Grilled Sundried Tomato and Arugula Pizza

Charred in all the right spots, this grilled sundried tomato and arugula pizza is drizzled with garlic-infused olive oil and is topped with fresh mozzarella.

If there’s such a thing as tomato guilt, I’m having it.

Jarred and preserved tomatoes helped me survive the fall and winter months, but now I’ve nearly abandoned them.

Instead I have gone headfirst into fresh tomatoes devouring them raw and slow-roasted.

It’s pretty bad that I have turned my back on the strength of season-less tomatoes considering the lift and wonderful meals that have sustained me for these past months.

But I have to make the most of tomatoes when they are at the start of their annual climb all the way to their peak and their journey downhill.

In an effort to organize and rethink my warm weather cooking, I discovered a bag of sundried tomatoes hiding in the back of a cabinet.

This grilled sundried tomato and arugula pizza ended up being my last hurrah.

How To Make A Grilled Sundried Tomato and Arugula Pizza

First, I made the dough. The yeast got bubbly in the water mixture, and then I poured that into the flour and salt.

It didn’t take that many stirs for it to turn into a shaggy dough. I turned out of the bowl and kneaded the dough until it was smooth.

After shaping the dough into a ball, I put it in a bowl, covered it, and let it rise.

The Toppings

The sundried tomatoes I had were not the ones packed in oil, so they needed to be rehydrated in water.

Once they were nice and plump, I chopped them, so they could be scattered across the pizza.

Also during the rising time, I chopped garlic in olive oil in the food processor.

Once the dough was ready, I preheated the grill before rolling out the dough.

I grilled the dough on both sides, so it noticeably charred in spots.

Then I assembled the pizza starting with drizzling it with garlic oil and sprinkling the tomatoes over the crust.

I finished it off with torn mozzarella and put the pizza back on the grill for a couple minutes to let the cheese melt.

Before serving the grilled sundried tomato and arugula pizza, I topped it with fresh arugula, minced chives and seasoned it with salt and pepper.

I loved the pizza so much that maybe this won’t be goodbye for the season to preserved tomatoes.

Grilled Sundried Tomato and Arugula Pizza

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 6-8 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 36-38 minutes
• Yield: 1 12-inch pizza 1x

Charred in all the right spots, this grilled sundried tomato and arugula pizza is drizzled with garlic-infused olive oil and is topped with fresh mozzarella.

Ingredients

For dough

2/3 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons olive oil plus more for bowl and pizza

1–1/2 cups bread flour plus more for work surface

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For pizza

3 ounces sundried tomato halves (not packed in oil)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

6 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

2 handfuls arugula

1 tablespoon minced chives

Salt and black pepper

Instructions

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, sugar and olive oil and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until it forms a shaggy dough.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, the dough can be mixed in the bowl of a stand mixer using a dough hook.)

Gather the dough into a ball, transfer to an oiled bowl and cover. Place the bowl in a warm spot to allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size, about 1-1/2 – 2 hours.

Place the sundried tomatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. On low heat, simmer them until they are plump, about 5 minutes. Drain and roughly chop the tomatoes. Puree the garlic with the olive oil in a food processor.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pizza dough into a rough circle 12-inch diameter circle.

Place the dough directly on the grates and grill for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed until the crust has grill marks and has puffed up. Turn over the crust and grill for an additional 2 -3 minutes.

Remove the crust from the grill and flip it over so the first side that was grilled is facing down. Drizzle with the garlic olive oil and scatter the tomatoes and mozzarella across the crust leaving a 1/2-inch border. Return the pizza to the grill and cook until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Top with arugula & chives and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Notes

Loosely adapted from Food & Wine April 2011