Grilled Pizza

After many requests for, and much grumbling about my slow posting, here is the recipe for the greatest (well pretty darn good anyway) grilled pizza in the world! For the dough: 1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water

3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour (more if necessary)

1 1/2 teaspoons course salt

about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the topping: olive oil

Italian sausage (I get the Johnsonville sweet Italian sausage links and break them up) (browned ground beef style in a skillet)

large onion (pre-grilled)

sweet red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (pre-grilled)

fresh basil

fresh tomato's

Italian seasoning

kosher salt

fresh mozzarella cheese thinly sliced

pitted black olives

* Extra virgin olive oil for grilling the dough

* Vegetable oil to be used on the grill

1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and water in a small bowl & stir to mix. After 5 to 10 minutes,the mixture should look foamy. Place the flour & salt i n the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic dough blade & pulse to mix. Add the yeast/water mixture & 2 tablespoons of oil & run the machine in short bursts to obtain a smooth, soft dough. It should be moist but not sticky. If necessary add more flour a spoonful at a time, running the machine between additions, until the dough is the proper texture. You can also make the dough in a mixer fitted with a dough hook; place the yeast, sugar and water in the mixer bowl. When foamy add 2 tablespoons oil, & the salt & flour. Mix at low speed to form a smooth, soft dough.

2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface & knead it by hand for a few minutes.Lightly coat a large bowl with the remaining oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Punch down the dough & let rise until doubled in bulk again, 1 hour. This second rising is not absolutely imperative, but your crust will be lighter if you take the time to do it.

4. Meanwhile prepare the toppings. There are multiple ways you can make this pizza but I find I like fewer toppings. There is no tomato sauce , only olive oil. One of my favorites is olive oil on the crust, sprinkle with kosher salt and dried Italian seasoning, then add sliced mozzarella, fresh, thin-sliced tomato, & fresh, course-chopped basil. My kids like just olive oil and cheese, and the grandparents like the supreme (old school) with all the above mentioned toppings.

5. Set up the grill with 2 to 3 zones for cooking. Hot, medium & warm. Preheat the hot zone to high. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. When cooking multiple pizza's I do this step before each crust.

6. Generously oil 2 rimmed baking sheets. Place half the dough on 1 of the baking sheets and stretch it out to form a 9 by 13 inch rectangle that is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough and cover it with plastic wrap.

7.Brush on olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Starting from the narrow side & using both hands, gently lift the first dough rectangle & drape it over the grate onto the hottest part of the fire. Brush the side facing up with olive oil. Within a minute or so, the underside of the dough will crisp (watch for hot-spots) and darken and the top will puff slightly. Using tongs and a spatula slide the dough to a cooler part of the grill & cook until the bottom part of the dough is browned & firm.

8. Using tongs and a spatula, invert the crust over a hotter part of the fire. Grill until this side too starts to crisp & darken (about 1 minute). Move the crust back to a cooler part of the grill & brush the top with oil. Add sliced cheese and any toppings you desire. The cheese needs to go on first & needs to be fresh mozzarella or melting may be a problem. When all toppings are in place cover the grill to aid in melting the cheese. When the bottom crust is cooked, browned and firm, 2 to 4 minutes more, slide the pizza onto a platter for serving. Cut into pieces & serve. While people are enjoying the first one , prepare the second one the same way. The pizza should be eaten as soon as it comes off the grill. We always set up the back deck for dining when we do this.

Enjoy!!!