Grill pizza on the backyard barbecue this summer
A few fresh ingredients are all you need to savour the season with splendid simplicity
It’s that time of year again when you can’t fathom the thought of turning the oven on to cook food — unless your house is equipped with air conditioning, then I suppose you are one of the lucky ones.
But for the rest of us who sweat it out for the summer, cooking need not be just salads and ice cream. Though, that doesn’t sound so bad, does it? I make good use of the barbecue in the backyard, grilling up everything from steaks to vegetables and fruit. And, now, pizza. With some preparation, pizzas can be grilled in under 10 minutes, quicker and cheaper than delivery and much tastier.
The key to great grilled pizza is the dough. This recipe is supple and smooth, with a bit of nuttiness from the whole wheat flour, and it also gives the crust good chew. If you have a source for good, premade pizza dough, then use that shortcut. Same with the sauce. If you want to open up a jar, I won’t judge. But the sauce I used is not cooked, and is just a puree of canned whole tomatoes (San Marzano if you can find them), garlic, balsamic and olive oil. Bam. That is all. It took about five minutes to make, and the bulk of that was peeling the garlic. (Am I the only one bad at it?).
As for toppings, use what you like, but just a little of each. Heavy toppings won’t cook thoroughly and you’ll end up with a burned crust and unmelted cheese.
It’s my goal this summer to always have pizza dough, cheese and canned tomatoes on hand. Topped with a few sprigs of basil from the pot on the porch, dinner need not be more than that. Summer food is about splendid simplicity, after all.
GRILLED PIZZA WITH ASPARAGUS, PROSCIUTTO AND GOAT CHEESE
Pizza Dough:
1 2/3 cups water
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 tsp salt
1. Mix the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Let stand for a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved and foamy.
2. Stir the oil into the yeast mixture, then add the flour and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, floury dough is formed. Knead the dough on low speed with a dough hook for 7 minutes, or knead by hand on the counter for 8 minutes. The dough should form a smooth ball and spring slowly back when poked.
3. Use a pastry scraper or knife to cut the dough into eight balls. Grease a baking pan lightly with olive oil. Place the dough balls in the pan and turn them over so they are coated with oil.
4. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. At this point the dough can be used immediately, refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for later use. Makes enough for eight small pizzas.
Quick Pizza Sauce:
1 32 oz can whole tomatoes (San Marzano, preferably) no salt or herbs added
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp balsamic vinegar 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper
Drain the tomatoes into a ■ bowl, reserving the juice for another recipe. Place the drained whole tomatoes into the bowl of a food processor along with the garlic, balsamic vinegar and sugar. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pizza Toppings:
2 cups shredded mozzarella 300 g prosciutto
1 bunch of asparagus 250 g goat cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups arugula
Fresh basil leaves
Preheat your gas grill with all the burners on high 10 minutes before you plan to cook. Once heated, turn the burners to low. Set up a workspace near the grill with space for shaping the pizza and bowls with sauce and toppings. You can either pull and stretch a dough ball in your hands into a round, or roll the dough out on a greased work surface until it is relatively round. Diameter should be around 7-8 inches. Flip the shaped pizza dough onto the greased grill over direct heat. Close the grill. Let the pizza grill until the bottom is just barely cooked and shows char marks, 1 to 3 minutes.
Every grill is different, and depending on yours and how long you preheated it, this time could vary. Before you flip, brush the surface of the dough with olive oil. Use tongs to flip the pizza over. Brush it quickly with olive oil, paying attention to the edges, and spread it with sauce and spread a thin layer of toppings over top. I put mozza then prosciutto then goat cheese.
I tossed the asparagus with a little olive oil and grilled it separately from the pizza. Close the grill and cook until the toppings are warmed through and the cheese is melted, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Again, time on your grill may vary. If the pizza smells like it’s burning, open the grill and rotate the pizza into a cooler spot. Place the grilled asparagus on the pizza when it is finished.
Use tongs or a large spatula to slide the finished pizza onto a cutting board. Cut the pizza into slices, garnish with a bit of arugula and basil. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Depending on the size of your grill, you can cook two to four pizzas at once.