Pizza on the Grill
Grilling is one of my favorite ways to cook. During the summer, it is necessary in our house. Not only does the grill make everything delicious, but it also makes cooking more fun with less pots and pans to clean. This may not hit home with everyone living in Florida, in the summer, you want to keep your house cool. My house in particular. Its walls are concrete cinder block and there is maybe 18 inches between the ceiling and the roof and no insulation. Our house is not shaded, so by midday, the AC is running none-stop. Anyway, I do my best to cook outside, it helps keep the house cooler in the evening hours. Therefore, I grill a lot. Recently, I started experimenting with pizza dough, using my sourdough discard, following Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe | King Arthur Baking. Game changer!
My husband and daughter will almost always say pizza, if I ask for dinner suggestions. The dough must be made the night before, so I anticipate it on the weekends. I feel better knowing I can add nutritional value to it and use organic unbleached flour. Adding the sourdough starter helps with digesting the crust. Using quality cheese and toppings adds the nutrients I like to provide for meals. Adding shredded carrots to the sauce adds a touch of sweetness, while ground fennel seed gives it a richness and depth of flavor, both serve a purpose nutritionally. Sometimes I use dry herbs and other times it’s fresh oregano, rosemary, basil and thyme from my herb garden. Either way, my sauce is usually on point. I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, when I cook the sauce in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, it always turns out rich and velvety. Using a significant amount of olive oil, imported from Italy or Greece, can help with that velvety on the tongue texture in the sauce.
My family has a typical list of toppings preferred. Pepperoni, green pepper, onion and mushroom. The mushrooms I use are not just your baby portabellas you get from the grocery store, we use Lion's Mane or Blue Oyster from Harmony Mushroom Co. My primary source for vegetables is grown in Florida and sold by Charles Alverez at the Home Page | AtlanticBeachMarket. Some research shows sourcing fresh, local ingredients helps with the body's ability to absorb the nutrients. Whether or not that is true, I can say that locally sourced food just tastes better. There is no denying that.
Next, I invested in a wooden pizza paddle and semolina flour. These items are a must for ease of transfer to my Pizza Stone - Shop | Pampered Chef US Site. Before you stretch out your dough, use a generous amount of semolina flour and distribute evenly on the pizza paddle, this will help the pizza slide off the paddle and onto the stone effortlessly. Place the stretched-out dough on the paddle before putting on the sauce, toppings and cheese. Another tip, make sure the pizza stone is extremely hot before putting your pizza on it. I usually place my stone directly in the middle of my grill and turn it up to high heat. I wait at least 15 minutes before placing the pizza on it. The hotter the better. Anything over 500 degrees is where you want your heat. It will cook at 300-400, but it will take longer, and the crust won’t have the same chew to it that I like.
Once the pizza has been transferred to the stone, close the lid. Now, if your grill is anywhere from 500-800 degrees, don't go far. You will want to check it in 1 minute. It can take several minutes if it isn't at least 500 degrees. Then, I use a flat metal spatula to rotate the pizza halfway after the crust has cooked for about 1 minute. Then give it another 1-2 minutes before checking it again. The spatula and tongs will help you transfer the fully cooked pizza on to a flat pizza pan. Letting it rest can difficult, I usually let mine rest for 2-5 minutes. This part can be a struggle, especially with a toddler and husband waiting for their pizza. It will however save the roof of their mouth from the molten cheese. Grilled Pizza has become a regular weekend night meal and I am now totally ok with it and happy to provide it. Pizza delivery is convenient, but the end product is no comparison in quality.
My pizza has become a favorite and I couldn’t be happier. I truly enjoy making it. The satisfaction I get from hearing my friends and family tell me how much they enjoyed their meal, is the reason I do it. Recently Frankie said “Mommy, this is a yummy dinner!” and it made my day. Knowing that I can satisfy my toddler's taste buds, all while providing the nutrients she needs is important to me. It may not always be easy, so making those wins is helpful. Cooking is a passion; I love it and I put my heart into everything I cook. This must be the reason why I truly enjoy turning out a crowd-pleasing dish.