pizza on the grill

We are going to live on this for the rest of the summer.

BEST pizza ever. And you don't even have to heat up your kitchen.

{And to make it easier, you can mix the dough in a Bosch or Kitchenaid rather than kneading it yourself.}

Basic Grilled Pizza Dough

{from Everyday Food Magazine July/August 2010}

1 tsp. sugar

1 packet yeast (1/4 ounce)

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl and brushing

coarse salt

2 1/4 c. flour, plus more for work surface

1. Pour 1 cup warm water into a medium bowl; add sugar and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2. Whisk oil and 1 tsp. salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until liquid in incorporated (dough will appear dry). Knead until dough comes together in an elastic ball, 2 minutes. Transfer to an oiled medium bowl; brush lightly with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; set in a warm, draft-free place until dough has double in bulk, 45 min. Punch down dough and cover; let rise another 30 minutes.

3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. (To store, refrigerate dough pieces, covered, up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 month). Let rest 15 minutes before using. Makes 1 pound dough or 4 10-inch pizzas.

To grill:

Heat up your grill to medium-high heat, clean and lightly oil grates. On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 piece of dough into a 10-inch-long oval. Brush one side with olive oil and season with coarse salt. Place dough oiled side down onto grill. Brush top with olive oil and cook until underside is lightly charred and bubbles form all over top, 1 or 2 minutes. With tongs, flip and top with desired toppings, and cook another 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bottom is lightly charred.

Simple Tomato Sauce:

Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan over med-high heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves (or a couple dashes garlic powder--that's what I used) and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. Cook about 1 minute. Puree two 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens, about 15 min. Stir in 1/2 tsp. dried oregano. Makes 2 1/2 cups.