It started out like most of the best traditions - by accident. My husband and I used to do pizzas on Monday nights with dough made from scratch which I would prepare in the morning. One unsuspecting Monday we were invited over for an impromptu Oyster evening at my father-in-law's place. Seeing as I didn't want the dough to go to waste I suggested that we take it with us and make a pizza to go with the oysters. Everyone loved the idea. A few glasses into the evening, a new tradition was born. We would gather every Monday evening at the same place and come up with some more incredible concoctions.The first secret to this successful tradition is the dough. I have to give Rachel Ray the credit for this as I got it out of her March 2009 magazine. The recipe is actually intended for a cast-iron skillet pizza baked in the oven. Here is a link to this dough at Rachel Ray's Website: Skillet Pizza Dough.
As I stated before, I make the dough Monday morning and I let it sit all day and rise. The result: your house will smell of yeast, the dough will fill about half of the bowl you left it in and your mouth will water in antici...pation.
The second secret to this successful tradition is baking the pizzas on Pampered Chef Pizza stones. It's is unbeatable.
The third secret is that we cook these bad boys on a gas grill. We have gotten the crust down to an art now, seeing as our initial war was with slightly overdone bottoms on the pizzas. Now, I know that carbon does wonders in soaking up alcohol, but it doesn't do very well in the taste department. So, if you have a gas grill with five burners you would turn the outside burners (one and five) on medium. Two and four are off completely, and three would be on low. The trick is to distribute the heat more evenly and to rather cook it a little longer so as to allow the crust and the toppings to cook thoroughly without burning or being underdone. Nothing like your crust being black and your cheese not even being melted.We have become quite efficient at these pizza nights. I make two balls of dough and sometimes - depending on the size of the crowd - we will pick a spare ball of dough from Publix which costs roughly $1.79 but has to be defrosted.
The equipment:- Pampered Chef (only if you want the best) Pizza Stones
- Oven Mitts
- Pizza or Egg Lifter
- Wooden Paddles to facilitate the moving of the cooked pizzas without having to carry hot stones around.
- Pam or similar cook 'n spray brands. It is great for greasing the bowls in which your dough will rise and for greasing your stones before baking.
- A decent Pizza Wheel. Don't cheap out, get something which cuts right the first time
- Patience
- A Good Attitude
- Paper plates, because you will not feel like cleaning up afterward - that is, if you can move.
- Cara: responsible for making the dough
- Sara: rolling the pizza dough and putting the toppings on
- Todd or Larry, Jr.: cook the pizza
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