I was lovingly looking at my food board on
Pinterest trying to decide what to try this weekend, when
this caught my eye. Nectarine and Goat Cheese Pizza with Basil and Reduced Balsamic. I was craving summer, and this recipe looked like it hit the nail on the head. I decided to really make it summery by grilling the pizza. Grilling pizza is easy, quick, and great for those hot summer months when you do not want to bake with the AC running. It adds a bit of smoky flavor to the crust and give it a consistency you cannot achieve with a conventional oven.
For the Pizza Dough (adapted from KitchenAid):
- 1 (¼ oz.) Package Active Dry Yeast
- 1 cup warm water (between 110°-115°) Seriously, use a thermometer! You want to wake the yeast up, but not kill it.
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2½ - 3½ cups flour
- Garlic Salt (optional)
- Pour warm water into bowl of stand mixer. (You can do this without a stand mixer, it's just easier with one.) Sprinkle yeast packet over warm water and stir to dissolve. Let sit for a few minutes until bubbles start to form on water surface.
- Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Use dough hook attachment and mixer speed 2 to knead for two-minutes, or until dough comes together. (If you are not using a stand mixer, just mix the dough until it holds together, then move to floured surface to knead.)
- Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until dough gathers on dough hook and cleans sides of bowl. (Dough should still be tacky to the touch.) Knead until smooth.
- Place dough in oiled bowl and roll so it is lightly coated with oil. Cover with a towel and leave to rise in warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
- Once dough has doubled, punch it down. (This recipe is enough for two personal pizzas, or one large pizza.)
- Using your hands, shape the dough into a disc by pulling around the edges. You do not want to intentionally form an edge. You can use a rolling pin, but it's not necessary. If the dough is jumping back into position and not stretching anymore, let it rest a few minutes and try some more. This is just the gluten toughening up. It'll relax if you let it sit.
- Sprinkle corn meal on a cookie sheet (without edges) or a pizza peel. Place dough on top and make sure it slides around easily. Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt (if desired).
Slide dough onto preheated grill. You might need to rub the grates with a towel dipped in oil to make the grates non-stick. Our grille is well loved and well seasoned. Close lid and cook about 5 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown. Check often. The top will bubble like this:
When it looks like this, it's ready to come off.
Place browned side up on your pizza peel or cookie sheet. Brush edges with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. For this pizza I brushed the whole thing since I was omitting sauce.
For the Apricot and Goat Cheese Pizza:
- 1-2 Apricots, thinly sliced (I aimed for ¼ inch)
- Fresh Basil
- Soft herbed goat cheese
- Parmesan
- Reduced Balsamic (optional)
- Brush crust with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt, if desired.
- Place apricots in a single layer around the middle, leaving about ½ inch of crust on the edges.
- Tear basil leaves and layer on.
- Slice goat cheese and arrange slices around pizza.
- Grate Parmesan on top (you can use the sprinkle kind).
One of the best things about pizza, is that you can customize them to be what you wish. The sous chef thought my combination was crazy and went for a pizza sauce, mushroom, pepperoni, and mozzarella approach.
After your pizza is built, place back on the grill and close the lid. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
At this point, you can add the reduced balsamic. It adds a tangy bite that is countered in a lovely way by the goat cheese. It was at this point that I learned a valuable lesson. I could not find reduced balsamic at the store, so I decided to try to make my own by reducing balsamic vinegar on the stove top. I will never do that again. Have you ever inhaled vinegar vapors through your nose? It was not a pleasant experience and I wouldn't recommend doing it without proper ventilation precautions.
I actually think I prefer this pizza without the balsamic. I can't wait to try this combo with peaches. I prefer peaches to nectarines. Also, the fresh basil on here was a must. It was so delicious with the fruit.
So what about you? What's your flavor of pizza? Anything new and exciting I should try?
Foodie Blog, Grilled Nectarine and Goat Cheese Pizza
