The other night, Jason and I saw an episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown was making pizza dough. I’ve made pizza dough before…flour, yeast, warm water, etc…and it’s fine. It’s nothing special, but it’s homemade, which is usually better than anything you can buy.

But Alton’s version was pretty different than the one I’ve made before, and his variations—as we found tonight—are what sets apart good enough from really delicious. His recipe calls for bread flour, which has a higher gluten content than regular AP flour, and it also calls for it to be kneaded for 15 to 25 minutes, further developing the gluten in the mix.

I won’t blather on about how fabulous it was…I’ll just say that I don’t think I’ll make pizza dough any other way again. When cooked, the crust had those air pockets that good restaurant crust has. We felt very professional and pizza savvy. It was chewy and crisp and more complex than what I’ve made before. Here’s the link to the dough. (You MUST try this soon!)

In an effort to hasten the arrival of the warm spring weather, we decided to grill our pizzas instead of baking them. I love the flavor a charcoal grill lends to, well, just about anything. But pizza is one of my favorite foods to grill…it’s something about those char marks that can only come from a hot grill, they add a touch of the same je ne sais quoi that a brick oven does. Since the dough made two rounds, and since we are pizza-loving people, I decided to do something different on one, but keep the other one classic. Margherita toppings went on the first, while the second got a swirl of herbaceous pesto made with mint and walnuts, and a tangle of soft and sweet caramelized onions. Briny feta rounded everything out on top. The pizzas were perfect enjoyed outside on a still-cool spring evening (rare for Florida in late March!) with a bottle of light, bright syrah blend.

Grilled Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Mint Pesto + Feta
serves 1 or 2 when combined with a second pizza

3/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup walnuts
1 small clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 to 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 large (softball-size) onion, thinly sliced
Half of pizza dough (recipe link above)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Place mint, basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon zest and salt in a small food processor. Pulse until everything is pretty finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup oil, and process until combined but still textured. Add more oil as needed so pesto isn’t dry. Set pesto aside.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large saute pan with a lid over medium-low heat. Add sliced onion, and toss to coat in oil. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover pan, and cook, stirring often, until onions are very soft and golden, about 30 minutes.

Prepare grill by evenly spreading 3/4 of the hot coals on one side of the bottom of the grill and the remaining 1/4 on the other side (or set your gas grill to medium-high heat on one side and medium heat on the other). Put dough on the hot side of the grill for 1 minute, or until the underside is golden brown and starting to blister around edges. Flip it onto the cooler side. Carefully spread pesto (as much or as little as you like) on the dough. Top with caramelized onions and feta. Grill until dough is thoroughly browned and crisp on the bottom and the feta is soft and warm. Serve immediately.

Grilled Pizza Margherita
serves 1 or 2 when combined with a second pizza

Place oil and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until garlic is golden and fragrant. Add tomatoes (be careful, because they’ll splatter!) and salt. Stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add 4 leaves torn basil, stirring to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes more.

Prepare grill by putting 3/4 of the hot coals on one side of grill and the remaining 1/4 on the other side (or heating to medium-high heat for gas grills). Put dough on the hot side of the grill for 1 minute, or until the underside is golden-brown and starting to blister around edges. Flip it onto the cooler side. Brush edges with olive oil. Carefully spread sauce (as much or as little as you like, but keeping in mind too much may make toppings and crust soggy) on the dough. Top with mozzarella. Cover grill (open top vents). Grill pizza until dough is thoroughly browned and crisp on the bottom and the cheese is melted. Top with remaining 3 leaves torn basil. Serve immediately.

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Have you ever baked a pizza in a skillet?

I remember being about 9 years old eating in a Pizzeria Uno and thinking it was divine. Just beyond. The golden, flaky, crispy crust, the gooey cheese, and the (probably bordering on ridiculous amounts of) sausage and thick, red sauce…it was so fabulous to me. I don’t think my parents were a fan, because I’m fairly certain we never went back. Perhaps because the Uno in Orlando was a chain, and a far cry from the true Chicago original. When I went to Chicago last year with my girlfriends, I knew I had to have the real thing. And we did. Not at Pizzeria Uno (I heard mixed reviews), but a place whose name I can’t recall. A fun, rowdy bar-restaurant with very few tourists in sight. Anyway, the pizza there brought back those delicious-gooey-yummy-flavorful memories. I do love thin crust, but I’m beginning to think that deep-dish is my true heart’s desire.

Jen of Last Night’s Dinner has posted a few times about the iron-skillet pizzas that she and her husband make (in fact, there are fabulous instructions and a recipe posted right now on her blog).  They always look amazing, and so one night, with barely enough ingredients on hand, I just kind of threw stuff in the pan and winged it. It was most certainly not the amazing version we had in Chicago, and it didn’t even look as good as Jen’s. But, I think we were onto something…and it’s my new favorite way to make pizza at home.

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Simply put, grilling pizza is fabulous. Our go-to favorite toppings are caramelized onions and crisp pancetta (an Italian pork product, similar to bacon but not smoky…look for it at the deli counter), but any toppings can work. Think of the grill as one of those fiery ovens in the really good pizza joints. It crisps the crust with a hint of char that you just can’t get from the regular oven.

I’ve only made it once, so this is my attempt at explaining the technique. Experiment with your grill, as charcoal will probably produce a different result than the gas grill I used. And again, top it however you like, but if you enjoy salty pork and sweet onions, this combo is to die for.

Grilled Pancetta and Onion Pizza
serves 4 to 6
16 oz prepared pizza dough (Publix makes a great one — ask for it in the bakery.)
2 good-sized sweet onions
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
6 1/4-inch-thick slices of pancetta, diced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups baby arugula, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat outdoor grill to medium-high heat. (I suppose an indoor grill would work, but it’s just not quite the same…)

Divide dough in half and roll into thin circles (or as close to a circle as you can get). Brush each side with olive oil and set aside.

Slice onion into half-moons. Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet and set over medium-high heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt and stir often until onions are golden brown and very soft, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a smaller skillet over medium heat and add pancetta. Stir occasionally until crisp at the edges, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel-lined plate.

When onions and pancetta are finished, carefully place dough on grill. After about a minute to a minute and a half (when air bubbles start to appear on the up-side), flip the dough. Remove after one minute. (You want this side to be a bit under-done so it won’t burn when you put it back on.)

Off the grill, top each pizza with half of the onions, pancetta and cheese. If using a gas grill, turn off the flames and place pizzas back on grill. (If using a charcoal grill, move coals to one side and place pizza over the now cooler side of the grates or just finish in the oven so the crust doesn’t burn.) Cover grill to finish cooking pizzas and to melt the cheese, about 3 to 4 minutes.

While pizza is finishing, toss arugula with lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. When pizza comes off the grill, top with arugula salad and serve.

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