Pizza Dough / Psuedo-Naan
4 oz (~3/4 c + 1 T) flour, unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c water (2.75 oz)
4 tsp olive oil
-- This yields 1 medium sized pizza, or 2 small, personal ones. I often quadruple this recipe and freeze any leftovers (although there is rarely very much left).
-- Note: you can make the dough 8-24 hours ahead
-- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, and sugar. I often add 1 tsp of oil in the dough mix at this point (it will make the dough come off the grill more easily.) Whisk in the salt last. (This keeps the yeast from coming into direct contact with the salt, which would kill it). Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gradually stir the flour into the water until all the flour is moistened and a dough just begins to form, about 20 seconds. The dough should come away from the bowl but still stick to it a little, and be a little rough looking, not silky smooth. It WILL be a fairly wet dough. Do not overmix, as this will cause the dough to become stickier. Add more flour if you need to, but don't add too much
-- Let the dough rise. I usually let it rise for an hour or two, depending on how well I planned dinner. But try out different lengths of time.
Prep: Pour the 4 tsp of oil into a small bowl with room to grow. With oiled fingers or an oiled spatula, place the dough in the bowl and turn it over to coat on all sides with the oil. Cover it tightly with Saran Warp. If you want to use it soon, allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled. For the best flavor development, make the dough at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours ahead, and allow to sit at room temperature for only 30 minutes or until slightly puffy. Then set the dough, still in the measuring cup in the refrigerator. Remove it 1 hour before you want to cook it.
-- preheat the BBQ to 475F.
-- With oiled fingers, lift the dough out of the measuring cup or bowl. Holding the dough in one hand, pour a little of the oil left in the cup or bowl onto some parchment paper or foil. (If making 2 pizzas, divide the doug in half). Flatten the dough as best you can. Practice will help. Shape it into a smooth round by tucking under the edges. If there are any holes, knead it very lightly until smooth. Allow the dough to sit for 15 minutes, covered, to relax it.
-- Using your fingertips, press the dough from the center to the outer edge to stretch it into a 10-inch circle (7 inches for the 2 pizza/naans), leaving the outer edge a bit thicker than the rest to form a lip. If the dough resists stretching (as will happen if you have activated the gluten by overkneading it), cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for a few minutes longer before proceeding.
-- Brush the surface of the dough with any remaining olive oil. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 30-45 minutes until it becomes light and slightly puffy with air.
-- Bake the pizza. I do the perhaps not-so-obvious step of throwing the disk of dough directly onto the grill. (Note: I always scrape the grill until it's very clean, and my grill is pretty smooth. I've never tried this on a dirty or pitted grill surface.) Then, just before I toss the disk onto the grill, I oil the grill lightly (pour a little olive oil onto a paper towel that's been folded a few times over and over--it makes a nice, non-drippy way to oil the grill). I put it on and and bake for ~3 minutes, then flip it over and do the other side for another 2 or 3 minutes. (You can freeze it at this point. It keeps remarkably well.)
-- I know it's hard to believe this works, but the baked dough really does come neatly off the grill and will have dark lines where the dough flowed slightly between the grill elements.
-- For pizza, you just top the pizza, and then bake for an additional 5-8 minutes.
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Notes: I originally got this recipe from Diane Tang, but then modified it for my own style and tastes.