Barbecued pizza


Pizza Dough

Makes about 24 ounces of dough, or enough for four 12-inch pizzas

Dissolve:

1 envelope (2 ½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 c warm water
pinch sugar

After five minutes stir in:

2 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ c johnnycake meal or fine-ground white cornmeal
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil

Gradually add, stirring with a wooden spoon until a stiff dough has formed:

2 ½ to 3 ½ c unbleached white flour

Place dough on a floured board and knead for several minutes, adding only enough additional flour to keep the dough from sticking. When dough is smooth and shiny, transfer to a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil, cover, and let rise until double in bulk, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Punch down dough and knead once more. Let dough rise again about 40 minutes. Punch down again. If dough is sticky, knead in a bit more flour.


Tomato Sauce

Heat in a heavy sauté pan:

3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

Add and sauté until golden:

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

Then add:

12 to 15 Italian plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Then add:

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Set aside until ready to use.

Sauce may be cooled to room temperature, covered, and refrigerated for up to four days, or frozen up to two weeks.


Assembly

Start grill. You will probably not want to heat the whole thing so you can control temperatures.

On large, oiled, inverted baking sheet spread and flatten pizza dough with your hands into a 10- to 12-inch shape. Shape is not important, it's more important to have an even thickness. Move dough to the hot grill by lifting one side and draping it onto the grill.

Dough will puff slightly. Using tongs flip crust over onto coolest part of the grill. Brush with olive oil and scatter minced garlic, mozzarella, and tomato sauce, and whatever toppings desired. Move pizza to the hot part of the grill rotating frequently so the whole of the pizza receives the heat.

Pizza is done when top is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Serve at once.







This page is copyright 2006, Laura Giletti
Last revised: May 2006