I adore pizza. Not just any pizza, but traditional wood-fired Neapolitan style. Although I have never been to Naples to truly experience what many feel is a life changing pizza, I do enjoy similar styles that can be found at a few restaurants here in the South Valley. Making similar pizzas at home was a difficult task because I lacked the correct equipment, but I recently rediscovered a work around, which produces acceptable results.
The major piece of equipment I was missing was the wood fire pizza oven, which cost anywhere from $5,000 for portable ovens to $10,000 or more for custom built. I could build one myself for a 10th of the price tag. However, I am realistic enough to admit that although I can build a delicate and beautiful four-layer cake with confidence, I lack the skills with brick and mortar. I needed another option.
When I was writing the Mixed Grill column, I had the idea that a grill could easily be turned into a pizza oven. During my first attempt, I nearly abandoned the idea after scorching my pizza stone with wood smoke in a kettle grill. Despite my setback, I still wanted to attempt outdoor pizza cooking.
A few weeks ago, a new discovery inspired me to reattempt my outdoor pizza-cooking goal. I was at a Gilroy kitchen retailer purchasing a food dehydrator when something else caught my eye. It was a device that when placed on a gas grill and heated, could be used to bake a pizza. The device was nice, even with a $100-plus price tag. I realized that with a slight alteration to my original oven design I could have the pizza oven I wanted.
Regular wood fire pizza ovens heat by conduction from the bottom of the oven and radiant heat, which is stored in the stone in the oven. To replicate this, I placed my pizza stone directly on the grill, which generated the conducting heat. The radiant heat came from fire bricks to the rear and sides of the stone along with a piece of granite on top. On high heat, the inside of the oven reached 600 degrees, which was acceptable for baking a pizza.
The results from my pizza oven were mixed, but I was still pleasantly happy. While the pizza was cooked, it was almost over browned on the bottom. The cheese was melted and the rest of the pizza was cooked, but the top part of the crust was not brown. After some additional research and consideration, I will use a layer of fire bricks under my pizza stone and replace the granite with fire brick supported with either a heavy duty cooling rack or grill grate. With thicker material, I will need to heat the oven longer too.
This week’s recipe is inspired by the classic Pizza Margherita. My recipe uses firm mozzarella and fontina cheese as a substitute for fresh mozzarella in whey, but you may use the fresh version if you choose. If you already have a favorite pizza dough recipe, use it. However, my personal recipe has the perfect balance of the traditional light, crispy and airy crust with a little bit of chew to it. If you do not have any semolina flour on hand, bread flour may be substituted. It is easy to create your own custom topped pizza too, but the key for these quick cooked pizzas is to keep the toppings cut thin and minimal.
It is perfectly OK too if you do not want to make this pizza in a grill pizza oven. If you choose to bake your pizza in the oven on a pizza stone, place the pizza stone on the top middle rack and preheat the stone at 500 degrees. Bake the pizza until the cheese has melted and the crust has browned, about six to seven minutes.
Pizza Margherita
Makes four,
10-inch pizzas
Ingredients for dough
1 pack (2 1/4 teaspoon) yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
4 1/2 cups bread flour , plus more for kneading
1/2 cup semolina flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt
Step 1: In a small bowl, mix together yeast, sugar and two tablespoons flour; add two tablespoons of the water to make a slurry mixture. Rest five minutes to allow the yeast to proof.
Step 2: Combine three cups of flour and semolina flour in a mixer fitted with dough hook or food processor fitted with dough blade; mix to combined. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water, olive oil and salt to the flour mixture and mix until all the liquid has been absorbed into the flour. Add the remaining flour and continue mixing, allowing the dough to come together and pull away from the work bowl. At this point, the dough can be kneaded by hand for 10 minutes, adding more flour to the board to prevent sticking, or via your mixer or food processor, adding a little flour at a time for about four minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth, but slightly sticky.
Step 3: Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 90 minutes.
Step 4: Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper and dust with flour. Divide the dough into four equal portions, forming into balls. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and a towel; allow to rise for 90 minutes.
Ingredients to assemble pizza
1, 4 pizza dough recipe
4 medium tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
12 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, grated
4 ounces fontina cheese, grated
20 fresh basil leaves
Flour for shaping dough
Corn meal or semolina flour for peel
Step 1: Peel the skin from the tomatoes by blanching them in hot water for 30 seconds, followed by an ice bath. Remove the skin, cut in half and squeeze the seeds and any juice into a mesh strainer over a bowl, pressing to collect the juice. Pulse the tomatoes and juice in a food processor or blender. Mix the tomatoes, garlic, salt and oregano in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Cool until ready to use. Mix the mozzarella and fontina cheeses together.
Step 2: Preheat the pizza oven over high heat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, using well-floured hands and work surface, press one dough into a round shape, approximately 10 inches wide.
Step 3: Scatter corn meal or semolina flour over a bread peel or cutting board and place the dough on top, making sure the dough moves freely when the peel or cutting board is shaken. Spoon 1/4 of the tomato sauce over the dough, followed by the cheese blend, a drizzle of olive oil and five basil leaves.
Step 4: Transfer the pizza from the peel or cutting board with a quick motion. Close the lid of the grill and bake three to four minutes until the bottom of the crust becomes crispy and browned and the cheese has melted.
