Homemade Grilled Pizza with Hojiblanca Olives from Spain and Spanish Chorizo Sausage
Get into a Mediterranean mood with this mouthwatering grilled pizza featuring delectable Hojiblanca Olives from Spain and sweet or spicy Spanish chorizo sausage. And, if you have never grilled homemade pizza dough, start getting excited -- you are about to taste some of the best pizza of your life, right from your own backyard.
Prep Time2 hourshrs
Cook Time7 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs7 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Author: Janice Croze
Ingredients
1/2 - 1cupHojiblanca Olives from Spainsliced
1-2Spanish Chorizo Sausage
1-2cupssliced or grated firm cheeses
Olive oil
Saltpepper, herbs of choice
Greens of choiceoptional
FOR DOUGH:
1cupwarm water100-115*F
1 1/4tspactive dry yeast
1teaspoonsugar
1teaspoonsalt
2tablespoonsolive oil
2 1/2cupsup to 3 cups if necessary cups all-purpose flour or bread flour (plus more for dusting)
Instructions
You can use any pizza dough for this recipe, but we highly recommend either making your own fresh batch of pizza dough or buying a pound of fresh dough from your local bakery.
If making your dough from scratch:
Add yeast and sugar to warm water and let stand for 5 minutes until mixture is bubbling and frothy. (If mixture does not get frothy, your yeast may be too old or your water too cold or too hot. Water temperature should be between 100-115F.
In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in yeast/water/sugar mixture and add olive oil, salt, and flour.
Stir to form a shaggy dough and then knead dough for 5-8 minutes using the dough hook attachment on your mixer or kneading by hand.
You want the dough to form a smooth ball that isn't too sticky -- especially when you will be grilling your dough.
If your dough feels or looks like bubblegum or melted marshmallows, sticking to your fingers or the sides of the bowl, then add more flour a tablespoon at a time until you have a smooth, workable dough that isn't too wet or too dry.
Form a large ball with the dough and set aside. Coat the mixing bowl or another medium-to-large sized bowl with olive oil and put in the ball of dough. Turn the dough to coat in oil and then cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
To get your dough to rise quickly, set in a warm place, such as an oven that is warmed but turned off, Cover the bowl with a clean wet kitchen towel, and leave to rise for an hour to two.
After the dough has risen, punch it down and form again into a large smooth ball. Divide the dough in two pieces if you want to make two large 10-12" pizzas or into four pieces to make smaller, more manageable sized pizzas. For grilling pizzas, we recommend making smaller pizzas. They are easier to work with and cook more evenly.
To use dough later, let rise on the counter for up to 30 minutes, then store in the fridge or freezer. You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to three days and the freezer for up to three weeks. Allow frozen dough to thaw in the fridge overnight and allow the chilled dough to sit on the counter for an hour or two to come to room temperature before using.
To Make the Pizzas:
While you form your pizza rounds and prep your ingredients, preheat grill. The grill should be as hot as possible.
Flour your hands and a clean working surface. Pick up one of the divided pieces of dough and begin to stretch and press out the dough to form a rough oval or circle. Work from the middle of the dough outwards, trying to not make any tears or holes in the dough. If the dough springs back and does not hold its shape, let the dough rest for five or so minutes and begin to form another piece of dough while you wait. Then finish stretching and pressing out your dough round until it is about 1/2" thick. Don't worry about trying to make a perfect circle. Any shape will do.
While your grill finishes heating up, finish prepping your toppings and gather your ingredients and tools.
You will need a large metal spatula and/or tongs for flipping and removing pizzas. As well you will need olive oil, a brush or spoon for spreading, a bowl of about 1/2-3/4 cup of pizza sauce with a large spoon, and some coarse salt and/or herbs, pepper, etc.
If you are using whole Hojiblanca Olives from Spain, pit and slice. If your olives are already pitted and/or sliced, simply pour into a bowl and set aside.
Thinly slice chorizo sausage and slice or grate firm cheese(s) of your choice. Wash and dry any greens or herbs you plan to use and place all the items in bowls.
Next, arrange all the bowls of ingredients as well as the olive oil, tools, etc. near your grill.
On a well-floured pizza peel or rimless cookie sheet, (a cookie sheet turned upside down works well too,) place your first round of pizza dough.
Drizzle with olive oil and evenly brush to cover the entire top of the dough with oil. Optional: sprinkle with coarse salt (you can skip this step if you want less salt)
Open the grill and then transfer the pizza round onto the grill, oiled side down, over direct heat. Getting the pizza dough onto the grill can be a bit tricky and results in some interesting pizza shapes. My method is to place the cookie sheet next to the grill and pick up the pizza round as carefully as possible and then quickly drop/place it OIL SIDE DOWN on the grill.
Then drizzle the exposed side with oil and spread with the brush to completely cover what will become the bottom of the pizza when flipped over.
Cook for about 1-3 minutes, depending on your grill. You can close the cover if you wish, but it might cook so quickly you don't need to. Every grill is different and every pizza will cook at different speeds depending on thickness, size, etc. So you want to keep a very close eye on your pizza.
When the top of the pizza is bubbling and the spatula easily lifts the dough off the grill, leaving slight grill marks on the dough, it is time to flip your pizza.
Now that your pizza is flipped it is time to work FAST! (You can remove the pizza and add your toppings and then return to the grill, but I never do. I do it all on the grill, working as quickly as possible.)
Spread a large spoonful of sauce on your pizza, taking care to not add too much. Extra sauce will keep your dough from cooking through and will create a soggy crust.
Next, add slices of chorizo sausage and sliced or grated cheese, again being careful to not add too much.
Then, sprinkle with sliced Hojiblanca Olives from Spain.
Close grill and allow to cook for 2-5 minutes, depending on your grill. Check often to make sure that the bottom of the pizza isn't burning and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbling. It takes the pizza only minutes to cook and while small charred spots on the crust are delicious, you don't want to burn your pizza crust.
During the last couple minutes of cooking, you can add fresh herbs or greens to garnish and add extra flavour.
If the bottom of the pizza is cooking too quickly, turn off one of the sides of the barbeque and finish cooking on indirect heat on a cooler part of the grill.
Once the cheese has melted and the crust is slightly browned and crispy, remove pizza from grill and place on cutting board.
Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before slicing and serving.