People measure the start of a season by different yardsticks.  School means fall, memorial day means summer, first snowfall means winter, that sort of thing.  For us, it is officially summer when the first pizza hits the grill.

I usually (read: almost always) buy the dough from the supermarket (or a pizzeria if I am organized enough).  This allows a grilled pizza meal to come together very quickly.   Here’s today’s grilled pizza:

Just follow the instructions below, use smoked mozzarella, a mixture of red pepper flakes, salt, and oregano, chopped cured black olives if you like (notice they are only on some of the pizza — the kids and I love them, Gary not so much).  After you’ve grilled the pizza, drape lush, translucent slices of prosciutto all over the top, and cut into pieces.  My kids absolutely love the combo of prosciutto and mozzarella, and the smoked mozzarella was a nice way to change things up.

There are many weeks of grilled pizza ahead.  I am enthusiastically open to topping suggestions, as is my family.  What should be next on the grilled pizza docket?

See Also

Two Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Naan Pizza

Potato-Crusted Pizza

English Muffin Pizzas

Ingredients

• 1 ball (1 pound) pizza dough, store-bought, or Homemade Pizza Dough
• Olive oil, for coating the dough and baking sheets
• Coarsely ground cornmeal or all-purpose flour, for rolling and stretching the dough (see Note)
• 2 cups shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher or coarse salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/3 cup chopped cured black olives (optional)
• 6 super thin prosciutto slices
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves (optional)

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 2 pizzas, serves 4

Preparation

1. If you’re using the Homemade Pizza Dough, follow the recipe directions. If you’re using store-bought dough, divide the dough into two balls, gently coat each with olive oil, and let the dough come to room temperature either in a large bowl or on the counter, covered with a dish towel, about ?1 hour.
2. Lightly coat two baking sheets with olive oil. Sprinkle a work surface with cornmeal or flour (see Note). Gently begin to stretch or roll each ball of pizza dough into a 12 to 14-inch circle or a rectangular shape. You will need to stretch or roll the dough a bit, then give it several minutes to relax before stretching it again, so that it doesn’t keep springing back into a smaller shape. The goal is to make the dough less than 1/4-inch thick (it puffs up on the grill). Give the dough one final stretch. Don’t worry about a small hole or two and definitely don’t worry about an uneven shape; that’s part of the pizzas’ charm. Transfer the shaped dough to the prepared baking sheets.

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2. Bring the toppings to the grill, too, so they are prepared and ready to go.
3. Brush the top of each stretched pizza dough with olive oil. Using a swift motion, pick up each circle or rectangle of dough by one edge and flip it oiled side down onto the grill grate. Close the grill lid and don’t open it for 3 minutes, which gives the dough a chance to rise a bit and firm up.
4. ?Open the lid, peek at the underside of the dough, and check to see that nice grill marks have formed. Lightly brush the uncooked tops of the crusts with olive oil and turn over each crust. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Carefully sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella evenly over each top. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes, salt, oregano, and olives (if using) evenly over the pizzas. Close the lid of the grill and let the pizzas cook for 4 minutes, then begin checking to see if they are done. The cheese should be completely melted and the crust should have a nicely browned underside and be stiff when you lift it with tongs.

1. Remove the pizzas from the grill, drape the sprinkle them with the prosciutto.  Sprinkle them with the fresh oregano, if using, and cut the pizzas into pieces.

Note: If you think your kids will be annoyed by the nicely rustic texture that cornmeal gives the dough when you use it to form the dough into the crust shape, you can use plain flour, but it’s nice to have that bit of pleasing crunch in the crust.

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