"JimnGin" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Kent wrote:
>
>> One cup water to 4.66 cups flour will yield an extremely dry dough, which
>> results in a cardboard like crust. Flipping a crust without toppings to
>> cook
>> both sides and then topping the pizza and then cooking more on a sheet is
>> insane. By the time you do all of this you will have an overdone crust,
>> as
>> you point out, and marginally melted cheese. You wouldn't have enough
>> heat
>> to cook sausage, nor onions. There isn't enough heat above the crust to
>> cook
>> the toppings at the same rate. More so than ovens, all grills are hotter
>> at
>> the grate than at the dome of the grill.
>> Pizza is best made with a web sticky dough[1.25 cups water to 3 cups
>> flour],
>> and cooking in a moist baker's oven on a heated stone for 5-7 minutes at
>> 500F. You can't accomplish that on a grill.
>> Finally,,,grilling pizza doesn't add any "grill taste". You're not
>> accomplishing anything other than making the whole process more
>> difficult.
>
> Actually, this is, for the most part- slightly different recipe for the
> dough- how I make pizza on the grill (CharGriller using lump) and they
> turn out excellent. Cooking them on the grill definitely does add a wow
> factor- it gives them a slight smokey flavor that you can't get in a
> traditional oven. (Wood-fired ovens being an exception.) I grill the
> crust over direct heat for 2-3 minutes, then flip onto a tray, put the
> sauce and toppings (My favorite is olive oil w/ basil, thyme, marjoram,
> rosemary, garlic powder, and salt & pepper for the "sauce", and
> tomatoes, black olives, and mozarrella for toppings. I put the pizza
> back over the coals until the bottom browns slightly, then move away
> from the coals until the cheese melts. Everyone raves about them, and
> have asked me for the recipe and method.
>
> Jim
>
What are your cooking times for initial pizza round cooking and round +
topping cooking? Will Italian sausage, or other fresh sausage cook with this
much limited cooking time for the topping? Do you initially put your pizza
round directly on a grate, or on a stone?
I'm guessing with the CharGriller, you have a fair amount of indirect space
to finish the pizza on. You don't have much indirect space on the Weber 22".
Have you tried it with moist heat as in a bread oven?
Your point about the wow factor with wood fired pizza is well taken. Here in
N. Cal it's now mandatory in the upscale pizza restaurant.
What is your water/flour ratio, and do you use a starter, or biga, to add
flavor? I'm a strong believe in using a sticky dough, as in my post above,
for the airy crust you end up with, and a starter, to enhance flavor.
I appreciate your thoughts. My success trying to do this has been dismal.
Maybe I'll have a go at it again.
Kent