The grill was the original bread oven and toaster, and in cultures as diverse as French, Italian, and Indian, it remains indispensable for baking and serving bread. Not that you have to travel that far, for what Lone Star State barbecue would be complete without Texas toast? This chapter explores the world’s great grilled breads, starting with traditional Tuscan bruschetta. Next come those newly fashionable, French-inspired open-face grilled bread sandwiches known as tartines. You’ll learn to make a simple honey beer yeast dough from scratch and use it to cook pizza on a grill-top pizza stone or directly on the grill grate. If bread is the staff of life, it definitely belongs on your grill.
Yield: Makes 4 slices and can be multiplied as desired
Method: Direct grilling
Prep time: 5 minutes
Grilling time: Quick—1 to 2 minutes per side
Grill/Gear: Can be grilled over charcoal, wood, or gas. No special gear unless you’re grilling over a campfire (which I highly recommend), in which case, grill the bread slices in a grill basket.
Shop: The traditional bread for bruschetta is pane toscano, a dense crumbly loaf that’s remarkable for the one ingredient it lacks—salt. (Tuscans originally devised it to dodge a salt tax imposed by the Pisans.) It’s weird on its own, I admit, but quite tasty when grilled and seasoned with olive oil and salt. You rarely find Tuscan bread in the United States, but you should certainly try it if you travel to Italy. Happily, any firm artisanal country loaf will work. As for salt, use a coarse sea salt, like Italian fiori di sale, French fleur de sel, or Maldon from England.
Insider tip: You can certainly toast bruschetta (pronounced “broo-sketta”) on a gas or charcoal grill, but to get the full effect, grill it over a wood fire to infuse the bread with wood smoke.
Bruschetta (from the Italian word for “to burn”) was the original garlic bread—thick slices of saltless Tuscan bread grilled over a wood fire, then rubbed with raw garlic, drizzled with olive oil, and seasoned with crunchy crystals of sea salt. Four ingredients—that’s it—yet those four ingredients were enough to make it one of the most globally beloved appetizers today.
Tuscan Bruschetta
Here’s the original bruschetta, followed by a tomato- and mint-topped bruschetta from Puglia, a Catalan tomato bread, and an orange and olive bruschetta from Sparta, Greece.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
4 slices saltless Tuscan bread (if you can find it) or Italian semolina or sesame bread (each slice should be 6 to 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ¾ inch thick)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
Best-quality extra virgin olive oil, preferably Tuscan
Coarse sea salt
1. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Be sure to have a fire-free safety zone in case the bread starts to burn. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well.
2. Arrange the bread on the grate and grill until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side. If you’re feeling fancy, give each slice a quarter turn on both sides halfway through to lay on a crosshatch of grill marks.
3. Remove the bread from the grill, and then, protecting your hand with a cloth napkin, take a hot slice of bread in one hand and rub the top with cut garlic. (The roughened, toasted crumb will act like a grater.) Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt. If you do it right, the bread will warm the garlic and olive oil, fusing these four elemental ingredients into a wondrous whole.
Tomato Mint Bruschetta
Here’s the Puglian version, topped with a simple tomato mint salad. For an even more colorful bruschetta, use a mix of red, green, and yellow tomatoes. Note that some versions substitute peppery arugula (preferably wild) for the mint.
Ingredients
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup thinly slivered fresh mint leaves
1 scallion, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced (optional)
3 tablespoons best-quality extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the bread
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Coarse salt (sea or kosher) and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
4 thick slices of crusty country-style bread (each slice should be 6 to 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ¾ inch thick)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1. Combine the tomatoes, mint, scallion (if using), olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.
2. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Grill the bread as described in Step 2 and rub with garlic. Spoon the tomato salad with its juices on top and dig in.
Catalan Tomato Bread
Pa amb tomàquet (pronounced “pom to mocket”)—tomato bread—turns up wherever Catalonians grill, and pretty much wherever they eat. It’s so simple, I’m embarrassed to include a recipe for it—except that it’s so much fun to serve and satisfying to eat, I’d be remiss if I didn’t. Let your guests do the work after you pull the bread off the grill.
Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half crosswise
2 plum tomatoes, cut in half crosswise
Best-quality extra virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
4 slices of your favorite artisanal bread (each slice should be 6 to 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ¾ inch thick)
Coarse salt (sea or kosher) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the garlic and tomatoes in small bowls or on a plate; serve the olive oil in a bottle, small pitcher, or cruet.
2. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Grill the bread as described here.
3. Transfer the toasted bread slices to napkins. Have each eater rub the hot bread first with garlic, then tomato, mashing the latter into the bread to cover it with tomato pulp. Discard the tomato skins. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. It’s that simple.
