I thought we’d take a little break from making fruit pies this week so we could make another kind of pie – pizza pie. And not just any pizza pie, but a grilled pizza pie.
It probably won’t surprise you that this recipe for Grilled Flatbread with Hummus and Veggies is from my new book, The Harvest Baker. I made the accompanying video to show you how we do it on the grill, but also – truth be told – so I could get outside in some of this gorgeous weather. (Filming outside this time of year has its drawbacks, as you’ll see in the first few seconds of the video.)
To round out this tasty grilling package, I’ve included the graphic below with a handful of pizza grilling tips, followed by the recipe. Enjoy! (NOTE: Click here for the Food Processor Pizza Dough I use for this flatbread.)
Ingredients
- Food Processor Pizza Dough (see link above or note below) or 1 pound store-bought pizza dough
- 1 large eggplant, cut in 1/2-inch thick slabs
- 1 or 2 large green bell peppers, halved and cored
- 1 large sweet onion, cut in 1/2-inch thick rings (try to keep the rings intact; easier to grill)
- 1/3 cup or more olive oil, for the veggies
- 2 cups (about 1 pound) hummus
- 2 cups crumbled feta cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the dough and set it aside to rise in an oiled bowl. Preheat your grill. Put all the veggies on a large rimmed baking sheet. Brush lavishly with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill the veggies until tender and charred. Transfer to the sheet. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, scrape off the blistered skins. Cut into strips and set aside.
- When the dough has doubled, punch it down. Divide in half and knead the halves briefly. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time on a floured surface - keep the other half covered with plastic - pat or roll the dough into an 8-inch circle. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil on a large baking sheet. Transfer one piece of dough to the sheet. Let it rest a few minutes, then oil your fingers and press it into a 12- to 13-inch oblong. (If you plan to slide your pizza off of a cornmeal-dusted board, skip the oil.)
- With your grill good and hot, in one smooth movement gingerly lift the oblong of dough (or slide it off your board) and drape it on the grill. Once it is on the grill, don't try to move it for the first few minutes. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil. If you're grilling the other pizza at the same time, press it out now.
- After 3 or 4 minutes, when the bottom of the pizza has firmed up a little, lift around the edges with a spatula to see how it's doing. It it's getting too dark in places, rotate the pizza and adjust the heat.
- After about 5 minutes the dough should be ready to flip. Use long handled tongs and wear oven mitts to flip it over, if you like, for extra protection. (This would be a good time to start the other pizza if you're grilling them together.)
- After you flip the dough, wait a minute or two then brush the surface lavishly with olive oil. Spread about 1 cup of hummus on the pizza, then top with half each of the eggplant slices, grilled peppers, onions, and cheese. Cover the grill and cook another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Slide the pizza onto a baking sheet, then slide it onto a cutting board. Sprinkle with parsley, then slice and serve. Repeat for the second pizza. Makes about 6 servings.
