Mama in the City

A few weeks back I figured out the perfect Father's Day gift for my sweet hardworking husband, a Weber Q BBQ for our apartment patio! I had great intentions of keeping it top secret and waiting until June 20th for the big reveal but I got caught up in the excitement and made the announcement the exact same day.

My husband has been grilling almost every day since the big arrival and Father's Day was no exception. He decided that he wanted pizza for dinner and he wanted to make it on his new BBQ. I've never heard of pizza on the BBQ and asked him to share his recipe with all of you.

Compliments of Husband in the City... Pizza on the grill!

Have everything ready to go as the grill heats up:


Lay the dough on the grate, wait 60 to 90 seconds, turn it 90 degrees. Wait another 60 seconds, flip it, and top it:


Close the top so everything melts:


Serve with fresh basil and a glass of wine:



Do not give wine to babies:

Tomato Sauce

1 14-ounce can of whole Italian plum tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1/4 onion, diced
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Prepare the tomato sauce ahead of time by sauteing the onions for 2 to 3 minutes in the olive oil. Add the garlic for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Puree the tomatoes with the onion, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor.

Return the pureed tomato sauce to the pan and cook on a low simmer for 15 or 20 minutes until it has slightly reduced and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Warm the sauce before grilling the pizza so it doesn't have to heat up there.

Pizza Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup water, 100 to 105 degrees F
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. dry yeast

Start the crust a few hours ahead so it has time to rise. This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe for the crust and they have a great way of doing it in a food processor that doesn't require a stand mixer or kneading.

Add the flour, salt, honey, and yeast to a food processor fitted with a metal blade, Pulse briefly to mix. Turn on the food processor and slowly pour in the water. While it is still running, add the olive oil and run for 30 seconds. It should start to form a ball; if it is too loose, add flour, or too stiff, add another Tbsp. of water. It should be a slightly tacky but cohesive ball of dough.

Remove from the processor and put in an olive oil greased bowl. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled. Half of it can be stored in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for a month.

When you're ready, lay out a layer of parchment paper or cling wrap; place the dough on it and cover with another layer. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is very thin; less than 1/4 inch thick or even thinner. Leave it covered until ready to use and not longer than 20 or 30 minutes.

Pizza

fresh mozzarella, sliced or shredded
toppings like pepperoni, olives, etc
fresh basil

Choose your toppings, but do it wisely; you don't want anything with too much moisture on the grill because it doesn't have a long time to cook off. We used fresh buffalo mozzarella since it was half-off at the grocery store; I'd avoid anything too processed or pre-shredded. We also had a few thin slices of Parmesan pepperoni, sauteed mushrooms, and mine had barese olives.

Preheat the grill for 10 to 15 minutes and scrape it down well. Use tongs, paper towels, and vegetable oil to grease the grate. Prepare all of your ingredients since it moves quickly once you start.

Remove the dough from the wrapping and oil liberally with 1 or 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Lay it gently on the grill and cook for 60 to 90 seconds. Rotate the dough 90 degrees with a spatula and cook for another 60 seconds. Flip it over and immediately put down a thin layer of sauce and your toppings. Close the lid and a few minutes later, you're done! Remove the pizza from the grill, let it sit a minute, top with fresh basil, and serve.