Pizza

Another family tradition, not only do we make classic Italian thin pizza, but we also cook it on the grill. It bakes fast, and the textures and flavors are unmatched by any oven baking.

This measurements for this recipe are roughly based on how many pizzas you want to make (1 pizza feeds about 1 person). Usually we make more so there are leftovers the next day. It reheats nicely in the toaster oven.

Ingredients:
~1/2 c water per pizza (though 1 1/2 c water is good for 4 pizzas)
1 T yeast for 1 1/2 c water
1-2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt per pizza
whole wheat & white flour

Measure the water, making sure it is warm to the touch & start the yeast in the water. Sometimes, if the yeast is difficult to start, it is best to measure out only 1/2 c warm water first with a sprinkle of sugar & start the yeast, then add the rest of the water later. Whatever you do, make sure the yeast is nice & foamy (5-10 mins waiting) before you being working.

Add the salt & olive oil to the bowl of yeast. Take a good wooden spoon, preferably slotted, and while stirring with your right hand, pour whole wheat flour into the bowl, one scoop at a time. Once the dough has started to combine, begin adding white flour while mixing. (You can mix the proportions of white/wheat if you want, but I've found a nice half/half mix is very good.) Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, until a springy texture is reached and the dough stops picking up too much flour. Replace back into the bowl and coat in vegetable oil.
Cover with a towel and let sit for min 1 hr to rise. Punch down every 15-30 mins to help the rising process.

When you are ready to make the pizza, prepare your ingredients. Usually I'll make a focaccia (olive oil, salt, & oregano), margherita (cheese, tomato sauce, oregano, fresh basil), peppers, onions, mushrooms, pesto, fresh tomatoes, think of other delicious combinations!

Preheat the grill (see below). Grab a handful of dough and place it on a floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin until its very thin. As thin as a couple pieces of paper. If the dough is elastic and keeps pulling in, keep working at it.

Heat the grill so that one side is L & the other side is H. You might have to play around with this depending on your grill, but the aim is to create an oven-effect: Place the pizza on the low side to cook the bottom and the heat from the high side will cook the top. Friends are always skeptical at first, but yes, just place the dough directly on the grill. I usually do a strategic drop, to get it to stay flat while not burning my fingers--it does take some practice so don't get frustrated if it's not perfect your first try. After the dough is on the grill, add the toppings, sauce first, then cheese & others. Err on the side of adding too little toppings rather than loading up the pizza. Everyone I know who tries grill pizza for the first time makes this mistake, and unfortunately if there are too many toppings, the top never cooks through while the bottom might burn. No good. I promise, with thin-crust pizza, less is better :)

After about 2-3 minutes, check the pizza and give it 180 degree turn. I use a pizza paddle, but this can easily be done with tongs or a grill spatula. After 2 minutes more the pizza should be done, when the cheese is bubbling and toasting & the crust is browned. Remove by sliding off using either tongs or a spatula, directly onto a cutting board. Cut & serve.

I try to roll out the next pizza right before I remove the cooking pizza from the grill, that way I can take one off and put the next one on the grill right away.