If you’re looking for the most delicious, crispy pizza crust ever, look no farther than your outdoor grill. I make mine on a gas grill, but you can certainly make your grilled pizza on a charcoal grill when the coals are glowing white. The trick is to have all of your toppings ready at the grill because this comes together quickly. And you’ll want to serve it right away, too, so have everyone close by who wants to enjoy this treat. Don’t forget to have a pizza cutting wheel available to cut the pizza properly; it’s the best tool to have on hand for pizza making. You can also make your pizza on a baking stone in your oven set to 500 degrees F, but if you have a grill available, I recommend you use it for pizza.
Don’t be worried if your dough looks like this on the grill:
It will be perfect! All the nooks and crannies will hold the sauce and provide crispiness, and the crust will be sturdy enough to flip over and layer with toppings.
I’ve provided a basic pizza sauce recipe which is a great base for a wide variety of toppings. I usually top pizza with the sauce, a vegan cheese, mushrooms, olives, fresh basil, roasted vegetables, or anything else that looks appetizing at the farmers market. Fresh arugula or microgreens on top of a bubbling pizza is also tasty. Try going all green with a basil pesto pizza or all red with a sun-dried tomato and red pepper pesto pizza. Also, drizzling a bit of good balsamic vinegar doesn’t hurt, either! If you’re using arugula, a splash of lemon juice adds an amazing kick.
Here’s another delicious recipe for a casual meal:
veggie fritters https://www.vegancabinlife.com/2018/02/08/zucchini-fritters/
Crispy Crust Grilled Pizza
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8 servings
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 1/2 cups (plus approximately 1 cup more) bread flour
- 1/2 cup fine semolina flour for dusting the dough prior to baking
- optional: 2 teaspoons dried basil and 1 teaspoon dried oregano (makes a nice flavor addition)
For the sauce:
- 1 24 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons ground fennel seed (use a spice grinder or stone/marble mortar & pestle)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion (any color)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- fine salt (to taste)
- 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Toppings: Vegan or homemade mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, fresh or cooked mushrooms, sliced black olives, vegan Italian sausage (my favorite is Field Roast brand) , fresh arugula, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, caramelized onions
Instructions
In a very large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast evenly over the 1 cup of water. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add the olive oil and the whole wheat flour and stir to combine.
Add the white flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well. Sprinkle the salt over the dough. Continue to mix the dough until all of the flour is incorporated. If the dough looks very sticky, add white flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough holds together and forms a single ball of dough.
Flour a smooth surface on which you will knead the dough. (I keep the flour bin close by with a large spoon in it to use for adding flour as needed.) Using a dough scraper, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. Flour your hands and begin to knead the dough, flattening it first and then folding it upon itself with a stretching motion. Keep your hands floured and add flour in small amounts while kneading until the dough holds together in a smooth, elastic ball.
Put a few drops of olive oil into a large bowl which you will use for raising the dough. Coat the inside surface of the bowl with the oil and add the dough ball. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and let rise until the dough is doubled in size.
Make the sauce while the dough is rising. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the chopped onion. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened. (Don't let it burn.) Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 to 45 minutes. Let the sauce cool slightly. (At this point you can puree the sauce in a food processor if you prefer a smooth sauce.)
Prepare a tray or platter to let the dough rest and rise a bit more before using it. Lightly flour the surface. Break the dough into 2 equal portions with a pastry cutter or large sharp knife. Gently form each half into a rounded mound and place onto the floured rising surface; cover with plastic wrap loosely to keep the dough from drying out. Let the dough rise again for at least 30 minutes before using. (At this point you can put the dough into a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator until needed, but no more than 2 days.)
When you are ready to make your pizzas, roll the dough out on a surface sprinkled with the semolina flour (I use a cookie sheet without sides or a metal pizza peel) with a rolling pin, keeping the dough from sticking by adding small amounts of semolina flour. The dough is ready to be baked when it is about 1/4" thick. Make sure that you can slide the dough easily around the surface so when you go to slide it onto the grill, it won't stick.
To grill the pizza, have all of your toppings ready at the grill. Heat the grill to 400 degrees F. Quickly slide the dough onto the grill and close the top. Let the dough cook for about 2 minutes. Open the grill, flip the dough over with a long handled spatula and put the sauce and your desired toppings on the pizza. Close the grill and cook the pizza for another 3 minutes. The pizza is done when the edges of the dough are firm and the toppings are just beginning to bubble. Remove the pizza from the grill to a large cutting board.
1
Leave a Reply