What took me so long to discover grilled pizza? Years ago I  watched Christopher Kimball on America’s Test Kitchen explaining how to make the perfect grilled pizza. I was amazed by it and decided to give it a try as soon as possible. I wrote down the recipe and instructions, then I filed the recipe away and forgot about it. A  few days ago I found the same recipe online and this time though I made it right away.

It was a pretty intense experience, if you consider that the temperature outside was 35° (95°f) and the BBQ was hot. We did it, though, and the pizzas were so good that we completely forgot the  effort and sweat it took us to prepare them. The recipe called for four large pizzas to cook in a round grill. I happen to have a rectangular one, so I prepared smaller pizzas, and I should say that I prefer the smaller size. I don’t have a lid for my grill so I used the lid of my wok, which is pretty big and worked perfectly.

Grilled pizza is easy to prepare you only need to be well coordinated while cooking; otherwise, it’ll end in disaster. I prepared them together with my husband, as he’s really precise.  First he tried to cook one pizza to be sure that the dough was right.  Seeing that the pizza came out perfect he gave me the go and we made the rest. I strongly suggest that you put a table close to your grill so it will be easier to assemble the pizzas. I didn’t have that option, but since my grill has two separate racks, we used one for cooking and the other one to prepare the pizzas. The topping I used is really simple and flavorful but I already have great ideas that I’m going to try real soon, and I’ll be happy to share with you in if they come out good as I think they will.

Grilled pizza with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella

Ingredients

For the dough:
2 cups bread flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup water at room temperature
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. honey
1 1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. rapid-rise yeast

For the topping:
1 1/2 lbs. medium ripe tomatoes (5 to 6), seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 tsp. sea salt
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, about 2 cups
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese or 1/2 cup Pecorino cheese
chopped fresh basil to sprinkle on top

For the red hot pepper garlic oil:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. red hot pepper flakes

Tools you need:
parchment paper
pastry brush
a pair of tongs
a round wooden cutting board
a pizza cutter (optional)

Yields: 8 6-inches round pizzas

Preparation:

Put the dry ingredients and the honey in a food processor fitted with a dough blade. With the machine running, slowly add the water, already combined with the olive oil, and blend until a dough ball forms.
If the dough is too sticky add four, 1 tablespoon flour at a time until the ball takes shape.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, flatten it and cover it with a plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
In the meantime, prepare the ingredients for the topping.
Discard the seeds and liquid from the tomatoes, cut them in cubes, salt them with 1/2 tsp. salt and let them drain in a colander for about 30 minutes.
Shred the mozzarella and combine it with the grated Parmesan or Pecorino. Place the cheese in a container and, when the tomatoes are ready, place them in an other.
In a small cup, mix the olive oil, garlic and red pepper. Mix it with a spoon and let the oil get flavorful until ready to use.
When the dough has doubled, divide it into 8 parts and shape it into 8 smooth balls. Cover them lightly with plastic wrap and let the rest for other 15 minutes.
Start preparing the grill (it will take at least 15-20 minutes). When the coal is ready spread it evenly on the bottom of the grill.
Roll the first ball into a 6-inch round. Cover it with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and stack the rounds, separating them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Place 2, 3 or 4  dough rounds on the grill rack, letting them cook 2-4 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface. Poke the bubbles with a fork or a paring knife. Using the tongs, remove the crusts when the bottoms are done. It will take 2-4 minutes.
Turn the crusts on your work surface and  generously brush the grilled bottom with the hot pepper garlic oil. Spread each crust with 1/8 of the chopped tomato cubes and sprinkle them with the cheeses. Return the pizzas to the grill, uncooked sides down. Cover and let cook until the cheese melts and the crust is done, about 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle some fresh chopped basil leaves on top of the pizza and serve.
I cut it in slices using the pizza cutter and it was the perfect bite size.