What could possibly be better treatment for summer veggies than grilling them? And certainly smothering them in cheese and placing atop charred, chewy dough couldn’t hurt the situation.
This was my first foray into grilled pizza – and I am hooked! I think I’ll still be doing it in January, but the obvious benefit of making it this way right now is that you don’t have to turn on the oven.
My bread maker made my crust for me, using this recipe – I just threw in the flour-water-salt-oil-yeast and let it stir, knead and rise that mess into a plump ball of glorious, stretchy dough. I highly recommend this hands-off method if you’ve got a bread maker. Why not? Just hit the “dough” setting. Boom, done.
I used grilled zucchini, but you could really use whatever toppings you fancy. I’m going to use some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes next time.
The key for successful grilled pizza (because you’re working with very high heat and you need to move quickly!) is mise-en-place – having all your ingredients prepped, chopped and at arm’s length from the grill.
A couple more tips: use a rimless cookie sheet or a cutting board to transfer the rolled-out dough from your counter to the grill, and don’t skimp on the “finishing” salt – a good sprinkle of sea salt (I prefer Maldon for it’s lovely crunchy texture) is needed on a vegetarian pizza.
Fresh and delicious – how summer cooking should be.
What would you put on your grilled pizza?
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Pizza dough (such as this recipe or 2 store-bought balls)
Grilled Zucchini
- 3 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into1/4-inch thick slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
To assemble
- 4 tbsp olive oil + more for grill grates
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella or burrata, sliced into 1/4″ thick slices
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- handful basil leaves, torn
- coarse salt (preferably Maldon)
Preparation
- If using the pizza dough recipe linked above, divide dough into two equal pieces and shape into balls; let rest half an hour while you prepare the other ingredients. For either homemade or storebought dough, roll into two ovals as thin as you can, in a size that will fit on your grill.
- Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Toss zucchini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 6 minutes, turning once. Zucchini should be tender but still firm, and have good grill marks. Set aside near grill.
- Set olive oil and cheeses within reach of grill. Clean grates with oil well. Place the first pizza crust on the grill and close. Cook about 5 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface and the underside has a few grill marks. Flip, using tongs and with the assistance of your cookie sheet/cutting board if needed.
- Brush the grill-marked side (now face up) with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then top with half the mozzarella, parmesan and zucchini. Close the lid and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes, until cheese is nicely melted (it won’t get golden like in an oven).
- Use your tongs to slide it back onto the cookie sheet/cutting board, then sprinkle with basil leaves and salt. Repeat with second pizza.
