Barefoot Bloggers (rewind) - California Grilled Pizza

This week's BB recipe is actually Gazpacho, but I don't like Gazpacho all that much.  I've even made Ina's recipe before and it's a nice recipe and all, but I didn't like it.  Sue me.

So I chose to do a "rewind" which is a past BB recipe that I have yet to try.  

I rewound to California Grilled Pizza.   This is soooo good.  And really easy.

I think one of the biggest keys is getting the grill to the right temperature before you throw on the dough.  I didn't have mine quite hot enough....it was at about 350 degrees and I think it needed to be about 400.  Not too hot so that it burns, but hot enough that it crisps up a little more quickly.  Nothing tragic happened and it didn't stick, but I think it just needed to be a little hotter.

As you can see, I kept mine simple.....just some grated provolone on the bottom, some sliced heirloom tomatoes and a little more cheese on top.  A small drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Delish.

But pizza is a personal thing.  Put whatever you like on it.  

This is a great recipe and is a really fun thing to do for a party.  Make the dough, offer a large variety of toppings and let everyone have some fun. 

Here's the recipe:

Grilled California Pizzas

Copyright, 2004, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Grilling/Hasta La Pizza Baby

Ingredients

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110 degrees F) 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 (select 8):
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, grated
1/2 pound Italian Fontina, grated
1/2 pound mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, sliced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced and julienned
1 bunch arugula, cleaned and dried
6 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 pork or turkey sausages, cooked and sliced
1 bunch basil leaves, cleaned and dried
4 garlic cloves, roasted
Crushed red pepper flakes

For prep:
1/2 cup good olive oil
Cornmeal

Directions

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 8-inch circle and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. (You will be able to fit 2 pizzas on each 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.)

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.

If you're interested in the Gazpacho, you can check out what the other Barefoot Bloggers have to say and get the recipe here.