cutting.
10. Enjoy with a glass of your favorite wine, beer or beverage of your choice.
One trick we’ve learned through our pizza making days is to add a little bit of kosher or sea salt on the edges of the pizza crust. To do this, when adding the ingredients to the pizza, simple brush the edges with a little bit of melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. It adds a nice flavor to the end of the slice.
Allison is a slightly OCD momma (yes, you do have to eat M&Ms in pairs of matching colors) who blogs over at Alli ‘n Son. She’s a wanna-be photographer, gourmet chief and highly creative woman, all rolled into one.
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