Orange and Olive Bruschetta
Here’s a stunningly colorful bruschetta that reflects the Greek love of bold, in-your-face flavors: bittersweet oranges, salty kalamata olives, and of course, pungent garlic and Greek oregano. Yes, you’re meant to keep the rind on the oranges (you can trim it off if you don’t like bitterness). Thanks to Diane Kolchilis, host of My Greek Table on Public Television, for the idea.
Ingredients
1 orange (preferably with a thin rind)
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, preferably Greek
1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Greek
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
4 thick slices crusty country-style bread, preferably Greek (each slice should be 6 to 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ¾ inch thick)
1. Cut the orange crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice into 1-inch-wide wedges. Remove and discard any seeds. Drain the olives.
2. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until the garlic is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Do not let burn.
3. Stir in the oranges and olives and cook until warmed, about 2 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Grill the bread as described here.
5. Spoon the orange mixture on top and enjoy.
(Grilled Garlic Bread)
Yield: Makes 12 slices, enough to serve 4 to 6
Method: Direct grilling
Prep time: 10 minutes
Grilling time: Quick—1 to 2 minutes per side
Grill/Gear: Can be grilled over charcoal, wood, or gas.
Shop: You’ll want a fresh bakery loaf for this recipe—a firm-textured, country-style white bread for traditional Texas toast. You can also make killer garlic bread with a French baguette or Italian loaf.
Insider tip: There are two ways to apply the garlic butter: Whisk the minced garlic into room temperature butter and slather it on with a spatula; or add it to melted butter and apply it with a pastry brush. I prefer the first method, as the garlic is less likely to fall off the bread.
When I was growing up, garlic bread meant a spongy loaf of supermarket “Italian” bread doused with butter and garlic powder, wrapped in aluminum foil, and baked in the oven. It came out soft, steamy, and disgusting—a travesty of the bruschetta that inspired it. But opt for an artisanal loaf and toast it on the grill, and you wind up with garlic bread that plays crunchiness against softness and smoke flavors against butter and garlic. In other words, garlic bread worth firing up your grill for. Consider the following recipe a rough blueprint to be customized to suit your taste.
Ingredients
For the Garlic Bread
1 loaf country-style white bread, or a baguette, or Italian bread
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced so fine it will blow off your cutting board if you sneeze
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives, or scallions
Additional Flavorings (optional)
3 tablespoons minced prosciutto or cooked crumbled bacon
1 cup (about 4 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, or crumbled Roquefort or gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon paprika (sweet, smoked, or hot)
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
1. If using white bread, cut it crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slices. If using a baguette, cut it sharply on the diagonal into ¾-inch-thick slices or cut the whole loaf in half lengthwise through the side. If using Italian bread, cut it crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slices. If using supermarket “Italian” bread or hoagie rolls, cut in half lengthwise through the side.
2. Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the garlic and parsley. (You can do this in a food processor, but the parsley will turn the butter green.) Whisk in any of the other flavorings, if using. Using a palette knife or butter knife, spread the bread slices on both sides with a thin, even layer of garlic butter.
3. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Be sure to have a fire-free safety zone in case the bread starts to burn.
4. Arrange the bread slices on the grate and grill until sizzling and browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning with tongs. (Give each slice a quarter turn on both sides to lay on a crosshatch of grill marks, if desired.) Serve hot off the grill.
Yield: Makes 4 tartines and can be multiplied as desired
Method: Direct grilling
Prep time: 5 minutes for the tartines, plus the time it takes to make the toppings
Grilling time: Quick—1 to 2 minutes per side
Grill/Gear: Can be grilled over charcoal, wood, or gas. No special gear unless you’re grilling over a campfire (which I highly recommend), in which case, grill the bread slices in a grill basket.
Shop: The quality of the bread makes or breaks your tartine. Start with an artisanal-style loaf from a craft bakery—a bread with a crisp, dark, thick crust, a firm but moist crumb, and the rich, soulful flavor that comes from slow fermentation.
Insider tip: I like tartines made with natural sourdough bread (leavened with a starter, not granulated yeast). Bread baking is undergoing a renaissance these days, and you can find great craft bakeries in most American cities, such as Iggy’s in Cambridge, the Sullivan Street Bakery in New York, Zak the Baker in Miami, Ken’s Artisan Bakery in Portland, Oregon, and, of course, Tartine in San Francisco. White, rye, whole wheat, and multigrain—all make great tartines.
