(Prepared by Alex Tuller)
We talked about grilled pizza last year, but we did not provide a recipe. There are several we like, depending on our mood and who is making the pizza. Today’s recipe is pretty much the recipe in the Best Recipe Cook Book, but you should tray Alton Brown’s dough crust also.
1/2 c water at about 105 degrees
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups water at room temp
2 T extra virgin olive oil
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Oil for the bowl
Measure 1/2 c water into a larger container and add the yeast, sprinkling it on top the water. Wait about 5 minutes until it all dissolves and foams. Stir in the olive oil and the room temp water.
While yeast is doing its thing, measure flour and salt into bowl of standing mixer, add stir to combine with paddle attachment. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry on low speed until it forms a big mass. Replace paddle attachment with dough hook and knead until dough is elastic feeling. This will be about 5 minutes. Form it into a ball and add it to a big deep bowl that is oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours.
After 2 hours. turn out the dough onto a floured board and divide into 4 equal sized balls. Shape into round or oval disk. Careful not to make holes in it, but you do want it to be fairly thin. Put it on the grill, flipping it once the one side is cooked. Once both sides are cooked, move off the flame and to the indirect heat part of the grill and brush some olive oil on it and sprinkle salt. You can eat it that way, it is delicious
Toppings can be anything from grilled summer squashe with feta cheese & jack cheese to fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. If you’re using fresh zucchini or squashes, slice them in 1/4″ long slices and drizzle olive oil on them along with salt and pepper. Grill over a nice bed of coals turning over as needed for even cooking. When you pull them off, sprinkle some chopped thyme or oregano or basil over the veggies along with a very little bit of lemon juice.