Every summer, an otherwise stable marriage (mine) risks a dramatic conclusion. The issue is this: My passion, both professional and personal, is baking, seasonal heat notwithstanding. But each year, as balmy temperatures become the norm, my spouse threatens that if I so much as glance at, let alone dare preheat, the oven to bake bread, our relationship is history. Unfortunately, that means fresh, hot bread is also history.
Then, earlier this spring, on an unseasonably warm March day, I finally saw the light. Use the barbecue! In a flash, I suddenly realized that my Weber was not just appropriate for summer's traditional meat sacrifices but was in fact, my "summer oven." Why shouldn't the gas grill work for baking, as well as cooking? The solution, so painfully obvious, had been starring me in the face for umpteen summers.
My foray into counter-culture baking began with a herb and garlic focaccia, and was quickly followed by a farm house-style potato bread. Then came pita, pizza and lavosh. Success, success, success. Then I made a batch of naan bread to go with
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tandoori chicken and basmati rice for a company supper. But the French country bread -- with its fragrance and crisp crust -- was the most amazing of all.
Very simply, the outdoor barbecue -- specifically the gas grill -- makes very awesome bread. Whatever your kitchen oven can do, the barbecue does that much better and often faster.
You can grill breads on a charcoal barbecue, too, but with several caveats. Charcoal fires, which are unpredictable and prone to hot spots, work best for flatbreads that cook quickly. And the larger the grill the better, so you can move the bread out to the edges where the heat is not as intense. Thick round breads, those that take some time to cook or require changes in temperature, are best done on a gas-fired barbecue since that heat is more consistent and controllable.
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Read the accompanying information in the boxes on Page E5 and E10 carefully before you proceed. They discuss how to adapt regular baking to outdoor grill baking, and review the methods for making yeast doughs. To have bread ready when you are, I suggest making dough the evening before or in the morning, and allowing it a slow rise in the fridge. Take the dough out as you are preparing supper and allow it to rise as it warms. Then bake and serve.
Breads on the grill are easy enough to do for regular, family meals, but are a real event at a party barbecue. For extra drama, make one or two huge flatbreads and present as a "serving platter" under grilled chicken. The bread absorbs much of the chicken's flavor and guests can then tear off sections of bread as desired. FRENCH-STYLE COUNTRY BREAD (12 servings; 1 large or 2 medium loaves)
You could make this bread -- and no other -- for the rest of your baking career and never feel cheated. It uses the sponge or poolish method -- sort of a poor man's or woman's sourdough starter with no feedings, little preplanning and lots of flexibility. I usually make this dough -- sponge starter and all -- in the bread machine but you can do it by hand, processor or stationary mixer. If you always wanted crusty, hole-ridden, French-style bread, this is the ticket (minus the air fare). For best results, use a gas grill. FOR THE SPONGE STARTER:
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1 cup water (preferably spring water) at 90 to 100 degrees
1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
1 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
4 tablespoons white whole-wheat* flour or regular stone-ground whole-wheat flour FOR THE DOUGH:
Sponge starter from previous step
1 cup water (preferably spring water) at l00 to 115 degrees
3/4 teaspoon active dry or 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 3/4 to 4 cups unbleached bread flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt Durum semolina or cornmeal for baking surface
For the sponge: To prepare by hand or electric mixer, stir all sponge ingredients together to make a thick, pudding-like mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for several hours or overnight. It will become bubbly and double in size.
For the dough: Stir down sponge with a spoon and add water, yeast, sugar, 3 cups of the flour and salt. Knead as dough begins to form a soft mass, adding more flour as needed to make a soft dough, for 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl or plastic container, cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and a damp towel and let rise until almost doubled (depending on the weather, this could be 1 to 2 hours.) If you prefer, let dough rise slowly in the fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature before using (it will warm up and rise at the same time.)
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After first rise, deflate dough gently (but don't knock out all the air -- this will create those "holes" so important to French bread) and form dough into a round ball. Stack two cookie sheets, one atop the other. Put a piece of parchment paper on top and dust with semolina or cornmeal. Gently place ball of dough, seam-side down, on the parchment-lined doubled-up cookie sheets. Cover lightly with a tea towel. Let rise the second time until ball is puffy and about 40 to 50 percent larger, anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes (depends on weather, luck and magic).
Preheat gas grill to high.
Slash or cross-hatch top of the dough with a sharp knife or razor- blade cutter. Dust with a little flour. When grill is ready, place bread (still on the doubled-up cookie sheets) on grill and cover. Immediately reduce heat to medium (400 degrees) and allow to bake for 25 minutes until well-browned. Reduce heat to low, and carefully remove cookie sheets so bread sits directly on grill and continue to bake, until completely done, about 5 minutes. * Made from a new variety of wheat, white whole-wheat flour is available at Fresh Fields, B.J.'s Wholesale Clubs or through the King Arthur's Catalogue, 1-800-827-6836.