Tartine (pronounced “tar-teen”) is French for an open-face sandwich. It has given its name to an excellent craft bakery in San Francisco, not to mention a stylish new genre of appetizers served at trendy restaurants all over the world. Italians call it bruschetta, and it serves to remind us that the grill was the first toaster. And that grilled bread—especially grilled over a wood or wood-enhanced fire—has a superior texture and taste to what pops out of your toaster. Here are three tartines that elevate toast to the level of art.
Goat Cheese, Thyme, and Honey Tartines
Tangy goat cheese and fragrant fresh thyme are timeless French flavors, here showcased on slices of grilled baguette. Tip: Use unwaxed dental floss to cut the cheese neatly into slices.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
1 French baguette, cut in half lengthwise through the side, each half cut into 5-inch-long sections
1 log (8 ounces) of your favorite soft goat cheese, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Best-quality extra virgin olive oil
Honey (warm the jar in a bowl of hot water so it drizzles easily)
1. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Be sure to have a fire-free safety zone in case the bread starts to burn.
2. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Arrange the bread slices on the grate running on the diagonal to the bars of the grate. Grill until darkly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning with tongs.
3. Transfer the toasted bread slices to a wire rack or clean dishtowel (this keeps the bottoms from getting soggy). Shingle the goat cheese slices on top and sprinkle with thyme leaves or tiny sprigs and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and honey and serve while the toasts are still warm.
Avocado Chile Tartines
Born in Los Angeles, the avocado tartine has become the new power breakfast. Some people fire it up with chili powder, cayenne, or Espelette pepper, but I like fresh serrano chiles.
Ingredients
1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, or to taste
2 ripe avocados
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
4 slices of your favorite artisanal bread (each slice should be 6 to 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ¾ inch thick—cut the loaf on the diagonal to obtain large slices)
Extra virgin olive oil
Maldon salt or coarse salt (sea or kosher) and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
1. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Be sure to have a fire-free safety zone in case the bread starts to burn.
2. Cut the serranos crosswise into paper-thin slices (for milder tartines, seed the chiles, then slice).
3. Meanwhile, halve the avocados, and pit, peel, and cut them lengthwise into ½-inch-wide slices. (Do this at the last minute so the avocado doesn’t discolor. If you want to do this more than 10 minutes ahead of time, squeeze fresh lime juice over the avocado slices to keep them from browning.)
4. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Grill the bread slices as described in Step 2 on the facing page.
5. Transfer the toasted bread slices to a wire rack or a clean dishtowel (this keeps the bottoms from getting soggy). Shingle the avocado slices on top and dot with serrano slices. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
Tomato Feta Tartines
Here’s a tartine with piquant Greek flavors. For the best results, use heirloom tomatoes that have never seen the inside of a refrigerator.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
4 slices Greek or other sesame seed-dotted bread or semolina bread (each slice should be 6 to 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ¾ inch thick—cut the loaf on the diagonal to obtain large slices)
2 luscious red ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
Coarse salt (sea or kosher) and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces feta cheese, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Best-quality extra virgin olive oil, preferably Greek
1. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Be sure to have a fire-free safety zone in case the bread starts to burn.
2. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Grill the bread slices as described in Step 2.
3. Transfer the toasted bread slices to a wire rack or clean dishtowel (this keeps the bottoms from getting soggy). Shingle the tomatoes on the toasts and season with salt and pepper. Crumble the feta cheese on top, sprinkle with oregano, and drizzle with olive oil.
Yield: Makes dough for two 12-inch pizzas
Prep time: 10 minutes for the dough, plus 1 to 2 hours for rising
Grill/Gear: Food processor
Shop: Bread flour has a higher gluten content than all-purpose flour, so it’s easier to stretch the dough to form the pizzas. A plus if the flour is organic.
Insider tip: Okay, so not everyone has the time or patience to make pizza dough from scratch (although with a food processor, it’s only a 10-minute process). A ready-made dough from your local pizza shop or food market can produce a fine pizza. But homemade dough gives you additional street cred.
Pizza is one of the hottest growth categories in grilling, with a huge proliferation of pizza grilling accessories and grill-top pizza ovens. In the next two recipes, I’ll tell you how to grill pizza on a grill-top pizza stone and directly on the grill grate. But before that, here’s a simple made-from-scratch pizza dough enriched with honey and beer. (The latter serves as an additional leavening agent.) Tip o’ the hat to restaurateur Michael Schwartz, who uses this dough at his Harry’s Pizzeria and Fi’lia restaurants in Miami.
