How to grill a pizza

Pizza on the grill is unexpected, fun, and delicious. Set up a toppings bar and invite everyone to create a custom pizza. With a variety of sauces and toppings from which to choose, all ages and tastes will be pleased with the results. 

Ingredients

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon honey

1 envelope dry yeast

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour (and more for the work surface)

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Toppings

Supplies

Food processor

Large bowl

Plastic wrap

Rolling pin

Grill brush or grill stone

Oven mitts

Paper towels

Long-handled tongs

Baking sheet

Aluminum foil

Make the pizza dough

Making the pizza dough is simple. It takes about 1 hour to rise after being mixed, so plan accordingly.

1. Combine the cup of warm water and tablespoon of honey in a food processor. Sprinkle yeast over the mixture and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In the food processor, add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour, 1 up of all-purpose flour and1-1/2 teaspoons of salt. Process for about 1 minute until the dough comes together. 

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until it's smooth and elastic. Add more flour if the dough is sticky.

4. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it stand in a warm draft-free area until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. While you wait, prepare the toppings.

5. Punch the dough down and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into an 8-inch round.

Prepare the toppings

While the dough is rising, get Have your toppings ready. When it comes to topping pizza, you're limited only by your imagination. Here are some options:

• Sauces. Tomato sauce, pesto, olive oil

• Vegetables and fruit. Garlic, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives, jalapenos, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, spinach and pineapple

• Meat. Pepperoni, grilled chicken, prosciutto, ham and Italian sausage

• Cheese. Mozzarella, parmesan, goat cheese, feta and fontina

• Fresh herbs. Basil, thyme and oregano

Prepare the grill

For best results, the grill should be clean, hot and well oiled.  Here's how:

1. Remove the grate. Use a grill brush or grill stone to scrape the grate clean.

2. Heat the grill with the vents open and the cover closed. 

3. When the grill is hot, put on oven mitts and put the grate on the grill. Let the grate warm for about a minute and then oil it. One way to oil a hot grill is to douse paper towels with vegetable oil, hold the towels with long-handled tongs and rub the oil directly on the grill.

Cook the pizza

1. Place the pizza crusts directly on the prepared grill. Grill them for about 3 minutes, until the top of the dough puffs and the underside is crisp.

2. Turn crusts over and grill for 1 minute. Transfer crusts to a baking sheet with the most grilled side up.

3. Top your pizzas and then use a large metal spatula to return them to the grill. Close the grill or cover the pizzas loosely with foil. Grill them for about 3 minutes until the cheese melts and the bottom crust is cooked through and browned.

4. Transfer the pizzas to plates.