Grilled Pizza Margherita

Grilled Pizza Margherita

Minimize your work when entertaining.  Let everyone be in charge of their pizza dough and grilling it. Done!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 cups warm water

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup semolina flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cups tomato sauce

4 cups grated mozzarella cheese

3 pounds tomatoes sliced 1/2" thick

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped or torn

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Directions:

Combine the yeast and water with a pinch of sugar in a large bowl and stir to dissolve.  Allow to set until a thick foam forms on top.  Add flour and salt to the yeast and stir to incorporate or use a dough hook with an electric mixer and mix until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  

Transfer the dough to a second bowl that has been lightly oiled.  Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature until the dough is nearly doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.  Gently fold the dough over on itself a few times.  Cover again and allow to rise for an additional 45 minutes.

Preheat a gas grill to medium high.  If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with moderate coating of white ash.  Spread the coals in an even bed.  Take care to make sure the grill is not too hot or your pizzas will be overdone.  

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Evenly divide the dough into three pieces.  Roll or stretch each piece into three 10" rounds.  Lightly dust an oven peel or the back of a baking sheet with semolina flour and lay a dough round on top.  Lightly brush olive oil over the top of the entire dough round.

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Place each round on the grill, oiled side down.  Brush the other side of the round with olive oil.  Grill the pizza Grill the pizza until the dough is marked and puffs up slightly, about two minutes.  Use tongs to flip the pizza dough over and spread about 1 cup of pizza sauce leaving 1/2 inch border around the outside edge.  Evenly sprinkle the surface with 1/3 of the cheese on each round and top with a few slices of tomato.  Close the grill lid.  Cook the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is slightly brown and bubbly, about two to three minutes more.

Remove pizza from the grill and sprinkle basil on top.