Ingredients
¼ cup lager or other light-style beer, at room temperature
1½ tablespoons honey
1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (about 105°F), plus more if needed
1¾ cups bread flour, plus additional for stretching
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1½ teaspoons coarse salt (sea or kosher)
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
1. Combine the beer, honey, yeast, and the ½ cup warm water in a small bowl; stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Place the flours and salt in a food processor fitted with a dough blade (or metal blade) and pulse to mix. Add the oil and yeast mixture and run the processor until the dough comes away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time; if too wet, add a little flour. The dough should be compact, but still a little sticky. You can also mix the dough in a mixer fitted with a dough hook, or by hand.
3. Lightly oil a bowl and set it aside. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for a minute or two to give it a human touch. Gather it into a ball and place in the prepared bowl; turn it over to coat with the oil. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, then a clean damp kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, 30 to 60 minutes.
4. Punch the dough down. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Cut it in half. Each half should weigh about 8 ounces. Roll each half into a ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, 20 to 30 minutes. The pizza dough is ready for stretching and grilling. Alternatively, wrap the dough balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 2 weeks.
5. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before forming the pizza crust. This makes it easier to roll. If it has been frozen, thaw the dough before proceeding with the recipe.
with Olives, Ricotta Salata, and Bacon Tomato Sauce
Yield: Makes two 12-inch pizzas
Method: Grilling on a pizza stone
Prep time: 10 minutes
Grilling time: 5 to 8 minutes
Grill/Gear: Can be grilled over charcoal, wood, or gas. You also need a pizza stone (widely available at grill and cookware shops or on Amazon). Many manufacturers, like Big Green Egg, sell pizza stones specifically designed for their grills. If you’re a gear geek, get yourself a point-and-shoot laser thermometer that tells you the surface temperature of the pizza stone. One good brand is Etekcity. You need 2 hardwood chunks or 1½ cups unsoaked wood chips (optional); pizza peel or a rimless sheet pan.
Shop: Ricotta salata is a firm, tangy, salty cousin of fresh ricotta. Look for it at Italian markets, Whole Foods, or Fresh Market, or substitute soft ricotta, fresh mozzarella, burrata, or another favorite cheese.
Insider tip: Sure you can use a favorite ready-made tomato sauce, but the purist may wish to try the homemade Bacon Tomato Sauce, this page.
There are two ways to cook a pizza on the grill: on a pizza stone and directly on the grill grate. The first method produces the sort of pizza you’d get from a wood-burning oven—crisp crust with a chewy center topped with sizzling tomato sauce and cheese. That’s the kind of pizza featured here. In the second method (described in full in the next recipe), you cook the raw pizza dough directly on the grill grate. This gives you a very different texture—simultaneously crackly and chewy, like a soft bread roll sandwiched between crackers—with some of the smoke flavor you find in grilled bread. Pizza stone pizza is easier to make and more reliable. You don’t have to worry about flipping the pizza or burning the dough (unless your stone is too hot). The toppings go on before the pizza hits the grill, giving you greater ease in assembly. Get ready for big flavors in the form of olives, capers, ricotta salata, and Bacon Tomato Sauce.
Ingredients
1 batch of Honey Beer Pizza Dough (through Step 5) or your favorite ready-made dough, divided into 2 balls
Flour for dusting the dough and work surface
Cornmeal for dusting the peel
1 recipe Bacon Tomato Sauce or 3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
12 ounces ricotta salata, thinly sliced or crumbled
½ cup whole oil-cured or brined black olives, drained (pitted optional)
¼ cup brined capers, drained
8 fresh basil leaves, julienned (rolled up and cut into thin slivers)
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1. Set up your grill for direct grilling. If using a gas grill, place the pizza stone on the grate while the grill is unlit. Light the grill and gradually heat it to high so that the surface of the pizza stone is about 500°F. (The stone could crack if not slowly acclimated to the heat.) Use a point-and-shoot thermometer to check it, or sprinkle a few drops of water on it—they should evaporate in a second or two.
2. To prepare a 12-inch pizza, dust one of the dough balls with a little flour, shake off the excess, and put the dough on a lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough with your hands, turning the ball as you press down on the center. Continue spreading the dough into a 12-inch circle or rectangle with your hands or with a rolling pin. The dough should be a little less than ¼ inch thick. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
3. Dust a pizza peel or rimless sheet pan with cornmeal and pull the pizza dough onto it (or slide it under the dough—whichever method works best). It’s easier to top the pizza with the dough already on the peel.
4. Spread half the tomato sauce over the pizza. Top with ricotta salata, olives, capers, and basil. Drizzle with olive oil. Prepare the second pizza the same way.
5. Optional: To simulate the smoke of a wood-fired pizza oven, add a couple of wood chunks to the coals or place under the grate directly over the metal diffuser plate of a gas grill.
