Grilled Caprese Pizza
Want gorgeous char marks on your golden pizza crust? Use the hot heat of your grill to make this Grilled Caprese Pizza next Pizza Night at home.
This dish was created for SABER Grills by Colleen Kennedy of Souffle Bombay. Bon appétit!
It’s no secret that many foods are better hot off a grill. That includes pizza, too! Try this easy-to-make Grilled Caprese Pizza on your next Pizza Night at home.
Quite honestly, your grill will do better justice to your home pizza-making adventures than your oven will. Your oven just can’t get as hot as a pizza oven, however, your grill certainly can (especially with the even, high heat of a SABER®)!
Tinkering with homemade pizzas and flatbreads over the years has taught me that grilling the dough is the way to go. When you grill pizza dough, the higher heat of the grill allows the dough to cook faster and more efficiently, plus it gives gorgeous char marks to your pie. Give it a try!
Who doesn’t love a Caprese Salad? The simplicity and flavors of it are what make people come back for it again and again and again. When you put those flavors on a pizza, this works just as well. This Grilled Caprese Pizza is easy to make, light, delicious and pairs nicely with a glass or two of wine!
When it comes to great pizza off a grill, it’s all about how you cook the dough. The best way to do this is to prep your homemade or store-bought dough. My tip is to buy a disk or two from your local pizza shop vs. the grocer. It’s SO much better, after all, making pizza dough is what a pizza shop does all day long! In my opinion, it’s the best $2.50 spent for an ingredient. My local shop knows me well – I wonder if they call me the dough lady??
The only tricky part to making pizza on your grill is the flipping of it. You want to lightly oil and season the side of the pizza you place face-down on the grill over direct heat. Allow it to cook 2 to 2 1/2 minutes with the lid closed, then quickly and carefully flip it to the other side using a spatula. Turn the burners off directly below it just before you do. Quickly season the dough, top it and let it cook (with the lid closed) until done.
Circular shape won’t work well on a grill, since it’s a rectangle. So when you work your dough into shape, make it a rustic rectangular shape. Perfect!
You need to have everything ready to go right by the grill to top your pizza. Once you flip the dough, you need to move fast to cook the toppings to your liking.
See the inside of the dough and the scattered crust dust/pieces after I cut into it? This Grilled Caprese Pizza cooked just like a pizza oven would cook it.
If you’re ready to up your at-home pizza-making skills next pizza night, fire up your grill and let your creativity loose. You may be surprised at how delicious your pie turns out!
Ingredients
- 5-6 plum tomatoes
- Salt & pepper
- Pizza dough
- Grapeseed or olive oil
- Mozzarella (I like fresh, plain Bocconcini balls)
- Fresh basil leaves
- Balsamic glaze
Directions
- Slice your tomatoes 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and let drain for a few minutes on paper towels.
- Preheat grill to high heat using all burners.
- Prep your mozzarella and basil leaves so they are ready to go as soon as you flip the pizza dough. Halve the Bocconcini balls.
- Shape your dough into a rustic rectangle and place it on a wood or plastic cutting board.
- With your fingertips or a pastry brush, lightly brush one side with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- When ready to place the dough onto your grill, grab the cutting board and toss the dough right onto the grill in one quick motion. Or pick it up and firmly and quickly place it onto the grill. I aim for the center of the grill for this.
- Close your lid and allow the pizza to cook for 2 minutes. Your grill temperature should be between 500-600°F at this point.
- Using a spatula, peek at the underside of your dough. Does it have char marks? Does it look cooked on the outside? If so, turn your two center burners off, flip the pizza (it should not stick at all - it should come up easily and be cracker-like on the exterior) and immediately place your mozzarella and tomatoes on top. Season with salt and pepper again.
- Close the lid for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat of the grill. Allow it to sit so the cheese and tomatoes melt/wilt for another minute or two.
- Remove the pizza from the grill, top with basil leaves and balsamic glaze and enjoy!
