Toss tradition to the flames

It’s a sunny summer Friday evening. Time to unwind with friends. Time to barbecue. Time to admit you’re tired of grease-fire hamburgers and blisteredblack hotdogs on cheap white bread buns. You can do better.

You can hand-toss pizza. And yeah, you can do it on the grill — totally idiotproof, really, and absolutely customizable. It’s also healthy, natural, and fresh. Check it out. Call some friends and make a party of it.

Dough

This traditional recipe from Naples is hard to beat. It’s the soft, chewy and foldable signature of woodfired pizzas, and is simple and cheap to make. These measurements will make four 9- to 11-inch pizzas. Have a lot of friends? Double or triple the recipe.
• Get out some flour.
You’re going to
need 3 ½ to 4 cups
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 ¼ cups hot water
from the tap. If it
burns you it is too hot.
• 1 teaspoon of dry yeast
(make sure it is fresh)

Sprinkle the yeast in the water and let it sit there for a minute or so, until it looks creamy. Stir it in. If you have a stand mixer, perfect. If not, grab a big bowl. Dump in 3 1/2 cups flour and the salt. Turn the mixer on low, or use a wooden spoon to stir, and pour in the water and yeast mixture. Here’s the secret ingredient: if you want, you can add a splash of white wine or beer, or a pinch of sugar. Yeast feeds on sugar, which is also in beer and wine, so you’ll get a little extra rise out of the dough.

Mix until it is a sticky clump. At this point, you’ve got a couple choices:

• If using a stand mixer, put the bread hook on and let it crank away for 5-7 minutes.

• If not, dust a countertop or cutting board with flour, dump the dough out, and knead by hand. Use the heel of your hand to stretch the dough away from you, fold it back on itself, spin it a quarter turn and repeat for about 10 minutes. Pour just a bit of olive oil in the bowl you used for mixing and toss the ball of dough in. Turn it around until it’s coated in a thin layer of oil, cover it with a towel or plastic wrap and leave it on the counter in a warm place for 90 minutes.

• When you return, the dough will have grown. Flatten it with your fist and remove it from the bowl. Cut it into four equal pieces (you can stop for a second and admire how soft it is, if you want), shape each piece into a ball, set them all on a flat, floured surface (cookie sheet works great), and leave it for another hour or so. Note: you can let them rise overnight in the fridge the second time, if you want. The cold will slow the process, and lets you make the dough the day before.

• You’re ready to go. Warm the barbecue up to 500 degrees.

Tossing

Y o u can simply spread the dough with a rolling pin or shape it with your hands, but for maximum fun with friends and the softest possible crust, tossing is the way to go. And it’s not that difficult.

First, don’t be scared.

Grab the dough, a small bowl of flour and several large sheet pans for a clean surface to work on.

Now, inform your guests of the basic rules for tossing dough.

1. Flour is your friend.

2. Holes happen — and can be patched.

3. Perfect circles are reserved for mathematicians, figure skaters and aliens landing in cornfields.

Wipe the condensation off your hands from holding cold beverages under the sun and initiate the event with a few claps of flour.

• Dust the sheet pans with flour and place your dough in the middle.

• Using the tips of your fingers, press the surface of the dough a few times.

• Dust the top with flour, flip it over and repeat. You’re looking to create a mini pancake at this point.

• Using the heel of your palm, stretch and spin the dough starting on the outside edge. Slight downward pressure, pull, release and spin. (It sounds harder than you think. Imagine spinning a record clockwise — stopping it with one hand — then continuing the track with the other.) Two or three rotations are all you need. If a hole appears, simply fold over a bit of dough around the blemish and call it good.

• Now the fun part. Gently pick up the dough and place your fists in the center. Take a deep breath, uncurl your fingers slightly so the dough rests on your second knuckles and rotate your wrists under the dough to feel it spin. Once you’re comfortable, use your arms to lift the dough, slightly at first, at the end of the wrist rotation. Let the dough fall back onto your knuckles, don’t go grabbing for it.

Spin, lift, pop and give.

• You’ll notice the dough stretching from the middle out. That’s why you worked the outside edge on the sheet pan first. Don’t worry if the dough isn’t fully cooperating. Start gentle; get your technique down before going full tilt for the last few spins. Universal thickness and shape is not the goal. Hand-tossed pizza has character.

• If you puncture the dough during the process, no worries, just take it back to the sheet pan, patch up the hole, give it a final shape with a few strategic presses and pulls and get ready for the toppings. Enjoy the process and learn from it.

Toppings

When it comes to topping pizza, there are no rules. What sounds good? What’s fresh? Here are two traditional topping combos to get you started.

Pizza Margherita

Italian folklore says this pizza was made in the colors of the flag to honor Queen Margherita. Pizza buffs know that’s not true, but it’s a nice story. Regardless, simple is beautiful. This pizza has three toppings — tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.

Fresh tomatoes can be sprinkled with salt and pepper, roasted in the oven and smashed with a fork. You don’t need sauce. Or, buy quality canned tomatoes and spread those on the dough.

Top with slices of fresh mozzarella and torn basil