Recipe: Keith's Grilled Pizza & Dough

This homemade grilled pizza recipe works optimally with a pizza stone, which heats up and holds very high temperatures, providing for a far better crust. Chef Keith Davis of The Golden Pear Café swears by it and says you’ll be glad you have it!

The dough recipe makes enough for two pizzas, but the pizza recipe is for one 12″–15″ pizza.

Keith’s Pizza Dough

Dough Ingredients:

3 tbsp EVOO
3 3/4 cups bread flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 pk active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups water (warm, 100°F)

Directions:

In a large bowl, gently whisk together the warm water, sugar, yeast and 2 tbsp of EVOO.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Combine all the ingredients in a KitchenAid mixer bowl.

Place the bowl in mixer and secure the hook attachment.

On low speed, mix everything together for 3–4 minutes. You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get everything to combine and form the dough.

Continue working this until a nice dough forms. Mix on low speed for 3 more minutes.

Remove dough and place on a floured surface (countertop).

Using your hands, gently fold and work the dough with some flour and form into a ball.

In a large bowl, add the remaining 1 tbsp of EVOO and spread around the bottom on the bowl. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl.

Place the dough in the center of the bowl and cover with a damp cloth.

Let the dough rest and rise for 45 minutes.

Carefully remove dough from the bowl and transfer to a floured surface.

Cut the dough into 2 equal parts.

With your hands, gently work the doughs into 2 balls.

Place the doughs into a zip-lock bag sprinkled inside with a little flour.

At this point you can freeze the doughs for weeks or months or let them cool and rest in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 days. It is best to use the dough from the fridge within 2 days.

If you froze the dough, remove from freezer one day before making pizza. Just put the dough in the fridge. It will defrost overnight.

Use dough as you would like or see recipe for Grilled Pizza.

Keith’s Grilled Pizza

Pizza Ingredients:

1 Keith’s Pizza Dough
1 cup high-quality jarred pizza sauce
2 cups whole milk mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
4 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Toppings Options (You decide):

1 1/2 cups meatballs (sliced)
1 cup pepperoni (sliced)
1 1/2 cups sweet Italian sausage (cooked & sliced)
3/4 cup sauteed onions

Pizza Directions:

Heat outside grill to high. Place a round pizza stone in the center and let heat up for 15–20 minutes, to at least 550°F.

Place flour all over your pizza peel and set it on the counter where you will be shaping the dough.

Sprinkle flour on countertop, remove dough from bag and place dough on flour.

Using your fingertips, gently work the dough into a large circle, forming the crust with your fingers.

When you have spread the dough to 10”, put some flour all over your hands and pick up the dough, placing it on top of your fists held together.

Gently using your fists, stretch and rotate the dough until it is 15” round.

Place the dough on the pizza peel.

Using a ladle, spread the sauce all over the pizza dough, working from the center out to the edges, but leaving a crust about ½” thick.

Spread the mozzarella cheese evenly atop the pizza.

Sprinkle the parmesan cheese, oregano and half the basil on the pizza.

Evenly place your desired topping on the pizza, add salt and pepper.

Take the pizza on the peel to your grill and gently slide onto the pizza stone. Close the grill cover.

Grill the pizza for 6–7 minutes and then, using the peel, rotate the pizza 180°.

Grill the pizza for another 6–7 minutes and then check the bottom of the crust using the peel, lifting the pizza so you can see the crust. The crust should be golden brown and crispy. The crust of the pizza too. It’s actually OK if it’s a little charred; that’s the best.

Remove pizza from grill using the peel and bring inside. Place on the counter and sprinkle the remaining basil atop the pizza.

Cut into pieces using a pizza knife or chef’s knife. Eat right away, or you can let rest and heat up slices in the oven set at 350°F.

Bon appetit!

For more Golden Pear dishes, visit goldenpearcafe.com.