Grilled California Pizzas

My second challenge for the Barefoot Bloggers group was a grilled pizza, chosen by Rebecca from Ezra Pound Cake. This was a really great choice for me because I had always dismissed making my own pizzas on a "why bother?" basis. And now I know the answer - because they taste great and are fun. The dough, which had always intimidated me, was really simple to make, and I think you could flavour it to lift it even further (maybe onions?). In fact, if you were having an afternoon drinks / BBQ party, I think it would be perfect to have a whole pile of dough, a range of toppings and let people make their own. Roll on summer!

This week I made the pizzas for the kids with the leftovers of our leg ham and mozarella as they are not yet into anything too tricky on a pizza. They were great, and I reckon an adult version would be even better. In the meantime, I have just one suggestion for you - don't let your grill get too hot because the bottom of your pizza can burn before the topping is bubbling and melting.

Grilled California Pizzas

Ina Garten recipe on FoodNetwork.com

For the dough:

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 packages dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons good olive oil

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading

2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the toppings take your pick:

red onion, thinly sliced

fresh mozzarella

Italian Fontina, grated

mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, sliced

red or yellow capsicum

prosciutto, thinly sliced and julienned

rocket, cleaned and dried

plum tomatoes, sliced

salami, sliced

basil leaves, cleaned and dried

garlic

For prep: 1/2 cup good olive oil Cornmeal

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to the bowl.
When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature. Roll and stretch each ball into a rough 22cm circle and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal.

Light your grill and wait until it's hot. Place the pizzas directly onto the grill and cook on 1 side for 1 minute. Turn the pizzas over and brush with olive oil or garlic oil.

Top the pizzas with any toppings you wish, piling them high. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Put the lid on your grill and cook for 5 minutes more, until the crust is crisp and the toppings are cooked.