GRILL'D

pizza on the grill.
it's not the same as a crunchy-crusted crisp oven-baked bad boy-
but,
it's still pretty F*ing expert.
no joke.
i tried it out,
then i tried it again,
and then, i fired up one more, just to be sure.
and now i know with certainty that grilled pizza is really freakin' good.
check it out:

RIGHT?!
i mean, c'mon, man. that's lookin' good.
that's crushed tomatoes, caramelized onions, kale, MINCED daiya chee'
(rules is rules),
grilled tofurky italian sausages, and a whole lotta lightly fried garlic slices.
word up.
-
now, you need dough, and it needs to be strong.
you need fire, and it needs to be hot.
and you need a baking peel and tough hands and maybe a pair of tongs, too.
yeah.
i happen to have a verrrry manly charcoal grill.
hmm?
yeah, that's right.
i use lump charcoal to grill on those rare occasions
that find me needing outdoor blackened food.
for this pizza business, tho, i also chopped up some maple logs from my woodpile.
what?
ummmm, are you kidding me?
i live in the woodsly goodness of new hampshire, bro.
OBviously i have a woodpile.
i'm sayin'...what are you?
an A*-hole?
don't be dumb.
fresh chopped 2" thick kindling sticks get the flames roaring over the coals,
and that makes the grill, with the lid down, go to 11....hundred degrees.
probably not that hot, in reality, but it had heatwaves emanating everywhere.
-
the dough is strong, like i said-
i still use a stand mixer (it's worth it), with the dough hook on it,
to beat the heck outta:
1 1/2 cups king arthur flour;
2 T olive oil;
1/2 tsp sugar;
1 tsp sea salt;
1 pkg fast-actin' yeast;
1 tsp wheat gluten;
2/3 cup warm water + 2-3 T as needed.
knead it for 11 minutes, and let it rise while you get the fire up and running.
now, not everybody does it,
but i dip my dough in flour, and carry it out on the paddle to stretch on site.
- y'gotta direct fire that thick circle to seal it up, but you also gotta be careful-
if you burn it, you're F*ed.
so pay attention, and use your eyes and your instincts,
and maybe don't put it over leaping flames.
i keep 1/2 of the grill uncoal'd, so there's that indirect firing going on.
a flip, and a rotation, and your dough is ready to top.
grilled soysages were a nice touch on this one.
MORE smoky flavor is a good thing.
in fact, with the blackened crunch of the exterior,
and the chewy center of the crust, i was living at the taste apex until it was all gone.
the garlic sprankles were a triumph.
i'll be doing that from now on.
-
pizza is my favorite.
new ways of making it are always invited.
and cooking outdoors, with fire and woodsmoke just feels like burly barbarian sh!t.
i'm thrilled to add this to my arsenal of techniques.
and i've made a few since then, just to keep up with my mantra:
too much is the right amount.
you know it;
never quiet, never soft.....