Grilled Pizza with Herbed Cheese and Ice Cream for Summer Soldiers

Through the heat, we soldier on. My lovely neighbor with a British accent reminded me of this virtue, after her beloved soccer club lost that heartbreaker against Croatia, with these charming and sober coasters,:

Happy summer time, y’all sweat enough yet? Might as well grill and have ice cream for dessert.

 

Herbed Cheese Spread

Adapted from Food and Wine

2 garlic cloves, crushed

¾ tsp kosher salt

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 dried chiles de arbol

8 oz cream cheese, room temp

16 oz labne (it’s a yogurty thing, kinda like soft cheese)

2 TB olive oil

2 TB chopped chives

1 TB fresh oregano

1 tsp fresh tarragon leaves

Ground black pepper

Combine garlic, salt, and, if using, chile in bowl of a food processor, and pulse until coarsely ground, about 5 times. Add cream cheese, mascarpone, goat cheese, and olive oil, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add chives, marjoram, tarragon, and a few grinds of black pepper, and process until combined.

Grilled Flatbread

Adapted from Food and Wine

Starter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/8 ounces)

Pinch of instant or quick-rising yeast (you can also use a ¼ sourdough starter if you have it)

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

 

Dough

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon instant or quick-rising yeast (or 1 cup sourdough starter)

1 3/4 cups warm water

All-purpose flour

rice flour, or semolina flour, for dusting

 

Combine flour and yeast (or your sourdough starter) in a medium bowl with your fingers. Make a well in center, and add water. Blend until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature until mixture is slightly bubbly and slightly risen, 12 to 18 hours.

Combine flour, salt, and yeast in bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer with your fingers. Make a well in center; add Flatbread Starter and warm water. You can use a dough hook or you can just knead and mix by hand.

Using a bowl scraper or spatula, turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Gently press dough out until slightly flattened. Starting with the side closest to you, fold dough over about two-thirds of the way to the opposite side, pressing gently. Then fold the side furthest away from you over about two-thirds of the way to the side closest to you, pressing gently. Rotate dough piece 90º, and repeat folding procedure with the 2 unfolded sides. Turn dough seam side down, and shape into a smooth ball.

Return dough to a bowl, smooth side up, cover, and let stand 15 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface, and repeat Step 3. (The dough should now be elastic and smooth.) Return to bowl, smooth side up; cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Make the Flatbreads

Divide Flatbread Dough into 8 equal pieces, about 6 1/8 oz. each. Shape each piece into a ball. Cover with a clean dish towel, and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat a grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Using tongs, carefully wipe grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape grates clean, then wipe with an oiled paper towel once more.

Using your fingertips, press each dough ball into a rectangular shape; stretch each piece into a 6-inch circle. Arrange dough circles on a cutting board or a baking sheet sprinkled with flour. Cover with a clean tea towel, and let stand 20 minutes. (This final proofing builds more air into the dough, creating its chewier, fluffier texture.)

Shape each dough circle into a 10- x 8-inch rectangle. Transfer dough rectangles, in batches, to oiled grill grate, and grill, covered, until lightly charred on bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. (Wipe grill grate with oiled paper towels as needed between batches.) Flip dough rectangles, and grill until bottoms are well marked, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from grill.

These were delicious topped with the herbed cheese sauce (above) and grilled tomatoes (just slice a tomato into ½ cm thick rounds, lay out on parchment paper, drizzle with oil and fresh thyme and salt, and put to roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Little grilled pizzas.

Then, enjoy an ice cream cone or two for dessert! Let’s Do Gluten Free sent me some of their cones as a summer treat, and they were delicious. Bulldog approved. Now all we need is lieutenant Dan.