Greek Pizza on the Grill

Grilled pizza is one of the greatest joys of summer. The crust gets so crispy you can hear the crunch with every bite — a special treat rarely found in an oven-baked or store-bought pizza.

Since there’s nothing I like more than carbs over carbs, potatoes seemed like a good addition. I cooked the potatoes on the grill first so they would be ready for the topping. Revelation folks! I will definitely repeat the process next time. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I like the combination of fresh and cooked ingredients on pizza. I wanted to add some greens, and zucchini, thinly sliced ​​with a vegetable peeler, was a great solution because it cooks in a nanosecond. Once the pizza was hot, I placed fresh cherry tomato halves and herb leaves on top just before serving.

A drizzle of olive oil over the pizza is the finishing touch.

The best dough for grilled pizza

Store-bought dough is fine for this pizza, but you can make your own with this Easy No-Knead Dough recipe. If you prefer a whole wheat dough, try this no knead whole wheat pizza dough.

The no-knead dough recipe makes more than you need for two pizzas, but You can store the extra in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze it for up to three months.

To freeze leftover homemade pizza dough: Oil the batter and place in a ziplock bag or other freezer-safe container. Or better yet, roll it out and place on a parchment lined sheet and when it freezes, wrap in a large bag and store in the freezer until you want a quick pizza.

Tips and tricks for topping grill pizza

Whatever toppings you add to your pizza, remember that less is always better than more.

• An abundance of sauces and toppings will not do pizza any favors – especially pizza on the grill.
• Be careful with the sauce so the crust doesn’t get soggy.
• Have all the toppings ready and place them on a baking sheet before you start grilling the pizza.
• Pre-cook solid ingredients such as potatoes, aubergines or peppers; The pizza only cooks for a few minutes, which isn’t long enough for the vegetables to soften.

Swaps and substitutions for Greek pizza

• The olives: Use any style you like; Just make sure they’re pitted! I like small Nicoise olives for this pizza. Kalamata olives are also delicious here.
• The cheese: I went for feta, but there are plenty of other options like slivers of parmesan, shredded cheddar, slices of fontina, or fresh mozzarella, just for starters.
• The herbs: Fresh oregano is what really stood out for me on this pizza. It’s grassy, ​​earthy, a bit astringent and pungent. My usual choice would have been basil or rosemary, and both are fine, but I loved the opportunity to use oregano leaves.

How to grill pizza

I currently have a gas grill, but I’ve also used a charcoal grill. Both are good. You’ll need to follow visual cues as temperatures vary widely depending on the type of grill.

Transferring the dough

Let’s get real here. The hardest part of grilling pizza is getting the dough onto the grill. There are at least two options. First, divide the dough in half to make two pizzas. Two smaller pizzas are much easier to manage than a single huge one.

The first method is to dust a bowl with cornmeal and slide the pizza onto the grill. If you’re using a bowl, only oil the top of the dough so the bottom slides freely off the cornmeal-dusted bowl.

The second method is to oil the cooking grates and both sides of the dough. Slide your hands, palms down, under the dough to give it some stability. With the dough resting on your knuckles, you should have enough control to place the edge of the dough farthest from you against the back of the cooking grates. This anchors the dough. Quickly pull your hands toward you so the whole pizza lands in one piece, nice and flat. This is a great alternative if you don’t have a pizza peel. Be careful not to touch the grill grates!

The best temperature for grilled pizza

Not all grills are the same! Temperatures may vary. You need to pay more attention to the pizza crust’s visual cues than exact timing and be vigilant. But luckily it’s not rocket science; It’s dinner time.

• Preheat the grill to about 550°F.
• First cook the potatoes over direct heat and set aside.
• Place the batter directly onto the grates at a grill temperature of 550°F and bake until the air pockets appear and the bottom shows light brown rust marks. Since this is the bottom of the pizza and will cook again with the topping, you don’t want to over-brown it.
• Turn the dough over and grill on the other side for a few more minutes until lightly cooked. Remove from the grill.
• Flip the dough again, add your toppings, return the pizza to the grill and cook, with the lid on, until the toppings are heated through, about five minutes.

5 more creative homemade pizzas

• Grilled pizza with peppers, broccoli and onions
• Easy Summer Vegetable Pizzas
• Spinach Artichoke Sheet Pan Pizza
• Pita pizzas with mozzarella and tomato pan
• Spicy sausage pizza