dave's grilled pizza

All GFCFers beware - this recipe is NOT gluten or dairy free!! It is a stellar recipe, however, and I had to share it.

You could say my Dad is somewhat of a grill aficionado - I would say he is the guru of all that is grillable. He has been mastering the art of charcoal grilling over the past 3 decades and in my opinion does one heck of a job grilling just about anything my Mom puts him up to. He has been known to grill up anything from juicy, perfectly cooked meats, including bar-b-qued whole chicken, rack of lamb, wild Alaskan King Salmon, and local Santa Barbara halibut to more unique dishes such as Mission figs stuffed with Laura Chenel goat cheese, pasilla peppers stuffed with Mike's Fire House Jack, fresh peaches, and even our Thanksgiving turkey.

And now pizza. Although, I must say that with this particular recipe, it was 100% his idea - and thank the pizza gods that he thought of it. His inspiration came from an issue of Men's Health - of all places - and with a little Dave Hartman style tweaking plus awesome topping creations from my Mom, has become a weekly summer supper installment at my parent's house. This works out pretty well for me since they only live a block away - I can almost smell it wafting down the street and "coincidentally," I show up for dinner when it is on the menu (sly, huh?). I can't help it - the pizza is not only super stellar, but as each week goes by, the recipe only gets better and better as he continues to perfect his grilling methods.

I will be up front - grilling pizza is no easy task. But, if you are up to the challenge, please try this recipe. Thankfully my Dad lended his grilling tips throughout the recipe below so that I could share them with you.

My Dad has always used a charcoal grill and hands down recommends using one over a gas grill any time. Part of the reason we grill is to get that unique grilled flavor, which is impossible to accomplish with a gas grill. His personal favorite has always been the Weber Performer, which offers a wide based charcoal grill with the ease and convenience of a gas ignition.

dave's grilled pizza
4.5 cups organic flour
2 cups organic whole wheat flour
3 cups warm water (77-81*F)
4.5 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup sea salt (yes, CUP)

makes 3 pizza crusts
see below recipe for topping ideas

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water for 5 minutes or until yeast begins to bloom/activate. You may need to give it a little stir when you first add the yeast to ensure all of it mixes with the water.
2. Mix flours and sea salt in a large bowl. Transfer to a food processor (use a dough blade if possible) and add the yeast and water. Process until it forms a large ball of dough.
3. Place dough ball on a flat, lightly floured surface. Cover with a thin kitchen towel or other piece of cloth and allow to rise until it has doubled in size, or about 2 hours.
4. When the dough is almost finished rising, prepare the grill. Make sure to spread the coals out evenly. TIP: Add wood chips that have been soaked in water for about 10 minutes on top of the coals that are around the edge of the grill. This will give the pizza a nice wood-grilled flavor. Let the grill heat up (covered). You want the coals to reach 400-500*F before adding the pizza crust.
5. When the dough has risen to twice its original size, divide it by 3. Using one portion at a time, stretch dough out to a 10" pizza crust on a lightly floured surface. The edges of the dough should be slightly thicker than the center so that the toppings stay put.
6. Transfer the crusts, one at a time, to a well-floured pizza stone, stainless steel baking sheet or pizza pan, or grill grate (see pic below) and place on the grill. Grill, uncovered, for 20 seconds. Rotate 180* and grill for another 20 seconds. Flip the crust over and grill for 30 seconds. Remove from the grill. Repeat with all crusts.
   
7. Assemble toppings. The grill should have cooled down slightly since cooking the crusts. You want to aim for 200-300*F. Once toppings are on, place each pizza, one at a time, back on the grill, uncovered, for 2 to 5 minutes or until the toppings are done (once cheese has melted is a good indication that the pizza is done).
8. Enjoy. This recipe serve anywhere between 3 and 5 people depending on how hungry you are. It is so good that my parents, brother and I have no problem finishing all three in one sitting (yikes!).
   

Topping Ideas:

dave's heirloom tomato sauce w/ aged goat cheese
1 jar organic red heirloom pasta sauce
1 red onion
6-8 sun dried tomatoes
olive oil
kalamata olives
fresh basil leaves
aged goat cheese

1. Halve, slice and saute red onion in olive oil until onion is translucent and slightly caramelized (about 10 minutes on medium-low heat).
   
2. Add sauce and thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes to meld flavors.
3. Spread tomato sauce on the partially cooked crust (step 7 above) and top with chopped kalamata olives, basil leaves, and goat cheese.
4. Grill until cheese melts.
   

caramelized corn, fennel and leek w/ fresh arugula & cherry tomatoes
1 ear of fresh corn
1 fennel bulb
2 leeks
handful of fresh arugula
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
aged goat cheese
olive oil

1. Remove the corn from the cob. Dice the fennel and white ends of the leeks. Saute all three together in olive oil on medium-low heat until caramelized, about 10 minutes.
2. Remove the stems from the cherry tomatoes and slice in half.
   
3. Slice the goat cheese in thin square strips.
4. Assemble the toppings on the partially cooked crust (step 7 above) by first spreading the sauteed vegetables evenly across the crust. Top with arugula, tomatoes, and then cheese.
5. Grill until cheese melts.