Grilled Pepperoni Pizza

Operation empty the fridge/freezer is ongoing at our house and we’re getting close to being done. It’s actually been really fun to see what we can come up with based on the limited ingredients we have on hand. Recently we made grilled pizza with my mozzarella from the farmer’s market and some tomato sauce that was in the freezer. I’d have preferred mushrooms and red onion on my pizza but all we had was pepperoni, so that’s what we used. Grilled pizza is one of my new favorite summer meals – it’s so quick and delicious! This is actually the second time we’ve made grilled pizza but I didn’t blog our first attempt because I overcooked (read: burnt) the dough a bit. I noted this below too, but just keep an eye on the dough since it does cook quickly – probably much faster than you expect!

Grilled Pepperoni Pizza
adapted from The Kitchen Sink Recipes

1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough (see below for the recipe I used)
extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (here’s one I use from time to time)
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into thin rounds
pepperoni
fine-grain sea salt

Preheat your grill to medium. While the grill is heating stretch the dough out to your desired shape and size. I’ve used the dough recipe below twice. The first time I made one large rectangular pizza and the second time I split the dough and made two smaller circular pizzas. I thought the rectangular dough was more difficult to work with since it was larger.

Brush one side of the dough with olive oil. When the grill is heated, transfer the dough to the grill, placing it directly on the rack, oiled side down. (I don’t have a pizza peel so I use a baking sheet turned upside down to transfer the dough.) The dough will cook quickly so keep an eye on it. In the meantime, quickly brush the exposed side of the dough with olive oil. You’ll know the dough is ready to flip when the top begins to bubble, about 1-2 minutes.

Using tongs or a spatula, turn the dough over. I like to flip it so it’s over indirect heat (so I can leave it there to let the cheese melt). Top the dough with the tomato sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni. Close the grill lid and cook until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated through. Remove the pizza from the grill.

Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, slice and serve.

Pizza Dough
from Bon Appetit, March 2007 via Epicurious.com

3/4 cup warm water (105 F to 115 F)
1 envelope active dry yeast (I use instant yeast)
2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. (Note: You can skip this step if you use instant yeast. Just add the yeast to the dry ingredients in the food processor and add the water along with the olive oil.)

Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Roll out dough according to recipe instructions.

The dough can be made 1 day ahead of time. After the rise, just place in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.