Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [178]
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 425°F.
Divide the dough into six pieces. Roll each into a ball and flatten into a ¼-inch-thick disk.
Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll each disk of dough until very thin, about ⅛ inch thick. Coat each bread with some of the oil and sprinkle with za’atar. Stack on a plate to transport to the grill.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the dough on the grill so the disks are evenly spaced. Cover and cook until grill-marked and charred in spots on the bottom and puffed on top, about 2 minutes. Turn with tongs and cook on the other side until browned, about 1 minute.
FLATBREAD
Grilled Honey Lavash with Curried-Saffron Butter
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Bread is gigantic in the Caucasus. Start the recipe a day in advance to allow the dough to relax and be rolled.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons honey
1½ cups warm water (110 to 115°F)
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1½ to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for kneading
½ cup Curried Saffron Butter
DIRECTIONS:
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of the honey in the water in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bread flour and sprinkle the salt over the top. Mix until a thick, rough batter forms. Beat the batter vigorously for about 100 strokes (1 to 2 minutes). It will become smooth and elastic.
Add 1½ cups all-purpose flour and mix until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn out onto a lightly floured clean work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding just enough additional flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the work surface. Form the kneaded dough into a ball and roll in flour.
Wash out the mixing bowl and dry thoroughly. Put the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 425°F.
Mix the remaining tablespoon honey with the curry-saffron butter. Divide the dough into six balls and roll each in flour. Flatten each piece into a rough rectangle.
Work with all of the pieces of dough, one at a time. With a floured rolling pin roll each piece of dough as thinly as possible. Keeping the work surface relatively flour free will help the dough stretch better. If it should stick to the surface, carefully peel it up. Flour each rolled-out piece of dough thoroughly and stack on a sheet pan. When all of the dough has been rolled, flip the pile over and roll the pieces again, starting with the top piece, until each piece is rolled into a paper-thin sheet approximately 10 by 15 inches.
Flour each sheet on both sides and stack again. Carry the pan of dough sheets to the grill. Have a large towel ready by the side of the grill.
Brush the grill grate and rub well with oil. Grill the lavash, one at a time, until blistered and lightly browned on both sides and still flexible, about 30 seconds per side. The breads are ready to flip the first time when they appear dry on the edges, but show no signs of browning. It is easiest to turn the breads with your fingers, although you can use tongs if you want. When each bread is done grilling, fold it in half and roll the towel around it to keep it warm.
Serve the warm breads with the curry butter. Store any leftovers in a sealed plastic bag. They will stay flexible for about 24 hours. Warm gently in a low oven before serving.
FLATBREAD
Blue Cheese Pizza with Watercress and Pomegranate Salad
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
Chain up the oven, and throw away that pizza-delivery magnet stuck on the fridge. Pizza on the grill is so convenient, versatile, and delicious that it obliterates all previous routes to a crispy, cheesy slice. Use the following all-purpose pizza dough recipe (you can make it up way ahead and pull it out of the fridge