Grilled Pizza with Tomatoes and Pesto

The next time you think you want to order a pizza, remember that your grill is good for more than chicken and steak.  This simple grilled pizza is a quick, easy meal that will blow most delivery pizza out of the water.  It can also be made with pre-prepared crust from your local grocery store… and for even more ease, make your dough the night before, store covered in the fridge, and roll it out just before cooking.  Happy grilling!

 

Grilled Pizza with Tomatoes and Pesto (from Fleischmann’s Yeast via Huffington Post)

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 envelope pizza crust yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/3 cups very warm water (120°F to 130°F)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Additional flour for rolling
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
• 6 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced (or sun-dried tomatoes)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

 

1. Pre-coat cooking grates with olive oil.  Start a charcoal fire or preheat your gas grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and oil, and mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
3. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. 
   • To knead the dough, add just enough flour to the dough and to your hands to keep the dough from sticking. Flatten dough and fold it toward you. Using the heels of your hands, push the dough away with a rolling motion. Rotate dough a quarter turn and repeat the “fold, push and turn” steps. Keep kneading dough until it is smooth and elastic. Use a little more flour if dough becomes too sticky, always working the flour into the ball of dough.
4. Divide dough into 8 portions. Pat or roll dough on a well-floured counter into 8-inch circles.
5. Using your hands, lift each crust carefully and place on the grill. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes until bottom is lightly browned and top looks set. Using tongs, remove crust from the grill, grilled side up, to a platter or baking sheet.
6. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto sauce over the grilled side of each pizza crust. Top with 5 to 6 tomato slices and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining pizzas.
7. Carefully slide each pizza onto the grill. Cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes until bottom of crust is browned and cheese is melted. Remove from grill and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Tagged: cheese, grilling, pesto, pizza