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Beyond Ribs and Fish: Pizza's Day on the Grill

By Mark Bittman (NYT) 913 words
I'M not sure there is a grilled food that impresses guests more than pizza. The results, once you get the hang of the process, are outstanding.

Yes, grilled pizza presents challenges to the home cook. But if you have a food processor and instant yeast (which can simply be tossed in the food processor with the flour), making the dough is as easy as grating cheese. And you can grill the dough as soon as an hour after making it, which is as easy as the recipe makes it appear.

Both rolling out and grilling the dough do require some care. Rolling is much easier if you allow the dough to rest at each stage: when you divide it into three (the recipe makes enough for three small pies, for easier grilling), when you flatten it and then again when you roll it into pies. I usually take a minute to roll the dough initially, then allow it to rest for five minutes before proceeding.

Grilling is best done with a covered grill that mimics an oven. And you want part of the grill to be fairly hot. On a gas grill, this means setting one side to high and the other to low, or some similar arrangement. With a charcoal grill, simply build your fire on one side of the fire box. Use the hot side for the initial browning of the dough, the cool side to heat the toppings.

Some pies are minimally topped. (Pizza bianco, white pizza, which is topped with olive oil, salt and sometimes rosemary, was, before the American influence, the most popular pizza in Rome.) Others are intuitive: mozzarella, tomato and basil; or caramelized onions and olives; or tomato sauce, Parmesan and anchovies. Still others use less traditional ingredients like fresh goat's milk cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, figs and whatever else you crave.

One tool makes all of the work easier: a pizza peel with a metal blade (the handles are usually wood). Whereas a wooden peel will char after repeated use, a metal one will not be marred by the heat, and its thinness makes it easier to slide under the pie. I use the peel to roll out the dough, slide it onto the grill, remove it and flip it. Sometimes I use it for serving as well. If you cannot find a peel locally, there is always the Web. A good peel for $10 is at www.napastyle.com.

PIZZA DOUGH
Time: 15 minutes, plus at least 1 hour's rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more as needed
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt, more for sprinkling.

1. Combine flour, yeast, oil and salt in a food processor. Turn machine on, and add 1 cup water through feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky.

2. Turn dough onto a floured work surface, and knead to form a smooth, round ball. Put dough ball in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. Use immediately, or wrap tightly in plastic, and freeze for up to a month. Defrost in a covered bowl in refrigerator or at room temperature.

Yield: 3 pies.

WHITE PIZZA
Time: 30 minutes

Pizza dough (see recipe)
Flour
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse kosher or sea salt
3 tablespoons or more roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus sprigs (optional).

1. Divide dough ball into 3 pieces. Roll each into a ball, and place on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with a little more flour, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let rest while you start a covered grill. Fire should be medium-hot on one side, medium to cool on the other. Set grill rack about 4 inches from heat source.

2. Lightly press each dough ball into a flat round, lightly flouring the work surface and dough as necessary. Let rounds sit for a few minutes. This will relax dough and make it easier to roll out. Roll out on a cookie sheet, flouring the rolling pin or your hands as necessary.

3. Slide pie onto hot side of grill, and brush top lightly with olive oil. Grill until lightly browned on bottom. Remove from grill with a large spatula. Lightly flour top, then flip pie over onto its other side, on cooler part of grill. Top grilled side with salt and a third of the rosemary, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cover, and grill 6 to 12 minutes, until hot and nicely browned on bottom. Serve immediately or at room temperature (these will keep for a few hours). Repeat with remaining dough.

Yield: 3 pies.

Margherita Pizza: After flipping pie, top it with fresh sliced tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, grated fresh mozzarella and salt to taste. When pie finishes grilling, top with basil leaves and a little more olive oil.

Fern-Bar Pizza: After flipping pie, top it with prosciutto, thin-sliced fresh figs, fresh goat's milk cheese and a little extra virgin olive oil. When pie finishes grilling, drizzle with more oil.

Marinara Pizza: After flipping pie, top it with fresh sliced tomatoes, thin-sliced garlic, extra virgin olive oil and anchovy fillets.