Grilled Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Brie

[b-man]

Grilled Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Brie

This sophisticated pizza is wonderful served as an appetizer.

Makes two 12 to 15-inch pizzas or four 8-inch pizzas

Ingredients:

Food processor pizza dough:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina or cornmeal
2 tablespoons instant yeast
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
toppings of your choice

Topping:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons port
8 ounces Brie cheese, cut into small pieces

Dough:

Combine the flour, semolina and yeast in a food processor. Combine the water, olive oil, honey and salt in a measuring cup and stir to blend. With the machine running, pour the liquid mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until the dough forms a mass and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a large oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days at this point. After that, it will taste bitter. Let the dough come to room temperature, then let it rise the final time before continuing.) Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Divide the dough in half and press or roll each half into the desired size pizza.

Prepare an indirect fire in a grill (a medium-hot fire on one side and no fire on the other).

To grill using a pizza stone, place the pizza stone on a grill rack over medium-high heat, cover and let preheat for 10 minutes. Sprinkle cornmeal on 2 large baking sheets and place a round of dough on each sheet. Have olive oil for brushing and the toppings ready and bring everything out to the grill.

Slide a round of pizza dough onto the preheated stone. Brush with olive oil and arrange the toppings on the dough. Cover and grill until the dough is golden brown and the toppings are hot, 10 to 15 minutes.

To grill directly on the grill grate, sprinkle cornmeal on 2 large baking sheets and place a round of dough on each sheet. Have olive oil and the toppings ready and bring everything out to the grill. Brush one side of the pizza dough with olive oil and place, oiled side down, on the grill grate. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes, until you see the dough start to bubble.

Brush the top side with olive oil and flip the dough, using tongs, back onto the baking sheet. Arrange the toppings on the pizza. Use a grill spatula to place it on the indirect side of the grill. Cover and grill until the toppings are hot, about 5 minutes.

Topping:

While the pizza dough is rising, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook until translucent and very soft, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and drizzle with port.

Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the onions turn golden brown all over. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. (You can make the caramelized onions up to 1 week in advance. Store them, covered, in the refrigerator.)

When you are ready to grill, have your Brie which has been cut into small pieces, ready. When the pizzas are ready for topping, use a fork to spread the caramelized onions over the dough and top with the Brie. Grill as described above.

B-man