Rustic Pizza on the Grill By Marcy Goldman Special to The Washington Post Wednesday, July 21, 1999

And the perfect, most efficient pan for these outdoor pizzas is a cast-iron skillet. If you want to grill pizzas outdoors you can also use a baking sheet or pizza stones or tiles, but I find that cast iron gives a fine finish to pizzas. I make several pizzas in several sizes of skillets (10-, 9- and 8-inch). Lodge and Wagnerware are the two foundries still making these quintessential examples of American cookware at its finest hour. (Lodge also makes a cast-iron griddles if you want more room to move pizzas around.)

When you put a cast-iron skillet on the hot grill, the pizzas emerge crisp and rustic. You can lift the handle of the skillet right off the grill (but always use a heatproof glove, of course!) and serve the pizzas on trivets at the table for a splashy presentation. Cast iron, billed as the "original nonstick," generally has a great surface for pizza, and dough rarely sticks to the bottom if you oil the pan liberally. The skillets ensure perfectly round pizzas.

So with your favorite basic pizza dough, some essential toppings and a dynamite pizza sauce, you can make conversation-stopping pizzas that work as a main event at a garden party or weekend barbecue, as an appetizer (just make them smaller) or a light lunch.

The Skillet

To prepare a cast-iron skillet (assuming it has already been seasoned), smear the bottom with just above it says liberally olive oil; then you can dust it with seasoned bread crumbs. Remember that cast-iron skillets get very hot, hotter and hottest. Always use a heatproof glove when working with them and remember that even after you've put the pan in the sink and filled it with water to clean it, the handles of these skillets retain the heat for a long time. Cover the handle with a tea towel or glove to remind yourself.

The Grill

The consistent heat and performance of gas grills produce a crisp crust (although charcoal grills do just fine too). To get similar results inside, you would have to crank up your oven to 450 degrees – and by then, your air conditioning would probably have balked big time.

Gas grills have to be sufficiently preheated on high (about 450 degrees) before being used as pizza ovens. Either make your pizzas and put them directly into cast-iron pans or make several pizza dough rounds in advance, then place them in the iron pans and put them on the grill. Just before putting the pans on the grill, lower the temperature to medium (about 350 to 400 degrees), or if you have multiple burners, turn off the middle burner completely as you lower the front and back to medium.

Toppings and Sauce

Prepare toppings for your pizzas in advance. The usual grated cheeses – mozzarella, Parmesan or fontina – are reliable. So are typical toppings such as mushrooms, peppers and onions, along with pepperoni, ground beef and sausage. In addition, while you have the barbie fired up, try using grilled chicken or shrimp, zucchini, eggplant, portobello mushrooms or red onions. In the mood for a salad? Pile it on a grilled pizza crust. Especially appropriate for summer is a BLT pizza…toss chopped romaine lettuce with diced plum tomatoes, bacon and some mayo that has been thinned with milk. Or forgo the sauce altogether and make a white pizza with just cheese, garlic and a drizzling of olive oil; sprinkle on some herbs and/or pine nuts or pistachios.

Note that you brown the bottom of the pizza first, then flip it over and add the sauce and toppings before you finish cooking it.

The Crust

Pizza dough is easier to make than you think. You can use a bread machine, a standing mixer, a food processor or your own two hands. If you're using a bread machine, always check the manual for specific directions in preparing your dough. Whatever method you choose, make several batches then reserve them in the refrigerator for as long as two days, neatly packed in lightly oiled, resealable bags.

For thick, bready pizza, increase the yeast amount by ½ teaspoon and allow the dough to rise in the pan for 35 minutes. For crisper, thin pizzas, decrease the amount of yeast by ½ teaspoon and let the pizza rise only about 15 minutes before grilling. If you want pizza dough to be ready when you are – but you are at work or out all day – you can reduce the amount of yeast in your favorite recipe and allow the dough to rise in a bowl on the kitchen counter slowly (6 to 8 hours).

When Marcy Goldman is not throwing dough onto every alternative heat source she can find, she is at work on her second cookbook, "The Coffee Bistro Baking Book" (from Doubleday). She can be reached at www.betterbaking.com.

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