Overhead shot of a hand grabbing a slice of Grilled Flatbread Pizza with marinara, mushrooms, spinach, and goat cheese

Grilled flatbread pizza is one of my favorite summertime meals. I try to avoid heating up the oven as much as I can when the mercury is rising, so each Friday in the spring and summer, I head outside and cook our weekly pizza dinner on the grill! The combination of fresh veggies with smoky grilled dough and melty cheeseโ€”itโ€™s just the perfect summer dinner.

When I make flatbread pizza on the grill, I want a crust that is light, airy, thin, and has a bit of a sourdough tang to itโ€”and thatโ€™s exactly what this flatbread dough will you get you. The dough does take some time to put togetherโ€” for a chewy and tangy crust, it requires three hours of rising timeโ€”but the time is totally worth it. I can safely say that this is the absolute best pizza we’ve ever made.

Overhead shot of ingredients for flatbread pizza dough

Overhead shot of flatbread pizza dough rising

Grilling pizza is a bit different from oven-baking it, and it definitely requires some getting used to. Iโ€™m an old pro at it now, but if youโ€™re new to it, here are a few tips:

  • Oil. Lots of oil. Before your dough touches the grill, it needs to be well covered in olive oil. And again when you flip it. I use a pastry brush to make sure to coat every nook and cranny.
  • Mise en place. Make sure all of your toppings, cheese, and sauce are ready to go before you start grilling. Once the bread hits the grill, the cooking process moves very fast. If you are making multiple pizzas, having a plate ready for each pizza helps to make things move more smoothly.
  • Cook your toppings. The pizza will only be on the grill long enough to melt the cheese, so any toppings that need to be cooked will need to be done beforehand. Sautรฉ your peppers and onions, and brown or cook any meat.
  • Embrace the rustic look. These pizzas wonโ€™t be perfectly round or perfectly formed. They are going to be gloriously rustic and organicโ€”which I think makes them look even more beautiful!

Side angle shot of pizza dough on a grill grate being brushed with oil

Overhead shot of sliced Grilled Flatbread Pizza with marinara, mushrooms, spinach, and goat cheese

As far as toppings go, youโ€™re only limited by your imagination and whatโ€™s stocked in your fridge! Some of my favorite combos are:

  • Marinara with bacon, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and mozzarella
  • Pesto with cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella
  • Marinara with mushrooms, spinach, and goat cheese (this is the one thatโ€™s pictured here)
  • Barbecue sauce, chicken, and red onions

Side angle shot of sliced Grilled Flatbread Pizza with marinara, mushrooms, spinach, and goat cheese

When weโ€™re camping, weโ€™ve even been known to make these pizzas over a grate on the campfire! You have to make sure the coals are really well-established (no big flames!) and keep a close eye on them, but itโ€™s the best darn camping meal youโ€™ll ever have! Itโ€™s also great for camping because you can have everything prepped ahead of time and stashed in baggies in the coolerโ€”just pull out your dough and toppings and get going. Enjoy!

 

Overhead shot of a hand grabbing a slice of Grilled Flatbread Pizza with marinara, mushrooms, spinach, and goat cheese

Grilled Flatbread Pizza

Yield: 4 small pizzas (4-8 servings)
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 6 minutes

Grilled Flatbread Pizza will put all your pizza delivery options to shame. Choose any toppings you like to customize your grilled masterpiece!

Ingredients

For the Flatbread:

  • 1 1/2 cups (350 grams) warm water
  • 2 teaspoons (16 grams) honey
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) active dry yeast
  • 4 cups (460 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (6 grams) kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons (27 grams) olive oil

For Grilling and Topping the Pizzas:

  • Olive oil
  • Toppings of your choosing

Instructions

  1. Mix the water and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and set aside for 10-15 minutes, until foamy.

  2. Add two cups of the flour and gently mix until thoroughly incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for an hour.

  3. Add the salt, oil, and remaining two cups of flour, and mix with a dough hook for 5-7 minutes to knead the dough. Coat the dough in oil, place it in a clean bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. Set the dough in a warm place to rise for about an hour, or until approximately doubled in size.

  4. Punch the dough down with floured hands and divide it into four discs. Place the discs on a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

  5. When you are ready to cook, preheat the grill to high. Flour your hands and spread each dough disc into a thin oval, allowing a little thickness around the edges. Brush olive oil onto the top of each dough oval. Carefully place pizza dough on the grill, oiled side down. Close the grill and let cook for 2-3 minutes.

  6. Brush the tops of the dough with oil, carefully flip, and layer on your desired toppings.

  7. Close the grill and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill, slice, and serve hot.

Notes

You can use any combination of toppings that you like. Just make sure all meats and vegetables (other than tender baby greens) are cooked beforehand, since they will not have time to cook fully on the grill. Have all your toppings ready to go right next to the grill since the cooking process moves very quickly once the dough hits the grates.

If your pizza is starting to look charred on the bottom but is not as browned as you like on top, transfer it to a broiler-safe pan and finish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, checking frequently.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 flatbread
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 550Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 96gFiber: 4gSugar: 0gProtein: 13g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

 

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13 Comments

  1. This is a wonderfully recipe! Thank you for sharing it. Iโ€™ve eaten it the last 2 days. It turned out great! I did some with very classic toppings and 1 pizza with melted butter and a hearty sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar. Then, added a drizzle of icing (made of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla) when the pizza came off the grill. It was divine ?.
    The dough was a bit wetter and stickier than I thought it would be when I made it. I had to use quite a bit of flour when patting it it out. But it turned out great!

  2. Love everything about this! I’ve never grilled pizza before but that will soon change! Thanks for sharing!

  3. I love your blog,….if only I could see it better. The gray ink on white is difficult for me, an older reader, to see. Just my opinion. Thanks. Keep up the great work.

    1. Any suggestions for making the dough a day ahead? How do I store it? Where in the process do I stop and restart the next day?

      1. Hi Brittany! You can mix up the dough and let it rise overnight in the fridge. Then about an hour before itโ€™s time to cook, bring it out to warm to room temp on the counter. I hope this helps!

  4. These look really good, but when you say they’re grilled do you mean they’re done on the BBQ? Or done on a bottom heated griddle or on a top heated grill(broiler I think it’s called in the US)?

    I hate the way words mean different things in different countries!

  5. OMG. Ridiculous. I have bookmarked so many of your fun recipes for when we host our next wine tasting, I am thinking of doing a build your own pizza party and I was totally thinking grilled pizza would be perfect!! Aaaaaaand, gotta have the caprese sticks for an app!