Rediscovering Grilled Pizza

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America's favorite food has long been the pizza cooked in a
traditional oven but is that about to change? While most Americans
have probably never indulged in a grilled pizza, the origins of pizza
are making a big comeback. There is no denying that we love our
traditional backyard barbeque but rarely, if ever has the barbeque
included grilling a pizza. Despite the seemingly odd combination of
grill and pizza, the grill is the ideal tool for cooking pizza and in
fact is deep in the origin of pizza making. The high, dry heat is
ideal for a nice crisp crust and the flavor provided from your grill
will on a whole new world of backyard grilling.
Before the word pizza was ever used, Greeks and Romans used wood-fired
brick ovens to prepare the original version of pizza - flatbread. In
ancient times each diner was given a piece of flat bread along with a
piece of meat on the bread. This food was eaten with the fingers with
an occasional knife to cut the meat. Little did they know that this
would eventually spark the creation one of the America's favorite
foods.
Grilled Pizza Techniques:Ingredients:1 teaspoon dried yeast 1
tablespoon soy oil 1 teaspoon sugar ? cup warm water (110'F) 1 ? cup
bread flour 1 tablespoon soy flour 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:Combine yeast, sugar and ? cup very warm water in bowl,
let sit for five minutes. Combine flour and salt in bowl. Mix yeast
mixture with bowl containing dry ingredients. Add a little extra flour
if dough is sticky. Knead for a good 10 minutes. Put into a greased
bowl and let rise for 60 minutes until it doubles in size. Turn out
onto a floured surface then knead lightly until smooth. Roll out into
a ?" thick, 12" diameter circle. The thinner the dough is rolled, the
better.
Before placing your crust on the grill, be sure that your grill is
both clean and well oiled. This will help prevent the dough from
sticking to the grill. You will need something large enough to
transport your dough to the grill. A pizza spatula is highly
recommended for this task. Brush an even coat of extra virgin olive
oil on the side that will be facing down first. The oil will introduce
flavor and help to keep the dough from sticking to the grill as well
as giving the crust a nice crisp finish. Before placing your pizza on
the grill, you may want to remove the top rack of your grill to make
it easier to flip your pizza. Cook the first side from 1-3 minutes
before flipping depending on the heat of your grill. During this time
you will need to brush olive oil on the side that is facing up. While
cooking the first side, peak under the edge of the crust to monitor
its finish. Cook until you are satisfied with the finish and then flip
your crust over. After flipping, immediately apply any topping that
you would like. It's highly recommended that you keep the topping very
light, as they will not have a chance to cook on the grill without
burning the crust. You may consider precooking certain ingredients
such as meats and thick vegetables. Be sure to lower the lid as soon
as possible to trap the heat in and finish cooking the toppings. Cook
the pizza for an additional 2-3 minutes or until you are satisfied
with the crust's finish.
You are now ready to experience one great pizza with deep tradition.
Cut your pizza into triangle shaped slices or try cutting them into 1"
wide strips. This shape is great for a party snacks!