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Per serving: 221 calories, 45 gm carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 534 mg sodium, 7 gm protein, 1 gm fat, trace saturated fat
GRILLED PIZZA (OR FOCACCIA*) (6 servings)
For many people, pizza is a good way to begin grill bakery.
1 cup water at l00 to 115 degrees
2 teaspoons fast-acting yeast**
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling dough
2 tablespoons durum semolina or stone-ground cornmeal, plus extra for baking surface
2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
About 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Olive oil cooking spray
To prepare by hand or electric mixer, place water, yeast, honey, olive oil, semolina (or cornmeal) and bread flour in a large bowl or electric mixing bowl. Stir to blend and let rest a moment of two. Stir in salt and the remaining all-purpose flour to make a soft dough. Knead by hand or with dough hook to form a soft, but not-too-sticky dough, about 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from bowl, lightly oil top of dough, and allow to rest, covered with a tea towel about 45 minutes.
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Deflate dough very gently before using and allow dough to rest 15 minutes before using in a recipe. Alternately, refrigerate dough in an oiled plastic bag for up to two days.
Flatten dough gently to make a generous 15-inch round. Sprinkle a large rimless cookie sheet or a 16-inch aluminum pizza pan lightly with semolina or cornmeal. Transfer dough to the sheet or pan and add toppings according to taste (cheese as second-to-last topping works well). Spray pizza with olive oil cooking spray and allow it to rest about 15 to 20 minutes, allowing sides to rise.
Preheat gas grill to hottest setting. When the grill is hot, place the pizza (still on its pan) on the grill and cover. Allow pizza to "set up" for a couple minutes, then reduce heat to medium. Using a metal spatula, ease pizza off the sheet and directly onto grill. Cover the grill and bake until done, another 5 to 8 minutes. If at any time pizza seems to be cooking too quickly, reduce heat.
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Cooking pizza or focaccia on a charcoal grill takes a bit more attention due to the unpredictable nature of the natural fire. Be sure the dough is fairly uniform in thickness. In fact, it's often better to make two smaller rounds rather than one large so you can move them away from any hot spots. Also, do not pile on the toppings; keep the layer fairly thin. Otherwise proceed as for the gas grill, starting on a pizza pan and then transferring directly onto the grill after a few minutes. Do not walk away. You must watch the pizza as it can burn very quickly. Move it to the side if it's cooking too fast. Total cooking time may be even faster than on the gas grill.
*TO MAKE FOCACCIA: Prepare dough as for pizza. Let rise once. Pat down gently and stretch out into a rectangle about 18-by-12 inches -- dough should be about 1/2 inch thick -- and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Press indentations into dough. Drizzle with olive oil and add 3 to 4 cloves crushed garlic, salt and pepper and a little grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. Cover lightly with a tea towel and let rise about 20 minutes. Bake on medium setting on grill (on cookie sheet) 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce grill heat to low and using tongs, transfer bread directly onto grill to finish baking -- about 5 to 7 minutes more.
** NOTE: If you want pizza dough for supper and are out all day, use only 1/2 teaspoon yeast. Prepare dough, and cover (or leave in bread machine) and allow dough a long, leisurely rise throughout the day. Then it's ready when you are.
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Per serving: 308 calories, 55 gm carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 446 mg sodium, 9 gm protein, 6 gm fat, 1 gm saturated fat
WHITE WHOLE-WHEAT PITA (Makes 16 pita rounds)
White whole-wheat flour, milled from a new variety of wheat, contains none of the stodginess, grit or slight acrid aftertaste of regular whole-wheat flour. Available at selected retail stores (Fresh Fields, B.J.'s Wholesale Clubs) or through the King Arthur's mail-order catalogue (1-800-827-6836), the flour makes perfect pitas. You can also opt for half regular whole-wheat flour and half regular bread flour.
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups water at l00 to 115 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups white whole-wheat flour (or regular whole-wheat flour)
About 3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
To prepare by hand or electric mixer, dissolve yeast in water in a large bowl and stir in sugar. Let stand, allowing yeast to dissolve, for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in olive oil, whole-wheat flour, 2 cups of the bread flour and the salt. Mix to form a soft dough. Knead 8 to 10 minutes to form an elastic, supple dough, adding in reserved bread flour as needed. Place dough in a well greased large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let rise, until doubled. Alternatively, allow dough a long, cool rise in the fridge several hours or overnight (dough can hold for three days).
Bring dough to room temperature if refrigerated (it will rise as it warms up). Divide dough into 16 pieces and form each piece into a ball. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest a couple of minutes. With a rolling pin, flatten each ball into a round or disc 6 to 8 inches in diameter, about 1/4 inch thick and 9 inches in diameter. (If dough is resistant and springy, allow it to relax a few minutes.) Cover with a damp tea towel and let rest 15 to 25 minutes (until slightly puffy).
Preheat grill to hottest temperature. Place pitas directly on grill, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until they puff up (about 2 to 3 minutes). Turn over and briefly bake other side -- 2 to 4 minutes -- uncovered. If grill is too hot (i.e. pitas are burning before puffing up), reduce heat. Wrap baked pitas in clean tea towels (this keeps them soft). Freeze leftovers.
