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Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza Crust

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza

Homemade pizza on the grill has never been easier with this simple recipe and step-by-step video. You’ll love the artisan look and taste of the pizza crust with all the bubbles and grill marks.

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza Video Tutorial

Making the dough

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza Crust

Add flour to bowl. Create a well in the middle, add water sugar and yeast to bowl. Slowly mix the water mixture so the walls of the well don’t fall down too fast. You just want a little bit of the flour incorporated at this stage, similar to a pancake batter.

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza Crust

Start incorporating more of the flour, whisking a bit more aggressively, eventually creating a very shaggy dough.

Evenly sprinkle salt on the dough and continue to incorporate the remaining flour until you have a thick dough and all the flour is incorporated. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly and mix using your whole hand until the dough ball is semi-smooth and the oil is incorporated.

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza Crust

Knead dough on clean surface until well mixed and smooth. Form into a smooth round ball and place in oiled bowl. Cover bowl and let rest for about 20 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on counter to incorporate the oil. Divide your dough ball into 2 or 3 equal portions, depending on the crust shape you desire, larger rectangular or round crust.

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza Crust
Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza Crust

Shape dough into a tight round ball (see pictures and video for tips).

Place each dough ball in clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove dough balls from the refrigerator 1 – 1 ½ hours before using, allowing dough to come to room temperature.

Grilling the pizza

Preheat gas grill to 450˚F

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza Crust

Shape dough into desired crust size and shape.

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza

Gently place dough directly on the grill. Close grill lid and cook 1 – 1 1/2 minutes. Flip over, let cook for 30 – 45 seconds more (to char the bubbles). Place on cooling rack. Add desired toppings then transfer to pre-heated stone, close lid and cook until hot and desired crust color is achieved, about 6 – 8 minutes.


Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza

Homemade Artisan Grilled Pizza
Homemade pizza on the grill has never been easier with this simple recipe. You'll love the artisan look and taste of the pizza crust with all the bubbles and grill marks. Finish it off with your favorite toppings for a delicious dinner – or dessert – any time!
Yield 3 (10 or 12-inch) or 2 (9×13-inch) pizza crusts
3

Reviews

Ingredients

  • 3 3/4 cups (450g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (260g) cold water (50-60˚F)
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2g) granulated sugar
  • 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
  • 1 tablespoon (12.5g) sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon (12.5g) extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Make the dough: Add flour to large bowl. Form a ‘well’ in the middle that is large enough to hold all the water.
  • Pour water into the well, then add sugar and yeast.
  • Form a ‘claw’ with your hand and use your fingers as a whisk. Slowly move your hand in a circular motion so the walls of the well don't fall down too fast. You just want a little bit of the flour incorporated at this stage, similar to a pancake batter.
  • Start incorporating more of the flour, whisking a bit more aggressively, eventually creating a very shaggy dough.
  • Evenly sprinkle salt on the dough and continue to incorporate the remaining flour until you have a thick dough and all the flour is incorporated.
  • Drizzle in the olive oil slowly and mix using your whole hand until the dough ball is semi-smooth and the oil is incorporated.
  • Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and continue kneading until the dough is well mixed and smooth. Form into a smooth round ball.
  • Resting/Proofing: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium size bowl. Place the dough (top side down) in bowl, coating with oil. Turn the dough over to coat rest of dough ball with oil. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rest for about 20 minutes at room temperature.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on counter for about 1 – 1½ minutes to incorporate the oil. Divide your dough ball into 2 or 3 equal portions, depending on the crust shape you desire, larger oval or round.
  • Gently pull the corners of the dough piece into a square, then bring the diagonal corners to the middle, and repeat with the opposite corners. Continue to bring the points into the center a few more times, then grab, pinch and rotate the seam like you’re closing a change purse, until the dough ball is smooth and tight. Repeat with remaining dough ball(s).
  • Place each dough ball in bowl. Do not coat with oil or flour. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough balls for 24 hours (or at least overnight, 8-12 hours).
  • Remove dough balls from the refrigerator 1 – 1½ hours before using, allowing dough to come to room temperature.
  • Preheat grill: Place pizza stone on one side of gas grill grate to allow air to circulate and also leaving space to grill the crusts. (See note)
    Or grill pizza dough first, and then preheat stone if grill is not big enough, or you are topping pizzas later. (Pizza stone size depends on the size of your dough and grill. We used a 14×14-inch stone in the video.) Preheat gas grill to 450°F.
  • Shape Pizzas:
    Round crust (10-12 inches): Turn dough out onto a clean surface. Flatten and shape dough into a circle using your fingertips. Do not use a rolling pin! Press across the dough with your fingertips once it is shaped to ‘dock’ it. (See video for a no-fail shaping tip)
    Oval/rectangular crust (9×13 inches): First, spread a thin layer of olive oil on a ½ sheet baking pan or large cookie sheet; set aside. Place dough ball on a clean surface. Using your fingertips on both hands, ‘dimple’ across the dough on one side, then flip it over and ‘dimple’ the other side. Repeat. Lay dough onto the center of the baking sheet. Gently pull and dimple the dough out to almost the edges of the pan. With fingertips, press across the dough to ‘dock’ it.
  • Grill Crusts: Gently place dough directly on the grill (don’t add olive oil). Close grill lid. Cook 1 – 1½ minutes (lift with tongs to check for grill marks on the bottom). Flip over. Let cook for 30 – 45 seconds more (to char the bubbles). Place on cooling rack. (See note for make-ahead option) Add desired toppings then transfer to pre-heated stone with peel, close lid and cook until hot and desired crust color is achieved, about 6 – 8 minutes.

Notes

Preheating Grill: If using a charcoal grill, preheat to 500˚F. Par-bake crusts directly on grill. Place stone over indirect heat until hot. Bake pizza until toppings are done and crust is lightly browned.
 
Make ahead: Grilled crusts can be made ahead of time for later use or to freeze. To freeze grilled crusts, place cooled crusts in a freezer bag or wrap with plastic wrap. Prior to use, bring to room temp, top and proceed with cooking steps.
Recipe by Leo Spizzirri.

Platinum Moments Artisian Grilled Pizza: Leo

Leo Spizzirri is an American artisan pizza and bread maker who’s expertise in dough rheology has led him to the forefront of dough & pizza innovations throughout North America.  A Maestro Istruttore with Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in Italy, he’s the co-founder of the North American Pizza & Culinary Academy in Chicago.

Review & Comments

Susan | Reply

I am excited to see this recipe, but am curious. There is a photo of the dough draped over a metal bowl. What is this for and how is it used in a recipe? I was thinking a salad bowl of some sort made from pizza dough. I’m curious. Thank you for posting this great recipe.

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Susan – Leo used that method to help stretch and shape the pizza dough. You can watch the video for his full explanation and demonstration.
Happy baking!

Diane Langlois | Reply

5 stars
I was wondering we can double to recipe or is it better to make one recipe at a time? Having a pizza party with friends and would like to make and bake the crust ahead of time….how long would I leave the cook pizza on the BBQ when we put all the toppings on and at what temperature.

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Diane – You can double the recipe! Preheat the grill to 450°F; baking time is described in step 15. Enjoy the pizza party!
Happy baking!

Helen Wolt | Reply

2 stars
One tablespoon of salt “(12.5g (1 Tbsp) sea salt”). Really? I put that amount in against my better judgement (as a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu). The pizza crust was very salty, right on the edge of edible. If I made this recipe again, I would HALF the amount of salt.

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Helen,
Thank you for your comment. Everyone’s taste preference is different – you can certainly adjust the salt level to your liking.
Happy baking!
Carol

Sabrina | Reply

Can you use the yeast and sourdough to make this pizza dough?

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Sabrina,
Yes, use one full packet of Platinum Instant Sourdough in this recipe.

Happy baking!
Carol

Bozu | Reply

5 stars
Fabulous recipe for experience !!!
There is just one piece of information, which surprises me: you write that flour is all-purpose, which surprises me, because to make pizza here in France, we use number 00 !!!
Is it the Platinium yeast, which allows you to take an all-purpose flour?
Thank you for this very nice recipe and congratulations to the Chef

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Bozu – Glad you like the recipe! Leo used all-purpose flour in this recipe because it is malted flour.

Happy baking – and grilling!
Carol

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