TheStorkFork

 Using the grill as a cooking method for pizza can be intimidating.  We’ve seen those grill-top contraptions that they sell at those fancy stores, we’ve seen pizza stones on grills, pizza pans, and outright doughy disasters falling down into the fire pit.  With a few key steps you can – as seen in our video feature – you can create another type of pizza that is thin, crispy, and another perspective on one of our favorite things.

Some basic tips to go along with the recipe and video:

1. Cooking Time:  Because of the grill, this pizza cooks fast.  You have to keep the sauce and toppings to minimum but well balanced.  The point of this method is to have a simple, crispy, margherita style pizza.

2. Go Direct:  We make this directly on the grill and do not use any fancy device, stone, pan, or other.  You can use anything you prefer but we are here to tell you that it is not a prerequisite.

3. Dough First:  Due to the grilling method, the crust has to be grilled first.  Put the dough on first and grill until it starts to brown, flip it and then add the rest.  This helps cook it all the way through and avoid a messy disaster.  We show what this looks like in the video.

4. Don’t Worry About Shape:  Perfect circles are lovely – but really, who cares.  The pizza in our video is the shape of the USA.  Just get it on the grill!

Grilled Pizza with NJ Tomato Sauce

 Dough:

-3 cups all purpose flour

-1 1/3 cups of warm water (between 90-110 degrees)

-1 TBSP Yeast

-1/2 TSP Salt

-1 TBSP Sugar

*Activate yeast by combining warm water and yeast, stir until it desolves, then add the sugar.  Let stand for approximately 5 minutes until yeast head forms

*Combine and stir flour and salt together (to avoid direct contact between yeast and salt)

*Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix until a ball is formed

*On a floured surface, kneed dough until it becomes smooth, elastic, and together, approximately 5-8 minutes (you can use your food processor for this as well)

*Let sit and rise in a warm area, covered with a towel, for at least one hour. Then punch down to begin using or let it continue rising.  After this period you can move it to the fridge for later use, up to 4 days. 

Roasted NJ Cherry Tomato Sauce

-1 pint of cherry tomatoes, preferably from the fine state of NJ

-2 cloves garlic whole

-4 fresh basil leaves whole

-¼ cup olive oil

-½ TSP salt

*Add all in one oven ready pot

*Roast at 400 degrees for approximately 25 minutes

*Let cool, puree in food processor

Other Ingredients:

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil, just enough for brushing the dough

-Mozzarella Cheese, sliced in rounds.  Mothers-to-be, most Mozz is pasteurized cheese but double-check to be sure. 

-Basil Leaves

-Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

Grilling (see video for visual aid)

*Brush olive oil on one side of the dough then place that side down on the grill

*Brush olive oil on side of dough facing up

*When lightly browned on down facing side, flip the dough with tongs

*On the brown up-facing side, add your sauce and cheese, close lid

*Let grill for about 5 minutes until the down side is browned and cheese melted

*Remove pizza from grill and finish off with Basil and shaved Parmesan cheese