Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Grillin' Pizza!
Yeah, yeah...sorry. I have a life, and I can't be doing this blog thing every day.
The Good News is, I've been working with pizza, on the grill, and the results have been spectacular!
I've essentially perfected the method; the details (toppings, sauces) are really kind of secondary. Freshly-made pizza, and no firing up the oven!
The Dough
A very basic yeast-leavened bread dough, and the procedure is exactly like making bread:
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup water, at room temperature
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon more for brushing
* 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
The Toppings
Any type of sauce, shredded/grated cheese, and other toppings you like. Remember, it's pizza, so anything goes!
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
In a measuring cup, combine the water with the sugar; when sugar is dissolved, add the yeast; whisk to combine. Allow the water/yeast/sugar mixture to rest for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add the olive oil to the flour/salt; immediately pour in the water/yeast mixture (by now, it should be foamy). Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture together. When the mixture takes on a "shaggy" consistency, turn it out onto a floured kneading surface. Knead for at least 10 minutes., adding bench flour as necessary. When done, roll dough into a smooth ball, and place in a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and place bowl in refrigerator for AT LEAST 3 hours to allow it to rise; overnight would be even better.
After dough has risen, "punch down" the dough, and divide it into halves (again, standard bread-making procedure). Wrap one half tightly with plastic wrap (refrigerate for later use). Roll the remaining half into a tight ball, then flatten the dough into a circle (or whatever shape you like), using a rolling pin or your hands. The dough should be about 1/4-inch thick throughout.
Place the dough onto a foil-lined baking sheet, and use a fork to "dock" the dough all over. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil, and place the baking sheet in the freezer. Leave the dough in the freezer for at least one hour.
When ready to grill: light your grill (high heat), and thoroughly clean your grill-grates using a wire brush. Allow the grill to warm up, then flip the dough (oiled-side down) onto the grill. Immediately turn grill temperature to low, and allow dough to cook for 4 minutes.
After 4 minutes, brush the top of the dough with olive oil. Now you'll want to flip the dough. If you're not fortunate enough to have a pizza peel, you can use 2 metal spatulas, or (if you're very bold) your fingers. Use as quick & smooth a motion as you can; the most important thing is DON'T DROP THE DOUGH. Once the dough is flipped, you can "finesse" it so it's centered properly on the grill.
Immediately add your sauce, toppings, and cheese (I recommended adding the cheese last). Close the grill cover, and allow to cook for 5 minutes (no peeking). After 5 minutes, check that the cheese has melted, at least partially. If necessary, close the lid for another 3 minutes, then check again.
When the cheese has begun to melt well, close the lid and turn off the grill--you don't want to char the bottom of the crust. Leave the pizza inside the grill (lid closed) for another 4 to 5 minutes.
Slide the pizza onto your baking sheet, for easy carrying. Slice and enjoy!
Yeah, yeah...sorry. I have a life, and I can't be doing this blog thing every day.
The Good News is, I've been working with pizza, on the grill, and the results have been spectacular!
I've essentially perfected the method; the details (toppings, sauces) are really kind of secondary. Freshly-made pizza, and no firing up the oven!
The Dough
A very basic yeast-leavened bread dough, and the procedure is exactly like making bread:
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup water, at room temperature
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon more for brushing
* 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
The Toppings
Any type of sauce, shredded/grated cheese, and other toppings you like. Remember, it's pizza, so anything goes!
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
In a measuring cup, combine the water with the sugar; when sugar is dissolved, add the yeast; whisk to combine. Allow the water/yeast/sugar mixture to rest for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add the olive oil to the flour/salt; immediately pour in the water/yeast mixture (by now, it should be foamy). Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture together. When the mixture takes on a "shaggy" consistency, turn it out onto a floured kneading surface. Knead for at least 10 minutes., adding bench flour as necessary. When done, roll dough into a smooth ball, and place in a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and place bowl in refrigerator for AT LEAST 3 hours to allow it to rise; overnight would be even better.
After dough has risen, "punch down" the dough, and divide it into halves (again, standard bread-making procedure). Wrap one half tightly with plastic wrap (refrigerate for later use). Roll the remaining half into a tight ball, then flatten the dough into a circle (or whatever shape you like), using a rolling pin or your hands. The dough should be about 1/4-inch thick throughout.
Place the dough onto a foil-lined baking sheet, and use a fork to "dock" the dough all over. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil, and place the baking sheet in the freezer. Leave the dough in the freezer for at least one hour.
When ready to grill: light your grill (high heat), and thoroughly clean your grill-grates using a wire brush. Allow the grill to warm up, then flip the dough (oiled-side down) onto the grill. Immediately turn grill temperature to low, and allow dough to cook for 4 minutes.
After 4 minutes, brush the top of the dough with olive oil. Now you'll want to flip the dough. If you're not fortunate enough to have a pizza peel, you can use 2 metal spatulas, or (if you're very bold) your fingers. Use as quick & smooth a motion as you can; the most important thing is DON'T DROP THE DOUGH. Once the dough is flipped, you can "finesse" it so it's centered properly on the grill.
Immediately add your sauce, toppings, and cheese (I recommended adding the cheese last). Close the grill cover, and allow to cook for 5 minutes (no peeking). After 5 minutes, check that the cheese has melted, at least partially. If necessary, close the lid for another 3 minutes, then check again.
When the cheese has begun to melt well, close the lid and turn off the grill--you don't want to char the bottom of the crust. Leave the pizza inside the grill (lid closed) for another 4 to 5 minutes.
Slide the pizza onto your baking sheet, for easy carrying. Slice and enjoy!
