Homemade Pizza

I met the most interesting man last Friday night at the end-of-semester-EGSA party--his name is Samuel Welsh, and many people in the LSU music department know him as the very talented pianist Sam.  Well, Sam was interesting to say the least.  Not only did he amuse me with his crazy stories about getting his own doctoral degree in the Music Department, but he also is pretty cool to look at: stylish blonde hair, bad-ass glasses, and these really big muscles.  I like muscles.

Regardless, one conversation led into another conversation and Sam and I realized that we both had brindle dogs! This similarity seemed crazy to me until we realized that they couldn't be more different in breed and size: Sam's dog, Lucy (also known as Ms. Lady, Snarfleton, etc.), is a brindle Boston Terrier of roughly 25 pounds, whereas Eve is a brindle greyhound of about 65.5 pounds.  As an excuse to create a playdate of what would be great doggie-friends, Sam and I scheduled a get together/cooking lesson of sorts where I would teach him to make something he didn't know how to prepare.  Case in point: pizza.  Not just any pizza.  GRILLED pizza.  One of those delicious homemade specialties that make you wonder why you'd ever eat Domino's ever again.


Pizza a la Brigman
The below recipe is one that I have amalgamated over the years--it's a combination of anything I ever liked in other pizza recipes mashed together in a flavorful bash of goodness.  You can easily use a storebought dough here, but that really destroys the point of homemade pizza on the grill.  So, please see the easy and fast pizza dough recipe catalogued by Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes.  I will try to post my own version of this recipe in the future.  Until then, the below ingredients list is the most specific recommendation I can give you in terms of what to do right here.


* 1/2 Simply Recipe's pizza dough
* flour for rolling
* cornmeal for bottom crust (if cooking in oven)
* about 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil
* salt and pepper, to taste
* 1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
* Tony's Cachere's, to tase
* 1/2-1 cup tomato sauce (storebought is fine!)
* 1 cup-2 cups cheese (depending on how cheesy you like your pizza)
* 1/2 bell peppers, chopped (a combination of red, green, etc.)
* 1/4 cup onions, chopped (red or white will do)
* 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
* 4-8 anchovies, optional
* pesto, optional

1.) Prepare the dough by sprinkling a work surface with flour.  Divide dough recipe in half and use one half for the dough ball of this pizza.  (NOTE: the other half of the dough ball will keep pretty well in the refridgerator for a few days, but if in doubt, freeze it.  It should keep for up to 2-3 months and still taste fresh.)

2.) Begin rolling dough with an actual rolling pin.  The key to evenly/circular pizza is usually a combination of the rolling pin and one's hands, so make sure you have washed your hands when entering into this process! Also, the rolling pin technique works best for me in the same way you would prepare a pie dough crust: roll forward and back a few times, then flip the dough in another direction, roll forward and back.  Flip and repeat until the dough is properly stretched out and big enough for the recipe (about 12 inches in diameter).

3.) Now's the time to begin the stacking process.  As we add ingredients, you want the pizza to be stacked with different layers of flavor--oils, cheese, seasonings, toppings, sauce--but it's key that you're not too greedy here.  Since this recipe is built for a grill (but can be used on an oven), you'll need to make sure you don't OVERSTACK the dough as many Americans are want to do.  Let's continue....

4.) Poke the circular disc of dough with a fork evenly.  This technique allows the dough to breathe and not get giant bubbles during the cooking process.  Sprinkle 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough's surface, and smooth with a spoon.  Add tomato sauce and spread with spoon.  Season with Tony's, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, garlic, and several tablespoons of pesto (pesto is optional).

5.) Now, I suggest stacking the pizza in the following order: toppings first, then cheese.  This way, the cheese will melt on top of the topings and you will have a very cool effect: not only will you still be able to see the topings after the cooking process (like any normal pizza), but you will have created a sealant of sorts for structural stability between the cheese and dough.  So, add the the toppings like the ones listed above--mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc., and then the cheese (1-2 cups depending on preference).

6.) Place on heated grill that's been sprayed with non-stick spray.  If your grill has one of those temperature gages, heat up to 350-400F.  Place pizza directly on grill.  Now, this task is much harder than it seems! Since the dough is soft and floppy and now has all of these ingredients waying it down, putting the dough directly on the grill may be a crazy and unstructural process.  Thus, you'll probably need two people (one for each half of the dough.

7.) Once dough is placed on grill, close lid and let cook for 5 minutes.  Check to see if crust is cooked all the way through.  Depending on your grill and the accuracy of the temperature gage, this process can take as little as 5 and as much as 10 minutes.  You'll know the pizza is done when it is one, all melted together and delicious looking, two, the cheese has browned a little bit on top, and three, the crust is a golden brown or cooked thoroughly.

8.) Remove pizza from grill using a metal spatchula and let sit for a few minutes (this process, as many pizza lovers know, allows the pizza to solidify and help the cutting process).  Enjoy!