Best California Grilled Pizza Recipes

CALIFORNIA GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium-high. Place each pizza crust on a sheet of Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened.
• Brush pizza crust with olive oil mixture; arrange the onion, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and basil on crust. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Grill pizza on foil sheets in covered grill for 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

GRILLED CALIFORNIA PIZZAS

Steps:

• 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.

GRILLED PIZZA

Steps:

• Dough
• Stir yeast, sugar, and 1¼ cups warm (not hot) water in the bowl of a stand mixer until yeast dissolves. Let sit until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add whole wheat flour, salt, and 2 Tbsp. oil to yeast mixture and mix to combine. Fit mixer with dough hook and, with mixer on low speed, gradually add 3 cups (375 g) bread flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms, about 4 minutes from when you start adding the flour. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl to incorporate any dry bits into dough. Increase mixer speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to bring together. Shape into a ball, place in a large lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover bowl and let dough sit in warm draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1-1½ hours. Make your toppings while your dough is rising.
• Burst Cherry Tomatoes
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until skins start to blister and split, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and toss to coat. Cook, lightly pressing on tomatoes with spoon to release juices without smashing completely, until garlic is softened, about 2 minutes. Mix oregano into sauce; taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
• Do ahead: Sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and stir to combine before using.
• Lemony Swiss Chard
• Cut Swiss chard leaves away from ribs and stems, then cut crosswise into 3"-wide strips. Trim away woody part from stems; discard. Finely chop ribs and stems.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add ribs and stems and season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they release some liquid, look slightly shriveled, and are a shade or two darker, about 5 minutes. Add leaves and red pepper flakes and toss to coat. Season with more salt and black pepper and reduce heat to medium. Cook, tossing occasionally, until leaves are bright green, wilted, and tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer chard mixture to a medium bowl and let cool slightly.
• Finely grate garlic into bowl with chard mixture, then finely grate in zest from lemon; mix well. Add Parmesan and mix again to combine. Taste and season with more salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if needed.
• Do ahead: Chard mixture can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and stir to combine before using.
• Tomato Passata
• Purée tomatoes in a blender on low speed (or use an immersion blender if you have one) until smooth (try not to aerate it too much). Transfer sauce to a medium bowl and stir in oil and salt.
• Do ahead: Passata can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill, or freeze up to 6 months.
• Assembly
• Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Clean grate. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces. Working one at a time, gently shape into balls. Transfer to a lightly floured small rimmed baking sheet and cover. Let sit 20-30 minutes.
• Place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface (keep remaining balls covered) and, using your fingers, press out to an 8" round. Drape dough over the backs of your hands and gently pull and stretch, rotating dough as you go, until about 12" in diameter (it's okay if it's not a perfect circle).
• Brush dough with oil. Place, oiled side down, on grill over direct heat and cook until large bubbles appear across surface, dough stiffens, and underside is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Brush top with oil, turn over, and cook just to lightly dry out second side, about 30 seconds.
• Using tongs and a metal spatula, move dough over to cooler side of grill. Top with a spoonful of passata or burst cherry tomatoes and one quarter of cheese (either alone or in combination). Add pepperoni or salami (if using), then some of the lemony Swiss chard, and/or Rosemary Agrodolce as desired. Carefully slide pizza back over direct heat. Cook until cheese is melted and toppings are heated through, about 2 minutes. If dough is in danger of burning on underside but toppings need more time, return pizza to cooler side, cover grill, and cook another 1-2 minutes.
• Transfer pizza to a cutting board and drizzle with more oil. Top with basil and red pepper flakes if desired.
• Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 3 more pizzas.

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA - CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN STYLE

Steps:

• To make BBQ Chicken: In a large frying pan, cook the chicken in olive oil over medium-high heat until just cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Do not overcook. Set aside in the refrigerator until chilled through.
• Once chilled, coat the chicken with 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce; set aside in the refrigerator.
• To make the pizza: Place the pizza stone in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F for one hour before cooking pizzas.
• Use a large spoon to spread ¼ cup BBQ sauce evenly over the surface of the prepared dough within the rim. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon smoked Gouda cheese over the sauce. Cover with ¾ cup shredded Mozzarella. Distribute half the chicken pieces evenly over the cheese (approximately 18 pieces). Place approximately 18 to 20 pieces of red onion over the surface. Sprinkle an additional ¼ cup Mozzarella over the top of the pizza.
• Transfer the pizza to the oven; bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese at the center is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. When the pizza is cooked, carefully remove it from the oven; sprinkle 1 tablespoon cilantro over the hot surface. Slice.