Grilled Pizza

By Jenny Breen

Makes 8 small pizzas. Note: If you want to use the pizza dough that same day, use 2 teaspoons yeast. If you are going to let the dough rise overnight, use 1 teaspoon yeast.

Ingredients

Pizza Dough for Grilling

1 2/3 cups water
1 – 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast (see note above)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour (I use a combination of whole wheat and unbleached from Sunrise Flour)
2 teaspoons salt

Topping Ideas:

Cured meat from Red Table
Market Cheeses
Tender greens: arugula, spinach, baby kale, fresh herbs, etc.
Grilled vegetables: beets, zucchini, kohlrabi, onions, garlic, mushrooms, etc.
Kimchi, barbecue sauce, pesto (recipe below), grilled tomato sauce (recipe below)

Sauces:

Pesto

6 cloves garlic or 1/4 cup roughly chopped garlic scapes
2/3 cup walnuts ( OR pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds or traditional pine nuts)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups fresh basil leaves ( OR cilantro, parsley, spinach, arugula, kale etc)
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Blend until well mixed. Makes 2 cups.

Grilled tomato sauce

8 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onions, sliced thin
½ cup Champagne vinegar
6 whole tomatoes,
1 can tomato paste
1 cup water
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dry
¼ cup fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dry
2 teaspoons salt

Grill the garlic cloves by brushing them with olive oil and placing them in a grill basket, or carefully on the grill. Set them aside. Grill the tomatoes until nicely charred but still firm. Set aside.

In a large pot, sauté the onions 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. After three minutes, add the remaining ingredients. Simmer 10-12 minutes. Using immersion blender, puree sauce until relatively consistent and smooth. Simmer for another 10-12 minutes. Makes approximately 3 cups of sauce.

Instructions

For Pizza Dough & Assembly

Mix the water and yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Let stand for a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir the oil into the yeast mixture, then add the flour and salt. Mix until you have a crumbly, floury dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes. When kneaded, the dough should come away from the bowl to form a smooth ball, feel smooth to the touch, and spring slowly back when poked.

Use a pastry scraper or knife to cut the dough into 8 lumps. Grease a baking pan lightly with olive oil. Place the dough lumps in the pan and turn them over so they are coated with oil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk. At this point the dough can be used immediately, or refrigerated or frozen for later use.

Roll pizzas out, brush with olive oil and grill on one side for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from grill, place sauce and toppings on grilled side, then return to grill for another 5-7 minutes.