I've ben waiting for the right opportunity to post my first recipe on Hive. Spring showing it's beautiful face is as good excuse as any.
It was a nice sunny day, the trees had some blossoms blooming and that meant it was time for me to fire up the grill for pizza night. Well, I have an electric grill, but plug in the grill doesn't have the same ring to it 😀.
Yup, you read that correctly, I like to cook my pizza on the grill. It requires a bit of planning and timing, but is well worth the effort.
Dough
Notes before preparing:
*️⃣ I prefer bread flour for the higher protein count but all purpose will work as well. I'm lucky enough to live within a few miles of the Bob's Red Mill Headquarters and prefer their Artisan Bread Flour, but again, go with what you got. Different flours will require slight adjustments on the amount of water. The final texture of the dough should be tacky, but not overly sticky.
*️⃣ Dry active yeast can be used in the same amount as the instant yeast, but it must first be bloomed in the hot water before adding to the dry ingredients.
*️⃣ To gauge the temperature of the water you can use a thermometer, but I typically allow the tap to get hot and wait for it to feel about hot tub temperature. Big caution, too hot can kill the yeast so error on the side of too cool.
*️⃣ I prefer to use a stand mixer to make the dough, but it can easily be kneaded by hand.
*️⃣ I prefer to proof the dough overnight in the refrigerator. In a rush? Proof the dough in a warm spot, covered with a kitchen towel until double in size.
Method:
1️⃣ Combine the flour, yeast, salt, oil and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and stir with the dough hook attachment.
2️⃣ With the mixer running add all the water
3️⃣ Allow the dough to knead for 2-5 minutes at medium speed until the dough is smooth.
4️⃣ Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to proof overnight in the refrigerator. I don't usually have enough room for the bowl in the refrigerator and transfer the dough to a plastic bag at this point. Note the dough will double in size so make sure the bag can accommodate the expansion if you go this route.
5️⃣ At least an hour before you are ready to use the dough, remove it from the refrigerator, scale and shape them into desired portions. I prefer to cut the dough into four portions which makes a roughly 10 inch pie. The easiest way to shape the dough is to place a portion on a counter, form a claw over the portion and invoke your inner Karate Kid and wax on, or off, the portion until it forms a smooth ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to sit out at room temperature for at least an hour. If you are not ready to use the dough after an hour, cover and place back in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Toppings
Here is where some planning is involved. Cooking pizza on a grill is a quick process, much like cooking in a wood fired oven. Anything that goes on top of the pie will be mostly heated, not cooked. Because of this, ingredients that require some cooking should be precooked. Mushrooms or onions should be pre-roasted or sautéed. If you prefer sausages or cured meats crispy, this should be handled before hand as well.
Also like a wood fired pizza, less is more when it comes to the toppings. Don't use my photos of the finished product as an example as I always tend to over do it 😂
Roll
Dip the shaped dough in flour on both sides and roll the dough thin. A thick crust will burn on the grill before cooking through. Again, think like a wood fired pizza. I use a combination of rolling, tossing and hand stretching to keep the dough round and even. If the dough is fighting you and shrinking back after rolling it may not have rested long enough after shaping.
Oil and Grill
Brush the mixture in a thin layer across the dough. Be careful to keep the oil mixture on the pizza, not on the peel, so the dough doesn't grab the oil when trying to slide it off onto the grill. Once the dough is on the grill, close the lid to retain the heat.
Flip and Top
This step will take some practice on your part based upon how hot your grill becomes. My electric grill doesn't get above about 450°F. I would prefer to get above 500°F. On my grill I allow the dough to cook for 3-5 minutes, waiting for it to bubble. Make sure your sauce and toppings are handy because you will want to build your pie as quickly as possible after flipping.
Flip the half cooked dough over, sauce, cheese and top your pie. Close the lid on the grill to keep in the heat.
Enjoy
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