Grill Friendly Pizza Dough Recipes

Steps:

• Pour 1 cup warm water into a medium bowl; add sugar and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, 5 minutes.
• Whisk oil and 1 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until liquid is incorporated (dough will appear dry). Turn out onto a floured work surface. Knead until dough comes together in an elastic ball, 2 minutes. Transfer to an oiled medium bowl; brush lightly with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; set in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, 45 minutes. Punch down dough and cover; let rise another 30 minutes.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Let rest 15 minutes before using.

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, and mix in sugar. Proof for ten minutes, or until frothy. Mix in the salt, olive oil, and flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, and knead in garlic and basil. Set aside to rise for 1 more hour, or until doubled again.
• Preheat grill for high heat. Heat olive oil with garlic for 30 seconds in the microwave. Set aside. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Form each half into an oblong shape 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.
• Brush grill grate with garlic flavored olive oil. Carefully place one piece of dough on hot grill. The dough will begin to puff almost immediately. When the bottom crust has lightly browned, turn the dough over using two spatulas. Working quickly, brush oil over crust, and then brush with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Arrange 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/8 cup sliced black olives, and 1/8 cup roasted red peppers over crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons basil. Close the lid, and cook until the cheese melts. Remove from grill, and set aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the second pizza.

Steps:

• Two to three hours before grilling, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into three even pieces. Drizzle a teaspoon of neutral cooking oil into three soup bowls. (Each bowl should be able to hold at least twice the volume of the dough pieces.)
• Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape each into a ball by stretching it and pinching it into a point at the bottom, forming a sort of "skin" that wraps the whole ball. Lightly dust your hands with flour as necessary to prevent excessive sticking. Transfer the ball to one of the oiled bowls and turn it a few times to completely coat the surface in oil, then let it rest seam side down. Repeat Step 2 with remaining dough pieces, then drape a damp kitchen towel over all three bowls. Let the dough balls rest until roughly doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Transfer the tomatoes to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl and shake the strainer, allowing the tomatoes to drain thoroughly. Still working in the strainer above the bowl, season well with salt, and, using clean hands, squeeze them through your fingers until a rough purée is formed. (The pieces of tomato should end up ranging from 1/4 inch to roughly 1 inch in size.) Allow any excess liquid to drain (you can save the strainer tomato juice for another use), then transfer the crushed tomatoes to a bowl and set aside.
• Turn out one ball of dough onto a floured work surface and dust thoroughly with more flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10-inch-by-12-to-14-inch oblong. Dust both sides thoroughly with flour, then transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining two dough balls, stacking them on top of the first with a layer of parchment paper between each.
• To cook, ignite a full chimney of charcoal. When the coals are mostly covered in gray ash, spread evenly under half of the grill. (If using a gas grill, set half the burners to high, leaving the remaining burners off. Cover, and allow to heat for 10 minutes.)
• Using your fingers, carefully lift one piece of rolled-out dough from the stack and drape it quickly on the grill grates directly above the fire. Let it cook without moving until the top starts to bubble and the bottom is lightly browned, about 20 to 30 seconds. Continue cooking, using metal tongs and a large spatula or thin metal pizza peel to move and rotate the crust as it cooks, until the bottom is evenly browned all over with a few charred spots, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Flip the crust, and brush the cooked side with a thin layer of olive oil. Continue cooking until the second side is browned, charred and crisp. Flip again (so that the bubblier side faces up), transfer to a clean baking sheet, and brush the second side with olive oil. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 with remaining two pizza skins, stacking the crusts as they finish cooking. (If using coal, the heat may start to dip. Extend cooking time to compensate, or add 15 to 20 fresh coals to the top of the embers and allow them to ignite before continuing.)
• Working one pizza at a time, transfer the crust to the pizza peel. (A cutting board or the back of a baking sheet will also work.) Spread a thin layer of shredded cheese across the surface of the crust (about 1 cup should do it). Using a spoon, add tablespoon-size dollops of crushed tomatoes, spaced an inch or two apart, across the whole surface of the pizza. Add toppings as desired (see Tips). Slide the pizza onto the cooler side of the grill, cover, and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp, 1 to 5 minutes total, rotating the pizza occasionally to encourage even melting and crisping. Transfer to a cutting board, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with basil or scallions, cut into squares, and serve immediately. Repeat Step 8 with remaining pizza crusts.

Steps:

• Make the pizza dough: Whisk together the bread flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine the water, oil and sugar in a second large bowl; add the yeast, and let sit until it begins to foam, about 5 minutes. Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture, and use your hands to combine until it comes together into a rough, shaggy ball. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle a work surface with flour and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Clean the bowl and lightly coat it with oil. Return the kneaded dough to the bowl, brush with oil, cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the dough to the work surface, and punch it down. Quarter the dough, and cut each quarter into 4 for a total of 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Evenly space the dough balls on the work surface, cover and let sit until they poof slightly, about 30 minutes. (To make ahead, after cutting the dough, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.)
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat and brush the grill grates with oil.
• Roll out the dough: Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment, and sprinkle with cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking. Roll out each ball of dough into an 8-inch circle on the work surface (keep the other balls covered as you work). Arrange 2 to 3 rounds without overlapping on the parchment. Repeat with layers of parchment, cornmeal and dough rounds.
• Par-grill the dough: Working in batches, brush the top of each dough round with oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill, oiled-side down, until grill marks just form and the dough starts to bubble up, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn the dough over and repeat. Transfer to a cooling rack or another baking sheet to cool. The dough shells will be underbaked and flimsy (they finish cooking when guests top and grill them). Stack the shells, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and set aside until ready to use. (The shells can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Or tightly wrap each one in plastic and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before topping and grilling.)
• Set up the pizza bar: Prepare a grill for medium-high heat and brush the grill grates with oil. Set out a large cutting board with a knife or pizza cutter nearby. Set out a stack of the pizza shells and any combination of the suggested sauces, cheeses and toppings.
• Grill the pizzas: Let your guests add their desired toppings to the dough shells. Transfer the pizzas to the grill, cover and cook until the bottom of each is slightly charred, the cheese has melted and the toppings are cooked through. Remove the pizzas from the grill, slice them and encourage your guests to top them with some of the finishings.
• One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• For the red sauce: Combine the tomato sauce, basil, oil, garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead.
• For the arugula-pistachio pesto: Pulse the arugula, basil, parsley, pistachios, capers, 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until a paste. The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate.
• For the ricotta spread: Stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, oil, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate.