The Summer of Grilled Pizza

Is there ever a wrong time for pizza? The real answer is no. Pizza tastes great all-year round. However, who wants to heat up their oven to over 400 degrees on a hot summer day? Keep the heat outside this summer and throw your pizza on the grill! And besides, grills have the ability to mimic that wood-fired oven taste more than your conventional indoor oven can do.

We’re happy to share how with you how we make grilled pizza the Cellone’s way. Bon Appetit!

Grilled Pizza Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cellone’s frozen pizza dough
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Toppings (pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, your favorite veggies)
• Flour or corn meal for dusting your pan
• A cookie sheet or pizza peel

Cooking Instructions

1. Prep and grill toppings.
   Prepare the grill for direct high heat, then prepare your extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl for greasing the grill grates and brushing onto the pizza dough. Make sure all your toppings are chopped and ready to assemble.
   
2. Grill one side of the pizza dough.
   Once the grill is hot, 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 cornmeal) rimless cookie sheet (or pizza peel). 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.
   
3. Check the dough and look for air bubbles.
   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 for one minute at a time until the bottom has begun to brown. The top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets.
   
4. Remove grilled dough and transfer to a cookie sheet.
   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.
   
5. Brush with olive oil and add toppings.
   Paint the grilled surface of the pizza with a little extra virgin olive oil, then cover with one ladle of sauce. Sprinkle on your toppings, ending with the mozzarella cheese (if using), and if using meat, place that over the cheese. Remember to go light on the toppings, or your pizza will turn out heavy and soggy.
   
6. Slide the pizza + toppings back on 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.
   
7. Slice and serve!

We’d love to hear how it turns out if you decide to try our recipe. Find Cellone’s frozen pizza dough at a grocery store near you. Visit our retail page to see a list of locations!