Tasty Tales by Tina: Pizza Dough and Grilled Pizza's

Prep: 20 minutes Rise: 45 minutes

I never knew that pizza dough could be so easy and fun to make! This homemade pizza dough has little bits of fresh basil leaves from my garden and five other ingredients that are simply mixed together to create a wonderfully delicious bread. Mix up a couple batches; each batch makes 4 mini-pizzas, invite your friends over and have a fun do-it-yourself party. Set out a variety of topping ingredients for your guests and hand them a piece of dough and let them make their own customized pizzas!! This was so much fun for my family and friends; some came up with some very tasty and creative pizzas! Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 packages active dry yeast

2 Tbsp. chopped basil

½ tsp. salt

1 cup warm water

2 Tbsp. EVOO

The Process

1. Place 2 ¾ cups flour, the yeast, basil and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix together all ingredients. Add water and oil. Mix together; you might want to use your hands, until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. If the dough is still sticky, add ¼ cup flour until the dough forms and is no longer sticky.

2. Lightly oil a medium to large bowl. Place the dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until the dough has about doubled in size.

3. Now it’s time to turn your pizza dough into a custom pizza!

Fresh Tomato Pizza on the Grill

Prep: 20 minutes Grill: 10 minutes

Now, I know I said you can make a customized pizza and you can but this is my favorite pizza recipe; fresh tomato basil. If tomato basil is not your favorite follow the same process just top your pizza with ingredients of your choice!

Ingredients

Pizza dough

Cornmeal

8 tsp. EVOO
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh or dried basil leaves

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

The Process

1. Divide dough into 4 parts. Place each part on a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil lightly sprinkles with cornmeal.

2. Press each part into 6-inch round. Brush with oil.

3. Place foil directly on grill rack. Cover and grill pizza dough over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes; until the dough is no longer doughy.

4. Remove from grill. Top with tomatoes, basil and cheese (or your favorite toppings). Cover and grill 5 to 6 minutes longer until the cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned.