July 29--I confess to pizza snobbery. I skip mediocre takeout pizza -- not worth the calories. Fresh, hot, deep-dish Chicago-style pizza, consumed in a restaurant, proves worthwhile. Thin crust "gourmet" pizza, cooked with wood, makes my heart soar. I could eat it every day. Seriously.
Unfortunately, our favorite thin crust pizza place in the city closed. I still dream of those pies topped sparingly with thinly cut market vegetables, perfect cheeses, luscious tomatoes, interesting sausages and olives.
Lamenting their absence, my son pointed out that we possess a great dough recipe and a couple of grills. Certainly, we could make our own. Luckily, my brother-in-law, Bob, a pizza man in his own home, volunteered to helm the superhot grill. He kept the fire stoked with hardwood charcoal and a bit of mesquite chips for flavor.
After doing a little thin crust research, I opted to work with the super finely ground 00 flour the pros prefer. Several brands are available at specialty markets, such as Eataly and other Italian groceries. I like Hayden Flour Mills 00 pizza flour (a mix of white Sonora and hard red spring wheats), which is also available online from www.haydenflourmills.com.
When comparing pizzas side by side made with 00 flour and unbleached all-purpose flour, it's easy to tell one flour from the other. The 00 flour yields a more silky textured dough. It also tends to spring back less when rolling into pizza rounds; this is due to its lower gluten content. The finished pizzas made with this flour sport a sweeter flavor and more toothsome (but not chewy) texture.
Don't get me wrong, everyone likewise loved the pizzas made with the affordable unbleached flour from the local supermarket. I would never skip making pizza just because I couldn't find or afford 00 flour. With either, I like to add a bit of whole wheat flour for a nutty flavor; it also makes the dough a bit easier to handle. Whichever flours you choose, letting the dough rise slowly, punching it down a couple of times, builds flavor.
Shaping the dough takes practice. A perfect round still eludes my skills. And forget those images of pizzaiolas throwing their pizza dough in the air and twirling it into thin circles. Instead, use a heavy-duty rolling pin and very little force to gently roll the ball into a thin round. Don't force it, if the dough springs back on you, simply cover it with a towel and let it relax a few minutes.
For grilling the crusts, I employ a technique I learned years ago from my friends at Weber: Grill one side of the crust to a nutty golden color, then build the toppings on the grilled side. Not only does this add great grill flavor to the finished pizza, it allows me to work ahead. I can grill mark the crusts up to 1 hour in advance and cool them on wire racks. Shortly before serving, I reheat the grill, and finish the pizzas with the sauce, toppings and cheese. Then back to the grill to finish cooking. For the best textured crust, you'll want to serve the pizzas as soon as they come off the grill.
While Bob cooked his pizzas on my charcoal grill, I experimented with the gas grill. Though gas doesn't have the flavor of charcoal, ease of use has its merits. Plus, the heat is more consistent, so there's less chance of scorched crust or cheesy flare-ups.
As for the toppings, keep them high quality, but avoid the temptation to overload the crust. Less is more. Especially on a delicate thin crust that you need to move from work surface to grill to table.
Organize your toppings
Group them by five categories on your work surface:
1 Flavorful oil or herbed oils (or smoky bacon fat) for brushing the grilled pizza rounds.
2 Sauce: Tomato red, ricotta white or pesto green.
3 Fun stuff: Cooked sausage, salamis, cut or grilled vegetables, olives, peppers, crisp bacon.
4 Cheese: Fresh, melting shreds, hard grating.
5 Garnishes: Fresh snipped herbs, peppery arugula, more cheese, hot pepper flakes.
My favorite combination at our recent pizza cookout: a smear of olive oil, a thin spread of whole milk ricotta and a heavy drizzle of thinned mascarpone. Amazing.
Once the crusts are made and grilled, the toppings and the cooking go quickly. Enlist help. If you're new to the game, don't try to serve too many people. Four is ideal when working with one grill. It's a good idea to have the table set, a green salad made and beverages ready. You will want to enjoy these pizzas as soon as they come off the grill.
Grilled-pizza party prep schedule
1 Up to 2 days in advance: Make dough.
2 Up to several hours in advance: Prepare toppings and shred cheeses. Arrange toppings on trays for easy use. I put all oils and sauces on one tray, meats and prepared vegetables on another and cheeses on a third.
3 When dough is on the second rise, prepare a charcoal grill for high heat. (If using a gas grill, light for high heat (400+ degrees) 10 minutes before starting to grill.) Place the cooking grate in position on the grill so it heats.
4 Portion dough into individual balls and let them rise on a well-oiled baking sheet for 15 minutes or so.
5 Roll out dough balls into pizza rounds, and place on baking sheets sprinkled generously with cornmeal.
6 Grill pizza rounds on the first side until puffed and bottoms are nicely golden, usually 2 to 3 minutes.
7 Remove rounds from grill. Turn them grilled side up, and place on baking sheets.
8 Have guests top their pizzas in the following order: brush lightly with oil (or bacon drippings), top with sauce, then meats and veggies. Sprinkle with cheeses.
9 Grill until toppings are heated through and cheese is melty, usually 3 to 5 minutes.
10 Remove carefully and garnish with herbs or greens, etc.
11 Serve immediately.
Pizza dough
Put 3 1/2 cups 00 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 teaspoon salt into a food processor fitted with metal blade or bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pulse several times to mix well. Mix 1 1/3 cups warm (105 to 115 degrees) water, 1 envelope active dry yeast and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl; let stand until foamy. Add to flour. Process or mix until the mixture forms a soft, not too sticky ball. (If dough is sticky, add a couple of tablespoons of flour and pulse until incorporated.) Use machine to knead dough until it looks smooth.
