Grilled Pizza

With Stephanie Sokolove

Many have tried to make pizza on the grill with either bad or only mixed results. The results are worth it, and for the first time you can see how the a professional Chef makes it not only easy but almost foolproof. Stephanie Sokolove shows you how in this video and says that if you do not have a wood burning oven like you would find in a restaurant, she has found that grilled pizza is the next best thing to capture that authentic flavor.

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups unbleached high-gluten flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1/4 cup olive oil

1 3/4 cups water, ice cold (40 F)

Instructions

1. Sift together the flour salt and yeast. Place the flour in the bowl for the electric mixer. With the dough hook attachment in place, pour in the water and mix on low speed until a smooth dough ball is formed. Mix for a total of 5-7 min. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea- spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50 to 55F.

2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter.

3. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas). Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again.

4. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)

5. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Before letting the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours, dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Shape into desired size and let rest for 2 hours before baking.  Recipe courtesy of Stephanie Sokolove, Stephanie's on Newbury and Stephi's on Tremont, 2010.

Owner and Executive Chef, Stephanie's on Newbury and Stephi's on Tremont

Stephanie has been a food service professional for over 25 years and is highly regarded as one of Boston’s premier businesswomen.

Stephanie was trained by the world-renowned French chef and food educator, Madeleine Kamman, who identified her as a protégée early on. After completing her culinary education in 1980, Stephanie founded the catering company Sidell & Sasse with Bob Sasse.

In 1994, Stephanie Sokolove followed her dream and founded Stephanie’s on Newbury. To date, the 300-seat American Bistro has received innumerable accolades from The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, USA Today and The New York Times. Often touted “The Queen of Patio Dining,” Stephanie’s on Newbury was voted Citysearch’s Editorial and Audience Winner for the “Best Patio Dining” in Boston, three years in a row.

Stephanie has built her business on a style of cooking that she calls “Sophisticated Comfort,” a style that is fresh, interesting, and yet familiar. “Sophisticated Comfort Food” is the next generation of comfort food in that it blends traditional favorites with today’s food preferences. Dishes are imaginatively created with current, fresher ingredients and bolder flavors then artistically presented. At the restaurants, Stephanie spins familiar classics into elegant dishes that comfort and surprise without being fussy or intimidating.