If you have never grilled pizza then it is time you do! It is the closest to a pizza oven you can get at home. The first thing to do ahead of time is to be sure you have cleaned your grates. Take the time and really clean them of all that burnt on gunk that has been there for years. Ok maybe that is just my grill but they need to be clean. Then take a little canola or other vegetable oil and wipe the grates with a saturated paper towel. This will keep the dough from sticking to the grates. Start the grill and get it good and hot. Use a smoker packet if you would like to add some smoke flavor to the pizza. This can be done even on a gas grill by soaking chips for about an hour. Wrap them in a foil pouch and poke a few holes in it. Lay the foil pouch above a burner you will get smoke shortly. Once the grill is good and hot above 400 degrees it is time to put the pizza dough on the grates. We used the pizza dough from an earlier blog that was done it the bread machine. It is listed in a earlier blog. The dough needs spread out into a pizza shape it won’t really be round when all is said and done and this just adds to the rustic taste of these pizzas. We use corn meal to keep it from sticking to a pizza peel or baking sheet. OK now comes the fun slide the raw dough on to the grill.
The 1st time I tried this I was sure it was going to be a disaster but it really does not fall through the grates or stick or any of the other hundred failure modes I dreamed up. Reduce the heat on a gas grill and cover. Check in a minute or so to use some tongs to keep the pizza moving. If you have any hot spots on your grill keep the shell moving to prevent burning. Punch down any giant bubbles and keep the little ones. When you get a good crust on the bottom 4-5 minutes remove using a pizza peel or tongs and add toppings to the side that was cooked on the grates.
Once the toppings are applied slide the pizza back to the grill and finish the cooking until there is a good crust on the bottom and the toppings are heated through.
We did a fantastic recipe from the paper today that used fresh arugula from our Birdsong Farms CSA box, feta cheese, and kalamata olives. We served this along side some fresh corn on the cob.
This entry was written by Kim but most of the work to prepare this meal was done by Carolyn I just grilled it and ate it.
Grilled Fresh Tomato and Greek Salad Pizza
From USA Today Weekend Written by THREE MANY COOKS
4 large Italian plum tomatoes, sliced thin (juice from sliced tomatoes reserved)
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound store-bought (or homemade) pizza dough
Salt and ground black pepper
3 ounces (about ¾ cup) grated mozzarella cheese
4 cups packed arugula or baby spinach
¼ cup chopped kalamata olives
2 ounces crumbled feta (about ½ cup)
Turn all burners of a gas grill on high or build a charcoal fire. Meanwhile, lay sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon of the oil with the minced garlic. Drizzle oil over tomatoes; set aside.
Without punching or kneading dough (which makes stretching more difficult), turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a dough scraper or sharp knife, quarter dough crosswise. Working one at a time, stretch each portion into a rustic 12- by 3½- to 4-inch rectangle; transfer to a large cornmeal-coated baking sheet.
Reduce grill heat to medium; lift stretched pieces of dough on grill. Cover and cook until bottoms are spotty brown, moving them around and punching dough down as necessary to ensure even cooking, 3 to 4 minutes. Return pizza crusts, grilled side up, to baking sheet, topping each with a portion of tomatoes (reserving any remaining garlicky tomato liquid). Lightly sprinkle tomatoes with salt and top with a portion of mozzarella cheese. Return pizzas to grill; cover and continue to grill until pizza bottoms are spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board.
Meanwhile, toss arugula with olives, feta, remaining tablespoon of oil and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Drizzle in reserved tomato juice; toss to coat again. Top each pizza with a portion of salad. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into pieces and serve.
Lettuce Never Squash Our Love 
That’s what I’m talking about! How can anyone not love pizza this way? I would love one with nothing but mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes! This is the incredible version I was referencing the other night with our French bread type….yummy! You inspired our dessert tonight!
Thanks to you two, I’ve actually grilled pizza, but it still seems impossible or magical that the dough doesn’t fall through the grill. Your pizza looks great!
I was really excited when I saw you grilling one. If you have not guessed I am really trying to get people to do this they turn out great.
That looks fantastic, but how does it not fall through the grill? That is what I am weary about?!
I am not sure! That is the one part of this process that Kim did! I think that you oil the grates really well and that it cooks really fast, but we will ask Kim when he gets home. Tom also does this so he will know why.
It was really really really good, and I have never had such outstanding arugula, but then again, I have never had it from a farm that is only 12 miles away!
The first time I did this I did it at the end of the year and I was going to tear the grill down to clean it anyway. I put the dough on and the high heat sears the bottom enough that it stays put. We have done this with a Pillsbury crust from the tube and it still works. Just be sure the grates are clean and oil them well. And TRUST me it won’t fall through. The crust recipe that Care posted is really a good one for this too. It is very pliable but firm. Also watch the grill it only takes a short time to go from crusty to burnt. Some burning is inevitable and I think desirable but too much is not a good thing. So try it I think you will be happy and the pizza is good.