Sunday, January 6, 2019
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| The Perfect Grilled Pizza |
The pizza in this photo was spectacular. I made a quickly sauteed chunky sauce using some summer ripe sweet tomatoes as the base. Thick cut smoked bacon, fresh mozzarella, a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some of my homemade chorizo sausages that I smoked myself all combined atop the crispy thin crust in an exercise of pizza perfection. Cooking it on a hardwood charcoal grill gave a hint of smokey charred flavor as well, making it even better.
I prefer to use fresh mozzarella on grilled pizza because it melts a little easier. I like to just add it in small cubes that sort of infill the spaces between the other ingredients. I like to use a very simple pizza dough recipe based upon a French Bread recipe because I find it crisps up nicely on the grill but feel free to use your own recipe if you like a softer crust. I won't even complain if you use store-bought pizza dough... well not too loudly anyway. ;)
Create your own favorite combinations and throw a backyard pizza party!
Crust
Makes sufficient for about four 12 inch pizzas
- 4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp instant rise yeast
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 tsp sea salt
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook. Mix for 5 -10 minutes on medium speed. You may need to add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time until the dough doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. Alternatively stir together with a wooden spoon before turning out onto a floured bread board and kneading for 5-10 minutes. Cover the dough and allow to rise for about an hour until about doubled in size. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for another few minutes. Divide into 4 equal portions, form into balls and let rest for about 10-15 minutes before stretching or rolling the dough out into about 12 inch rounds.
Preheat your gas grill to about medium low heat and place the stretched dough portions, a couple at a time directly on the grill. Watch these carefully, adjust the temperature and move them around on the grill as needed. You will know it's time to flip them when the dough bubbles significantly. You can burst any really large bubbles before you flip them and cook for an additional minute or two, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
Chunky Pizza Sauce
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 8 - 10large ripe tomatoes diced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to season
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
Saute the garlic in the oil over medium heat for just a minute before adding the tomatoes, brown sugar, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Continue to cook until the tomatoes soften and the sauce reduces to a chunky consistency. Add the balsamic vinegar in the few minutes of cooking time.
To cook the pizza, spread the tomato sauce over the crust and add the toppings that you have chosen in a single layer. Preheat the grill. If using a gas grill, turn off the burners on one side and place the dressed pizza on the opposite side. If using a charcoal grill build the coal fire on one half of the grill and cook the pizza on the other side. Once the pizza is in place, shut the lid and cook until the cheese completely melts. This can usually take anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Sometimes I will move the pizza over the fire in the last minute if I want a really crispy bottom crust.