Grilled Mediterranean Pizzas + GIVEAWAY!

With Labor Day behind us we’re reaching the end of summer, and although everyone marks that specific date as the end of the season, we actually still have a few more weeks of summer left! Until September 23rd to be exact. That means we don’t have to start adding pumpkin spice to everything, just yet. Hold off on setting out those Halloween decorations and why not join me in celebrating these last two weeks by hosting a “I Don’t Want Summer to End” party with your family and friends. Have one more final BBQ or potluck outside and squeeze out every last drop of the season. I’m teaming up with my friends over at Crate and Barrel to bring you this recipe for Grilled Mediterranean Pizzas! It’s the perfect late summer entertaining recipe. I also wanted to showcase Crate and Barrel’s new and exclusive KitchenAid Stand Mixer in the beautiful Shaded Palm color. It adds a nice touch to any kitchen. In honor of this new release, I’m hosting a Giveaway over on my Instagram account for a chance to win one of these KitchenAid mixers of your very own. Follow along there to get all the details on how to enter! In the meantime, let’s talk about pizza—one of my favorite topics!

Let’s start by making the dough. I love this recipe because it’s super easy to make and doesn’t require any rising or kneading time! Which means you can make it right before you need it, without worrying about waiting a long time to eat your pizza. Measuring out the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment. 

**Product Note: These Stainless Steel and Blue Measuring Cups and matching Measuring Spoons from Crate and Barrel are my all time favorite because they’re large, sturdy and best of all, they have in between sizes like 3/4 cup and 1/2 tablespoon which makes it a lot easier when measuring ingredients!**

Add in the sugar, salt and instant yeast and stir until well combined. Then add in the olive oil and water, mixing on low until the dough comes together. 

**Note: Instant yeast (sometimes labeled as pizza yeast) is what makes this dough come together so quick and easy. Because it’s instant yeast, you don’t have to worry about “blooming” the yeast before hand.**

Knead the dough on moderate speed until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and soft. If you find that the dough is too wet, you can try adding a small amount of flour at a time until it does pull away. 

Alternately, you can do this by hand, if you really want to work in some of that elbow grease. Some people find making bread dough by hand so therapeutic, but I think it’s just a whole lot of work, especially if you have a stand mixer sitting around. Let it do all the work for you!

Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and divide into two. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest while you heat up the grill and gather your toppings.

Heat an outdoor grill or stove-top grill pan over moderate heat. Working with one piece of dough at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a 1/4-inch thick circle or oval. Transfer to a pizza peel (that has been dusted lightly with either cornmeal or flour so that it doesn’t stick) and drizzle the top with oil. Season with a teaspoon of za’atar.

**Product Note: To make the pizza grilling a lot easier on yourself, I recommend using a pizza peel. It’ll be less stress when moving the pizza to on from the hot grill. Because it’s so hot, I suggest using a Metal Pizza Peel like the one below from Crate and Barrel. It’ll stand up to the heat a lot better than a wooden peel.**

Carefully flip the dough onto the hot grill. Cook for about two to three minutes on the first side, or until golden brown with grill marks. Carefully flip over with a large spatula and continue to cook for another one to two minutes on the second side. Using a pizza peel transfer the pizza onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough.

**Tip: If you don’t have an outdoor grill, or you want to make this out of the summer season, you can definitely still make it on a stovetop grill pan! Just roll out the pizza to the shape of your pan!**

To top the pizzas, return one of the grilled crusts onto your pizza peel. Then spread the grilled crusts with hummus. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, sautéed spinach, artichoke hearts, sliced olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Return the pizzas, one at a time, to the hot grill.

**Note: The great thing about these pizzas is that you can use store-bought hummus and don’t have to stress about making your own. Any flavor would be great! As for the spinach, I just sauté a few handfuls quickly in a hot pan with a drizzle of oil until just wilted.**

Carefully remove the hot pizza from the grill once more and finish it off with a drizzle of tzatziki, crumbled feta and pepper flakes, if you want to add a bit of heat. Repeat with the second pizza!

**Product Note: My last product recommendation, to really ensure that perfect pizza experience, is a sturdy pizza cutter. It’ll ensure clean even cuts! This Stainless Steel Pizza Wheel is my new best friend, especially since I make pizza all the time at home!**

The recipe yields either 2 large pizzas or you can make 4 smaller flatbreads, if you prefer. Just cut the dough into four portions instead of two as indicated in the recipe below and you’ll be good to go. They’re great either hot or room temperature, making this the perfect I-don’t-want-summer-to-end recipe! Don’t forget to follow along on my Instagram account for all the details on how to enter for a chance to win a KitchenAid Stand Mixer (in Crate and Barrel’s exclusive Shaded Palm color) for yourself! Good luck, I’m rooting for you!

**Thank you for your continued support of the occasional sponsored post on this site. They help keep the blog going, allowing me to continue to share my recipes with you on a weekly basis. I never want my sponsorships to feel forced, which is why I only partner with companies I feel very passionate about and actually use on a regular basis.**

Grilled Mediterranean Pizzas

 

Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

These Grilled Mediterranean Pizzas are a great end-of-summer recipe to send off the grilling season with a flavorful bang. They're vegetarian yet hearty!

Author: The Candid Appetite

Serves: 8 to 12 servings (2 pizzas)

Ingredients

Dough:

• 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1½ teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1¼-ounce packet (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1⅓ cups warm water
• 2 teaspoons za'atar seasoning

Topping:

• 1 cup hummus
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup sautéed spinach
• ½ cup sliced artichoke hearts
• ¼ cup sliced black olives
• ¼ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
• ½ cup tzatziki sauce
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast until well-mixed. Add the oil and water and mix until the dough comes together. Add as much extra flour as needed to create a smooth dough that pulls away from the sides. You might not need more flour. Knead on moderate speed for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and divide into two. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest while you heat up the grill and gather your toppings.
2. Heat an outdoor grill or stove-top grill pan over moderate heat. Working with one piece of dough at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a ¼-inch thick circle or oval. Transfer to a pizza peel and drizzle the top with oil. Season with a teaspoon of za'atar. Carefully flip the dough onto the hot grill. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown with grill marks. Carefully flip over with a large spatula and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes on the second side. Using a pizza peel transfer the pizza onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough.
3. To top the pizzas, spread the grilled crusts with hummus. Then top with cheese, spinach, artichoke hearts, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Return the pizzas, one at a time, to the hot grill. Cover and cook for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill once more and finish it off with the tzatziki, feta and pepper flakes. Cut and serve immediately. Enjoy!

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