We love pizza. It's hard to mess up. Ask the cyclist his pizza philosophy some time. We also love to make pizza. We started when we were dating. Over the past 11 years, the cyclist has learned how to throw a mean pizza dough. We usually make it in the oven with a stone, paddle, cornmeal, etc. Today it is too hot, so we are making it on the grill. Delish!
Dough:
This will make enough for 4 small thin crust pizzas.
3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water (you may need a couple more tablespoons)
2 T olive oil
Stir together flour, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add water and olive oil. Stir mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump entire contents of bowl onto lightly floured surface and knead everything into a soft ball (my dough never comes together enough in the bowl, there is still a lot of loose flour, so I don't add any extra flour to my work surface.)
If dough isn't coming together, leave dough where it is, cover with the bowl (upside down) and let it rest for a few minutes. It should be easier when you come back.
Knead dough for a minute or two. Spray bowl (same one) with cooking spray. Dump dough back in and turn it so all sides are coated with spray. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit for one to two hours (until it has doubled in size).
Dump it back on the floured surface and gently press out any bubbles. Fold it back into a ball and let it sit under plastic wrap for about 20 more minutes.
*It is worth it to make dough from scratch and this recipe is quite easy , but if you are intimidated by homemade dough, or in a pinch for time, get refrigerated dough from the supermarket, buy dough from your favorite pizza joint, or use thawed Rhodes dough.
Light up the grill.
Roll out dough to desired thickness. (Not too big, you will have to flip it like a pancake.) Brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Put it right on the grill, oiled side down. Brush second side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Let dough sit on grill until a little color develops. Not too long. With tongs or a LARGE spatula, flip dough. Top cooked side of pizza with desired toppings and shut BBQ lid. It should be ready in about 5 minutes.
Here's how we topped ours:
Fresh mozzarella (the kind that is packed in water)
Fresh Basil
sliced tomatoes
Caramelized onions:
1 large red onion (about 1 lb)
2 T olive oil
large pinch kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 T balsamic vinegar
Cut onion in half from top to bottom. Slice thickly lengthwise. Heat oil in skillet, add onions and saute until golden. Add the salt, sugar and vinegar and cook until onions have caramelized, about 3-5 minutes.
Roasted red peppers:
Preheat grill or gas stove top. Place peppers over flame and cook until the skin blisters and turns black turning periodically. Immediately put into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Uncover and peel the charred skin off. Slice peppers open and scrape out cores and seeds. Slice. You can also find jarred, roasted red peppers in most grocery stores
Balsamic Reduction (drizzle on pie after cooked): In small saucepan, cook balsamic vinegar over medium heat until it reduces by about half and thickens to the consistency of corn syrup. (This takes about 10-15 minutes).
We also made some with regular shredded mozzarella and tomato sauce for the girls but #2 actually preferred the gourmet version.
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