6. Slide one of the pizzas onto the pizza stone. Immediately lower the grill lid: You need to trap the heat so it cooks the pizza from the top as well as the bottom. Grill the pizza until the dough is crisp and browned on the bottom, the tomato sauce is bubbling, and the cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges or squares for serving. Cook the second pizza the same way.
Yield: Makes 3 cups
Bacon gives this quick tomato sauce a rich smoky flavor.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 strip bacon or speck (smoked prosciutto), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped (save the juice for Bloody Marys)
3 fresh basil leaves, thinly julienned (rolled up and cut into thin slivers)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar (optional)
Pour the oil in the bottom of a sauté pan and warm over medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, garlic, and oregano, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and basil and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and richly flavored, 6 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sugar if you like a touch of sweetness.
with Potatoes, Broccolini, and Italian Sausage
Yield: Makes two 12-inch pizzas
Method: Direct grilling
Prep time: 15 minutes
Grilling time: 6 to 9 minutes
Grill/Gear: Charcoal or gas—doesn’t matter. You also need tongs and a large wide-bladed spatula to help you turn the pizza.
Shop: Sweet or hot Italian sausage, preferably from an artisanal butcher
Insider tip: This pizza can be grilled on a pizza stone as in the previous recipe, just like the previous pizza can be direct grilled like this one. (If you do that, don’t put the toppings on until you’ve grilled one side of the pizza dough and flipped it.)
Pizza grilled on a pizza stone tastes as awesome as it looks, but you pretty much get the same pie as you would baked in a hot oven. Pizza grilled directly on the grill grate delivers a totally different experience in technique, texture, and taste. When you do it right, the dough bubbles and blisters, producing a smoky, crackling crust on both sides. Direct grilled pizza demands a different set of tactics. Unlike conventional pizza, you stretch the dough in oil on a sheet pan rather than in flour. You grill the dough first to cook one side through, then add the toppings. These go in the reverse order of how you’d arrange them on a conventional pizza: cheese first (so it melts on the hot crust), then cooked toppings, and last of all, the sauce. The grill setup differs, too: You heat one zone to medium-high to sear the dough, leaving the other zone low to keep the crust warm while you lay on the toppings. Okay, all this sounds a lot more complicated than it really is. In keeping with the unusualness of the grilling method, I give you an equally unusual topping of potatoes, broccolini, and Italian sausage.
Ingredients
1 gallon water
Coarse salt (sea or kosher)
12 ounces new or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed, and cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces
12 ounces bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 medium-size sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
Vegetable oil for stretching the pizza dough and oiling the grill grate
1 batch Honey Beer Pizza Dough (through Step 5) or your favorite ready-made dough, divided into 2 balls
12 ounces cave-aged Gruyère cheese, aged provolone, or other firm cheese, coarsely grated
Extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste
1. Bring the water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until almost tender, 2 minutes. Transfer with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon to a colander to drain, rinse with cold water, then drain again. Set the potatoes aside in a bowl.
2. Add the broccolini to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, then drain again.
3. Brown the sausage and onion in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, chopping the sausage with the blade of a spatula to break it up. This will take 5 to 8 minutes. Increase the heat to high the last 2 minutes and stir in the potatoes and broccolini. You want to brown the potatoes. Drain off the excess sausage fat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. The toppings can be prepared up to a day ahead of time if covered and refrigerated.
4. Set up your grill for direct grilling. One burner should be set on medium-high, the other on low. It doesn’t hurt to have a fire-free safety zone in case the pizza starts to burn.
5. Generously oil a rimless sheet pan and place one of the dough balls in the center. Pat the dough flat, then stretch it out into an oval or a rectangle about 9 by 12 inches and ¼ inch thick. Generously oil the top.
6. Carry the sheet pan with the crust to the edge of the grill. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Gently and carefully lift the dough by one end and drape it flat on the grate over the hot section of the grill. Grill until the top bubbles and blisters and the bottom browns, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Slide a wide-bladed spatula under the crust, and with the aid of tongs, move it to the cooler section of the grill. Brush it with olive oil and turn it over. Spread half the grated cheese on top of the crust (on the grilled part). Arrange half the sausage mixture, potatoes, and broccolini on top. Sprinkle with half the Parmigiano-Reggiano and half the hot red pepper flakes. Drizzle with more olive oil.
8. Slide the pizza back over the hot section of the grill. Close the grill lid to concentrate the heat. Continue grilling until the cheese has melted, the toppings are sizzling, and the crust is browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares for serving. Prepare the remaining pizza the same way.
The pizza dough will bubble as it cooks on the grill. You’ll need a spatula with a wide blade to flip the dough.
Pull the pizza off to the cooler section or onto the peel before adding the toppings.