Grilled Pesto Pizza with Sweet Peppers, Nduja and Mozzarella – Recipe!

Pizza doesn’t always have to be made in a fancy wood-fired oven or on a sheet pan at high temperatures to be be delicious.  You can make it right on the grill.  Grilled pizza in the summertime is what I prefer because it’s easy, you already have the equipment, and you don’t heat up the kitchen.  Good pizza always begins with the dough, and grilled pizza dough is a bit more hardy, so it doesn’t slip through the grates and can hold fresh toppings; like herby pesto sauce, sweet grilled peppers and fantastic spicy sausage.

Bread flour is the best way to create a stronger pizza dough.  It’s not any more expensive than all-purpose flour, it just contains more protein, allowing the end result (pizza dough) to be a tad more firm.  When you make pizza on the grill the first step is to oil the grates with a rag and then place the stretched dough right on top.  You want the heat to be hot, but no flames directly underneath.  I good flip after the first side of the dough has grill marks, and you’re ready to add the toppings.  I smeared mine with fresh pesto, dotted on mozzarella, and then added sweet peppers that I grilled beforehand, and Nduja sausage, which is a spicy pork sausage from Calabria Italy – found in specialty stores.  You don’t need to get that fancy – you can use regular spicy pork sausage of any kind, but if you can get your hands on some it’s pretty tasty.

Ingredients

Dough

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons rapid rise yeast

1- 1 1/2 cups room temperature water – varies depending upon humidity

Toppings

2/3 cup pesto sauce, store-bought or homemade

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced or torn

1 cup grilled sweet peppers, sliced

5 ounces Nduja or spicy sausage, any variety

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, for dusting

olive oil

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine flours, salt, and yeast.  Add 1 cup water and allow paddle to mix on low until dough begins to come together, about 3 minutes.  Add more water, if necessary.  Remove dough and knead for 1 minute until smooth and elastic.  Place in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 2-3 hours.
2. Light or heat grill to 450 degrees, or until wood and/or charcoal are mostly grey.
3. Remove dough from bowl and stretch into a oblong pizza, about 15 x 10 inches.  Rub grates with oil, using towel.
4. Place dough on top of grates and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until dough begins to firm and grill marks appear underneath.  Adjust heat or move charcoal as needed.
5. Flip dough over and spread pesto on top, leaving a 1-inch border.  Dot with mozzarella and sprinkle peppers and raw sausage over top.  Cover with lid and allow pizza to cook for 5-8 minutes.  Remove and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with parmesan.  Enjoy!