On a charcoal grill, more care must be taken to allow for unpredictable heat. Start checking the pitas after 2 minutes and move them to the sides if they seem to be charring. Stay right by the grill and check for burning every minute. You may need to turn them more than once, but total cooking time should be about the same as with a gas grill.
Per pita: 169 calories, 31 gm carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 334 mg sodium, 5 gm protein, 2 gm fat, trace saturated fat
LAVOSH (Makes 8 large flatbreads)
This recipe has countless variations. Generally thin and crisp, these make a great dipping bread for summery spreads. You can replace some of the white flour in this recipe with white whole-wheat flour (see explanation in the preceding pita recipe).
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups water at 100 to 115 degrees
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
About 1 cup bread flour
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
l egg white, beaten lightly
4 tablespoons poppy seeds
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
About 1 tablespoon coarse salt for topping (optional)
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and honey in the water, stirring briefly. Let stand a couple of minutes. Stir in all of the all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of the bread flour and the salt. Knead 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as required to make a supple dough. Place in a well greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap and a tea towel and let rise until doubled. Alternatively, refrigerate dough in a large, well greased plastic bag. The dough will keep a couple of days.
Set gas grill on low.
Divide dough into 8 pieces. Gently stretch each piece into an oval and set aside while stretching the next piece. Return to first oval and stretch until it is very thin (dough stretches without resistance when it is rested and its gluten is not excited). The ovals should be just a bit thicker than strudel dough. Brush each portion with egg wash, then sprinkle with poppy and sesame seeds and coarse salt, if using.
Place the ovals on the grill. Cover and bake until bottoms are browned and tops begin to color. As lavosh cools, it will crisp. Serve whole or in pieces as small crackers.
On a charcoal grill, heat the coals until they turn white. Place the ovals on the outside edge of the grill, where the heat is less intense. Cover but check every few minutes; the bread should take a total of 12 to 15 minutes to cook. Try to keep the dough away from hot spots, moving the ovals to a cooler part of the grill if they start to burn.
Per lavosh: 295 calories, 53 gm carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 876 mg sodium, 9 gm protein, 5 gm fat, 1 gm saturated fat
ZAATAR FLATBREAD (Makes 8 large irregular-shaped slabs of flatbread)
This is just about my favorite flatbread -- it is good alone or with a good smear of hummus or Lebanese yogurt, or simply topped with fresh tomatoes, salt, pepper and olive oil. You can make your own zaatar spice or find it at a Middle Eastern market or through mail-order sources.
FOR THE TOPPING:
1/4 cup zaatar spice (purchased premixed or recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of two lemons
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil FOR THE BREAD:
1 tablespoon fast-acting yeast
2 cups water at l00 to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
5 cups unbleached bread flour
For the topping: Stir together the zaatar spices, salt, lemon juice and olive oil in in a small bowl and set aside. To prepare bread by hand or electric mixer, whisk together the yeast, water and sugar. Stir in oil, salt, all-purpose flour and most of the bread flour (reserve 1 cup). Mix to form a soft dough. Knead 8 to 10 minutes to form an elastic, supple dough, adding in reserved flour as required. Place dough in a well greased large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let rise until doubled. Alternatively, allow dough a long, cool rise in the refrigerator several hours or overnight (dough keeps for three days).
If dough was refrigerated, bring it back to room temperature (it will rise as it warms up). Break off sections of dough, about the size of a grapefruit. Stretch or roll into irregular slabs. Let rest 15 minutes, covered with a damp tea towel. Smear, spoon or brush each with some olive oil/zaatar mixture.
Preheat grill to hottest temperature. Lay slabs gently on grill. Cover for 1 to 2 minutes, then check to gauge doneness. Allow to bake until tops begin to brown. Brush with additional topping if desired.
To cook over a charcoal grill, the process is essentially the same except you must guard against the inevitable and unpredictable hot spots. Start checking the slabs of dough after just 1 minute to ensure that they are not burning. Move the slabs to the outside edge to avoid hot spots.
Per zataar bread: 660 calories, 89 gm carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 870 mg sodium, 15 gm protein, 27 gm fat, 4 gm saturated fat
HOMEMADE ZAATAR OR MIDDLE EASTERN SPICE BLEND (Makes a scant 3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons ground oregano
2 teaspoons whole dried oregano
2 tablespoons ground thyme
1 teaspoon whole dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground savory
2 teaspoons ground marjoram
1/2 teaspoon whole leaf dried marjoram
1 tablespoon sumac* (optional)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Zest of two lemons, very finely minced
Blend together both oreganos, both thymes, savory, marjoram, sumac, sesame seeds, salt and lemon zest. Use for zaatar flatbread. * Sumac is available at Middle Eastern specialty markets. Marcy Goldman is a professional baker and food writer based in Montreal.