Transfer dough to a well-oiled bowl, turn to coat the top with oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough; if time allows, let rise again. Then punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead several times to expel air before using. (You can refrigerate the dough at this point for up to 2 days; use at room temperature.)
Makes: 8 individual pizzas
Nutrition information per serving: 228 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 48 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 292 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
Quick tomato sauce
For the freshest tasting sauce, seek out canned tomatoes that do not contain citric acid or calcium chloride. Cook 1/2 small red onion, diced, in 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium saucepan until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 1 box or can (26 to 28 ounces) diced Italian tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of sugar. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until reduced to a thick puree, about 10 minutes. Cool.
Makes: about 3 cups
Nutrition information per 1/4 cup: 26 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 234 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
2-cheese grilled pizzas with garlicky tomatoes
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: 8 individual thin-crust pizzas
Use the large holes on a four-sided grater to make long pretty shreds of the Romano cheese.
1 recipe pizza dough, see recipe or purchase 2 pounds refrigerated pizza dough
Cornmeal
1 batch quick tomato sauce, see recipe
12 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup coarsely shredded or shaved Romano cheese
Olive oil
Chopped fresh herbs
1 Make pizza dough. When it has risen at least once, divide into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Let stand covered with a towel on a well-oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle several baking sheets or wooden boards with cornmeal.
2 Heat a gas grill to hot, or prepare a charcoal grill. Have the tomato sauce and cheeses nearby.
3 Put one dough ball on a floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll ball into 6- to 7-inch round. Place on prepared baking sheet or board. Repeat to roll all dough balls.
4 Place 2 or 3 pizza circles at a time on the grill's cooking grate directly over the heat. Cover grill and cook, without turning, until bottoms are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from grill.
5 Turn pizza circles grilled side up. Brush lightly with oil. Smear a thin layer of the tomato sauce over the pizza. Dollop with ricotta, then sprinkle with Romano. Return to grill in a single, uncrowded layer; cook until toppings are warm and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes.
6 Serve right away sprinkled with a little chopped fresh herbs.
Nutrition information per pizza: 416 calories, 14 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 37 mg cholesterol, 54 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 934 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
Spicy meat-lover's grilled pizzas
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 individual thin-crust pizzas
'Nduja, a spicy almost spreadable Italian pork sausage, seasoned with smoked paprika and hot peppers, can be found at specialty markets and online. You can substitute chopped andouille sausage or cooked hot Italian sausage if desired. This is delicious with sliced Kalamata olives too.
1 recipe pizza dough, see recipe or purchase 2 pounds refrigerated pizza dough
Cornmeal
1 batch quick tomato sauce, see recipe
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
Olive oil or truffle oil if desired
4 ounces very thinly sliced hard salami, such as finocchiona
2 to 4 ounces 'nduja salami, crumbled (or 1/4 pound cooked hot Italian sausage)
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan or Romano (or a combination)
Chopped fresh basil and oregano
1 Make pizza dough and quick tomato sauce. When dough has risen, divide into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Let stand covered with a towel on a well-oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle several baking sheets or wooden boards with cornmeal.
2 Cook Italian sausage, breaking it into small bits, in large nonstick skillet until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
3 Heat a gas grill to hot, or prepare a charcoal grill. Have all ingredients near work surface.
4 Put one dough ball on a floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll ball into 6- to 7-inch round. Place on prepared baking sheet or board. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
5 Place 2 or 3 pizza circles at a time on the grill's cooking grate directly over the heat. Cover grill and cook, without turning, until bottoms are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from grill.
6 Turn pizza circles grilled side up. Brush lightly with oil. Spoon on a thin layer of tomato sauce. Top with cooked sausage and salamis. Sprinkle with cheese. Return to grill; cook until toppings are warm and bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes.
7 Serve sprinkled with a little chopped basil and oregano.
Nutrition information per pizza: 440 calories, 16 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 34 mg cholesterol, 55 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 1,267 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
White pizza with basil
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: 8 individual thin-crust pizzas
1 recipe pizza dough, see recipe or purchase 2 pounds refrigerated pizza dough
Cornmeal
Olive oil
12 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely shredded or shaved Romano cheese
1/2 cup mascarpone or creme fraiche (thinned with a little milk)
Tiny basil leaves and thinly sliced chives
1 Make pizza dough. When it has risen at least once, divide into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Let stand covered with a towel on a well-oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle several baking sheets or wooden boards with cornmeal.
2 Heat a gas grill to hot, or prepare a charcoal grill. Have all ingredients nearby.
3 Put one dough ball on a floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll ball into 6- to 7-inch round. Place on prepared baking sheet or board. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
4 Place 2 or 3 pizza circles at a time on the grill's cooking grate directly over the heat. Cover grill and cook, without turning, until bottoms are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from grill.
5 Turn pizza circles grilled side up. Brush lightly with oil. Smear a thin layer of ricotta over the pizza. Sprinkle with pepper. Sprinkle with Romano, then drizzle with mascarpone. Return to grill; cook until toppings are warm and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
6 Serve sprinkled with basil and chives.
Nutrition information per pizza: 497 calories, 25 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 72 mg cholesterol, 49 g carbohydrates, 20 g protein, 598 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
