Grilled Pizza Margherita

March 21, 9:49 AMOrlando Cooking ExaminerDawn Viola

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One of the perks of living in Orlando is weather-permitting year-round grilling. And grilled pizza is one of the easiest styles of pizza you can make. The rustic shape and cooking method is forgiving to even the most novice chef, yielding gourmet results, every time. And, let's face it. Pizza dough is just plain fun.

Making your own dough is a breeze, once deconstructed, but you can also opt for store-bought bread dough, usually found in the bakery section at your local grocery store. If you're lucky enough to have an Italian bakery that will sell you balls of dough, even better.

Ingredients - Dough:
(Yields 2 large pizzas, or 4 small - takes approx. 2 hours)
1 1/2 tsp. dried yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water (no more than 110 degrees)
3 2/3 cup all purpose flour, plus more for rolling/dusting
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients - Toppings:
Pomodoro Fresca:
3 cups fresh diced plum tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
5 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
1/4 tsp. Salt
Flavored oil for grilling:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped - leave in big chunks
Topping:
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
5 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)

Directions - Dough:
Dissolve the yeast in warm water, according to the package directions. Sift 3/4 of the flour into a large bowl and hollow out a well in the middle. Add the salt, sugar, olive oil. Add the yeast mixture after it blooms (package directions). Using your fingers, mix the ingredients in the middle, pulling in flour from the sides. Continue to do this until all of the ingredients are mixed and form a sticky ball of dough. Generously flour your work surface and pour the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough, adding flour as needed, for about 20 minutes to activate the yeast and gluten in the flour. When the kneading is finished, fold the edges under to make a smooth mound. Rub a little flour around the ball and place the dough into a bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours. The dough should double in size. When the dough is ready, divide in half, or into 4 equal pieces.
-or-
Buy pre-made dough at the bakery in your local grocery store.

Directions - Prep/Grill:
Get the grill ready (and the oven, too)
Crank up all burners on your grill (if using gas) to high, with the lid open. If using charcoal, prepare the grill for medium-high heat with a direct heat cooking method. (basically, prepare the coals so they're hot enough to cook the dough quickly, but not so hot that they'll burn the dough on impact.) Also, set your oven on the lowest setting to keep pizzas warm as they come off the grill.

Get the toppings ready
Prepare the pomodoro fresca, which is a raw tomato sauce, very much like salsa cruda (this will be the sauce for the pizza) by combining tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in a non-reactive bowl to marinate. Set aside. In a small bowl, prepare the flavored oil by combining the olive oil, pepper, salt, and garlic. Be sure the garlic is left in large chunks - it is meant to flavor the oil only and not to be grilled.

Get the dough ready
Roll out a piece of your dough until it is very thin - no more than 1/4" thick. Shape does not matter, but be sure whatever the shape, it fits on your grill. Brush one side of the rolled out dough generously with the flavored olive oil, being careful not to pick up any bits of garlic (leave those in the bowl). Place the dough onto a baking sheet, oil side down. Brush the other side of the dough with oil.

Ready, Set, GRILL!
OK, things are going to move fast from this point on, so be on your toes! If cooking with your kids, keep them away from the grill - it just gets too hot, and you can't watch the kids and the pizza on the grill at the same time and be successful at both. Designate a safe spot, away from the fire, where the kids can add their toppings.

Bring the dough out to the grill on the baking sheet. Grab the dough at the top on either side, like you're holding up a shirt to yourself in the mirror, and place the dough on the grill. Straighten out the dough with tongs if it flops over itself on the grill. Once the dough is flat, don't touch it. It will start to bubble on top, like pancake batter. Carefully lift up one corner to check the grill marks once the bubbles appear. Cook this side until it is done to your liking, then flip. Par-cook the 2nd side, just so that the top layer of dough is no longer sticky. Remove the dough from the grill and place back onto the baking sheet with the fully cooked side facing up - this is the side on which you will add your toppings. Repeat for each piece of dough. Bring the pan with the pizza shells over to the kids so they can add their sauce and toppings. If you're not cooking with kids, you can add your toppings directly over the fire as soon as you flip and skip to the last paragraph of directions.

Once the pizza shells have their sauce and toppings, place back onto the grill to finish cooking the dough, heat the toppings and melt the cheese. Lift a corner of the dough to check for desired doneness. Remove from the grill once the pizza is done to your liking and place in the oven to keep warm while the other pizzas are being grilled.

Just before serving, slather the flavored olive oil around the edges of the pizza and sprinkle the remaining basil leaves over the top of the entire pizza.

How to spice it up:
A pinch of red pepper flakes added to the tomatoes will give it an Italian kick in the pants. Hot chili oil will also add additional flavor and mellow heat. And go nuts with the ingredients - literally! Pine nuts or toasted hazelnuts will add a buttery, toasty taste. Try a white pizza with pesto and different cheeses. Grilled vegetables and fruits are also a great addition to this type of pizza. And, of course, you can always go the traditional route with a thick, red sauce and a mixture of grated mozzarella, asiago and Parmesan cheese with dried oregano.

Now what do I do with it:
Serve with something light, such as a simple salad or roasted peppers. Use the left over flavored olive oil as a salad dressing base, added lemon juice, salt, and pine nuts, and drizzled over greens with oil-cured olives.

Neat stuff you should know:

• There is a United States Pizza Team who competes across the country and in Italy in events such as Freestyle Dough Spinning, Largest Dough, and Fastest Pizza Maker. 
• Pizza first made its appearance in the United States with the arrival of Italian immigrants in the late 19th century.
• It has been said that grilled pizza was invented at the Al Forno restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island by owners Johanne Killeen and George Germon.
• Mozzarella is a generic term for the several types of Italian fresh cheeses that are made using spinning and cutting (hence the name; the Italian verb "mozzare" actually means "to cut")
• Balsamic vinegar is manufactured from the juice of white grapes (typically, trebbiano grapes) boiled down to approximately 50% of its original volume, which is then fermented with a slow aging process. The flavor intensifies over decades, becoming sweet and viscous. During this period, a proportion evaporates: it is said that this is the "the angels' share." 

Dawn Viola is a nationally recognized artist, competitive cook and food writer. Read more of Dawn's Examiner articles, or follow her blog, Wicked Good Dinner, and onTwitter.