Grilled Pizza

Grilled pizza is a wonderful thing to make in the summer, and is perfect for casual entertaining. I enjoy being creative with different types of pizza toppings, utilizing herbs and veggies from my garden. Don't be intimidated by the idea of "grilling", it is very easy and fun. My favorite grilled pizza so far has been topped with three cheeses, sauteed zucchini, prosciutto and fried sage leaves. I also made a tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza drizzled with balsamic vinegar. All pictures in this post were taken by Travis.

Preheat your grill to med-high (about 400 degrees). Then roll out your pizza dough on a well floured surface. Make your own pizza dough using this recipe, or buy pre-made pizza dough from your grocery store. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled, then it is ready to roll out. I rolled mine into a rectangular shape, because it make it easier for me to slide it onto a baking sheet after it was grilled. You can make these as big or as little as you would like. I like to cook my toppings in the oven after grilling the dough, because it browns the cheese a little more and prevents the crust from over cooking on the grill. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees if you like yours that way too.

You will need to brush your dough with oil to keep it from sticking to the grill. I made a garlic infused oil by mixing about 1/3 cup of olive oil with 1-2 cloves of garlic minced. The garlic will flavor the oil the longer it sits.

Get your toppings ready so you can top your dough once you flip it on the grill. These herbs, basil and sage, and tomato are from my garden.

I sauteed my zucchini and prosciutto and set them aside so they were all ready too. And fried the sage leaves in browned butter.

Okay, generously oil one side of your rolled dough and place on grill. Then oil the top side and shut the grill for 2 minutes. Once it starts to bubble and thicken, flip it over. You will need a couple pairs of tongs to do this step, which is a little tricky if you dough is as large as mine!

As the bottom is browning you can top your pizza with sauce, cheese and toppings but make sure you work fast because you don't want to over brown/cook the crust. At this point after the bottom was done cooking I took my dough off the grill and put it back on the baking sheet. I put my toppings on the cooked crust and then put in the oven for 10 minutes. You can do that, or cook your toppings on the grill, totally up to you.

This pizza had cheddar, provolone, Parmesan cheese and the sauteed zucchini, prosciutto and fried sage leaves. It was by far the best grilled pizza we have had. I loved the salty combination of the toppings. The crispy prosciutto was a real treat. My husband loves prosciutto and I have to hide it in the fridge from him when I buy it.

This pizza was a take off the popular Italian "Insalata Caprese". It had fresh mozzarella sliced thick, tomatoes and basil. I loved the freshness of the tomatoes and basil. Don't add your basil until after it is done cooking, or it will turn black. I drizzled a little balsamic vinegar just before serving.

These grilled pizzas were a lot of fun to make and enjoyed by everyone. Don't be afraid to try new techniques and flavors, especially using local seasonal ingredients.