Peach, Basil, Mozzarella, & Balsamic Grilled Pizza

With spring here in full force, it is time to clean off those grills and start up the outdoor cooking once again!  One of the things that I have become fond of grilling is actually pizza!  You can get the kids involved by helping you get it assembled and prepped then just throw it on the grill and enjoy your time outside until it is finished. I also love making these during the cooler months as well so if you are not quite ready to grill your pizza (although you are missing out), you can always assemble on a pizza stone and bake in the oven.  This pizza is one of my favorites because it is not too heavy and uses fresh peaches which everyone loves.  Enjoy!

Peach, Basil, Mozzarella, & Balsamic Pizza

 Crust:

I usually cheat and buy Trader Joe’s whole-wheat pizza dough or frozen dough, however if you want to make your own, I like this one from Simply Recipes.  In addition, they also provide a great “how-to” on putting the pizza on the grill!

For the balsamic reduction:

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Pizza toppings:

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces fresh mozzarella-sliced

4 peaches-thinly sliced

1/2 cup freshly chopped basil

Preparation:

To make the balsamic reduction:

1. While the dough is rising, make the balsamic reduction. Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vinegar has reduced to 1/4 cup. Set aside, and cool to room temperature.

To Grill Pizza:

1. After the dough has risen, cut the dough in half. Take one piece of dough and punch it down on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a circle.  Shape the pizza dough by flattening it with your hands on a slightly floured surface. Either use your fingers to stretch the dough out, or hold up the edges of the dough with your fingers, letting the dough hang and stretch, while working around the edges of the dough. Once you’ve stretched the dough, let it sit for 5 minutes and then push out the edges with your fingers again, until you have a nice round shape, about 12-inches in diameter. Do not make a raised rim, it will interfere with the grilling process.

2.Prepare the grill for high direct heat. Prepare a small bowl with olive oil for greasing the grill grates and for brushing the pizza. Prepare the toppings so they are ready to go on the pizza.

3. Once the grill is hot (you can hold your hands an inch over the grates for no more than 2 seconds), dip a tightly folded up paper towel in olive oil and use tongs to wipe the grill grates. Then place a pizza dough round on a lightly floured (or you can use cornmeal) rimless cookie sheet (or pizza peel if you have one). Let the dough slide off the cookie sheet onto the hot grill grates. Close the lid of the grill and let cook for 2 minutes.

4. After 2 minutes, open the grill and check underneath the dough to see if it is getting browned. If it is on one side, but not another, use a spatula or tongs to rotate the dough 90 degrees and cook for another minute. If it is not beginning to brown, cover the grill and continue to cook a minute at a time until the bottom has begun to brown. It should only take a couple minutes if you have a hot grill. The top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets.

5. Once the pizza dough has browned lightly on one side, use your cookie sheet or pizza peel to remove it from the grill. Use a spatula to flip the dough over so that the grilled side is now up. Keep the grill covered so it retains its heat for the next step.

6. Paint the grilled surface of the pizza with a little olive oil, then top with mozzarella rounds, sliced peaches and basil.  Drizzle the balsamic reduction on top of pizza.

7.  Slide the topped pizza back onto the grill. If you are using a gas grill, reduce the heat. If working with a charcoal grill, close the vents on the cover almost all the way. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the bottom begins to char and the cheese is bubbly. Pull off the grate with a spatula onto a cutting board or other flat surface and let rest for a couple minutes before cutting into slices.

Slice and serve!

Adapted From: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

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