Home >Recipes >Grilled Pizza with Herbed Mascarpone, Smoked Salmon and Asparagus

Serves: 6

• For the dough:
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• about 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
• 1 cup cool water
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp gray salt

• For the pizza:
• about 3/4 lb mascarpone cheese
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp minced chives
• gray salt
• freshly ground pepper
• extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced thinly, soup style
• 1 bunch asparagus spears, blanched, shocked and cut on bias in 1-inch lengths
• 1 lb smoked salmon, thinly sliced
• all-purpose flour for dusting work surface
• about 1/4 cup capers, rinsed

Preparation Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

For the dough: Whisk together the yeast, lukewarm water and 1/2 cup of the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Dust the top lightly with flour, cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave the sponge to rise until the flour dusting “cracks,” showing the yeast is alive and well, about 20 minutes.

Add 3 cups of the flour, the 1 cup cool water, the olive oil and the salt. Start kneading at low speed, then increase the speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed to produce a slightly moist and soft dough. Knead with the dough hook attachment until smooth and silky and the dough adheres to the hook.

Dust the dough lightly with flour and, using a pastry scraper, scrape it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly, folding the dough over on itself. Shape into a ball, flatten slightly, dust lightly with flour, cover with a towel and leave to rise on a floured surface (or in a bowl) until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough down, wrap, and freeze for up to 1 month if not using immediately. Defrost and let rise in a large bowl in the refrigerator.

For the pizza: Prepare the grill and let burn down to medium coals. You can also pre-heat a grill pan or electric griddle.

In a small mixing bowl combine the mascarpone with the lemon zest, chives, salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Working on a surface free of flour, roll each ball under your palm. As it rolls, it will stick slightly to the surface, creating tension that helps form a tight, round ball. Dust the work surface lightly with flour. Pat each ball down lightly, dusting the tops with flour. Cover dough with a towel and let rise for about 15 minutes. With a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a circle 8 or 9 inches in diameter, and about 1/8 inch thick.

Have the grill ready at medium heat. Have the olive oil, mascarpone, asparagus, salmon, capers and onion ready and close by. Brush each dough round with about 1 tsp of the olive oil. Place on the grill, oiled side up, and cook until browned on the underside, about 2 minutes. Turn and, working quickly, brush each round with another 1 tsp olive oil. Remove to a cutting board, and working quickly while still hot, spread each grilled dough with some of the mascarpone. Drape a few of the salmon slices over the mascarpone, scattering some of the asparagus, capers and red onion over the top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.