David and I have been travelling in the van for the past few weeks. We travelled from one race to the next with the occasional stop at a hotel or a friend's house to settle down, re-arrange the van, wash our clothes, etc.
It has been pretty fun to visit some of the places we had heard so much about, but that we never had time to visit. We got to train with different people and ride some new roads and trails. Our little adventure also allowed us to visit some friends we hadn't seen since I started racing more seriously and that was great.
At first, I wasn't sure how I would react to that kind of living, but the training has been going really well and it has been incredibly energizing to spend so much time outside and share some quality time with the people we love but don't get to see very often.
One thing we have been doing a lot during our time on the road was tasting the deliciousness that each region had to offer. Of course, that led to many picnics and a lot of cooking on our new portable BBQ (thanks to Jérémy and Maëlle for the gift!)!
Without further ado, here's what has been one of our favorite things to do on the BBQ. It has also been a personal favorite as a night-before-the-race meal in the past month. The recipe and the technique come from the genius mind of my friend Georgia, but I couldn't help myself from sharing with you guys, because it is amazing....Pizza on the BBQ!!
pizza on the BBQ
Ingredients (for about 2-3 small pizzas)
For the dough:
- 1 cup luke warm water
- Half a pack of instant rise yeast
- 1 tbsp spoon honey
- 1 tbsp of olive oil (This is optional but it will help to "brown" the crust in the cooking process)
- Combine water, honey and oil in a bowl an sprinkle yeast on top. Let it sit until it becomes foamy.
- 1.5 Cup flour (Probably a little bit more, but start with that and adjust if needed)
- 1 tsp salt
- In another (and bigger) bowl, mix the flour and salt.
- Once the wet mixture is ready, pour it over the flour mixture.
- Knead the dough with your hands for a good 5 minutes. You will probably need to add a little bit of flour, but just add it a little bit at the time. It is normal if the dough is sticky, but if it is so sticky you can't manipulate it, add a bit of flour.
** The texture of the dough will become more consistent as you knead it more. By kneading it, you'll be creating gluten in the dough, which will give it more structure and will allow for a "fluffier" dough once cooked.
4. Cover the dough with a cloth or foil paper and let it rise for as long as you want (at least about an hour. **It's awesome if you do it overnight, but sometimes, we all like deciding to make pizza at the last minute, and it will work too!)
5. When the dough has doubled in size: sprinkle some flour on the counter, grab a handful of dough and roll it on the counter to form a small pizza. You can use your hands or a rolling pin. Add flour if needed.
6. Pre-heat the BBQ to 400-500 degrees.
7. Coat the BACK side of a cookie sheet with flour. Put the rolled out dough on it. The cookie sheet will serve as your peel to transfer the pizza on the BBQ.
8. When the grill is hot, transfer your dough on the grill. You can either use your hands and forearms to manipulate the dough or you can just slide it off the cookie sheet on to the grill in a fast motion. Either way, commit to your move!! :)
9. Cook one side of the dough.
10. When the first side is cooked, take it off the grill with a spatula. Flip it over and put it on any type of plate. Place your toppings on the cooked side of the dough.
11. Place the pizza (with toppings on it) back on the grill for a few minutes! The timing is not important, but just wait long enough for the cheese to melt and for the crust to toast a little bit more.
**Tips: Prepare your toppings ahead of time and set them on the table. Then, everytime a dough is ready to be "topped" it's quick and easy. It's also a fun way to have your guests be creative and involved in dinner preparation by letting them prepare their own pizza!
Voila!! You now have a recipe to make delicious pizza anywhere - even in camping!
Bon appetit!