Throw Another Loaf on the Barbie

You’ve heard of putting meat and fish on the grill. Lately everybody’s talking about grilling vegetables too. But have you thought about grilling bread?

It’s a natural: Bread cooks quickly and easily, tastes fantastic and is amazingly economical. Good grilled bread improves any meal; paired with a summer salad, it makes a perfect warm-weather supper.

If you think that making bread dough is simply too much trouble in the summer, consider making it in advance and refrigerating or freezing it. Actually, if you use a food processor, making dough takes only about a minute; in a mixer with a dough hook it takes a few minutes more, and even kneading it by hand, you can make dough in 10 to 12 minutes.

The important thing to remember is that all foods cooked on the grill absorb flavor from the fuel, and that bread is particularly sensitive.

To get the best fire for bread, use chunks of wood and soak them in water so that they burn more slowly. Fire the grill to medium heat, and toss in the chunks just before cooking the bread. Mesquite is very strong; just one chunk will do. Even if you are using milder woods such as hickory, oak, apple, maple, cherry or alder, remember that less is always better.

If you are using a charcoal-fired grill, build a fire with hardwood charcoal rather than briquettes, which may be laced with fillers and chemical additives. Hardwood charcoal, made from whole pieces of wood with no mystery ingredients to worry about, burns up to 300 degrees hotter than briquettes and also imparts a better flavor.

The bread comes out etched with grill marks and crisp on the outside, chewy within. It’s irresistible on its own, and wonderful spread with soft goat cheese, herbed butter, salsa, or mashed avocado mixed with lime juice and seasonings.

You can also try grilling the bread with a topping on it, as in the recipe for Nicoise bread. Although the grill is covered while the bread is cooking, the bread cooks so quickly that toppings just get warm rather than cooking through as they would in the oven. So tomatoes and onions should be sliced thin and used sparingly, and the onion slices should be separated into rings. Cheese should be shredded so it melts. Vegetables that require cooking, such as eggplant and potatoes, must be prepared on the stove ahead of time.

This is a basic bread dough recipe, resulting in beautifully textured grill bread, crusty on the outside with a pleasantly chewy interior. The dough can be refrigerated as long as five days; I’ve found that it actually improves in taste and texture as each day passes.

GRILL BREAD DOUGH

1 package dry yeast

2 teaspoons honey

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

2 cups bread flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Stir yeast and honey into warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

To knead dough in food processor or electric mixer, place both flours and salt into food processor work bowl fitted with metal blade (or dough blade) or into bowl of mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine on. Add yeast mixture and oil. Process or beat until dough is moist but still cleans sides of bowl. Add flour by tablespoon if dough is too wet; add water by teaspoon if dough is too dry.

Once consistency is right, mix until dough is supple and elastic, about 40 seconds in processor, about 6 to 8 minutes in mixer.

To knead dough by hand, combine flours and salt in large bowl and make well in center. Add yeast mixture and oil into well, then gradually stir flour into liquid. Turn dough onto floured board. Knead until supple and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Place dough in large plastic food bag. Seal at top. Let dough rise in warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. (Dough can be used immediately or refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 3 months.)

When ready to grill, divide dough into 3 equal portions, roughly 8 ounces each (or about 1 cupful). On heavily floured board, roll each into 7 1/2-inch round. Stack between oiled sheets of wax paper. Dough can be rolled several hours in advance and refrigerated, covered loosely with plastic wrap. Makes 3 (7-inch) round loaves of dough.

Each serving contains about:

291 calories; 493 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.19 gram fiber.

The cooking style of Nice typically includes tomatoes, black olives, garlic, onions and anchovies, the fresh ingredients for this grill bread topping. It’s important to cook the onions just to tenderness; do not cook them until limp. The anchovies are added as a garnish, but they can easily be omitted.

NICOISE GRILL BREAD

Grill Bread Dough

1/4 cup Thick Herbed Oil

Topping

9 Kalamata olives, pitted, halved

1 (2-ounce) tin flat anchovies, drained, rinsed and patted dry

Fresh basil leaves

Divide dough into thirds, about 8 ounces each, or 1 cupful. On floured board, roll each portion into roughly 7 1/2-inch rounds. If dough resists being quickly rolled into round, let dough rest at room temperature, covered, few minutes to 1/2 hour before being grilled. Otherwise, stack with wax paper between each round and place in refrigerator, up to 6 hours.

Prepare medium-hot fire. When hot, toss in wood chunks. Place bread round on cooling rack, brush topside with Thick Herbed Oil and flip onto grill, oiled side down. Brush topside of bread with oil. Repeat with other rounds, if grill is large enough to hold more. Otherwise, cook breads in sequence as each comes off grill. Close grill. Cook about 4 minutes. Bread should puff and be grill-marked on underside.

Turn bread over. Brush grilled side lightly with oil. Spread on 1/3 of Topping. Garnish with olives and anchovies, dividing evenly. Close grill and cook about 4 minutes more. Garnish with basil leaves. Cut bread into wedges. Serve immediately. Makes 3 grill bread rounds.

Each serving contains about:

156 calories; 607 mg sodium; 6 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.58 gram fiber.

Topping

3 tablespoons Thick Herbed Oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 large sweet onions, cut into 1/3-inch dice

2 medium tomatoes, halved, gently squeezed to release seeds and juice, cut into 1/3-inch dice

3/4 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

Crushed hot red pepper

3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Heat oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions and saute until onions are just tender, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt and crushed pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Heat through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered airtight. Bring to room temperature before using.

This oil is more than is actually needed for brushing three grilled breads but it’s so good just tossed with diced summer tomatoes and julienned fresh basil for an improvised topping on the breads that it’s good to have on hand. Use it on vegetables, fish and chicken. Be sure to stir up the oil before using it. Gently warming the oil in the microwave oven or stovetop helps to thin it out and make it go further. The herbed oil is prepared quickly in the processor or blender.

THICK HERBED OIL

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

2 large green onions, trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths

1/2 cup light-tasting olive oil

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh herbs--mix of basil, sage, thyme, rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

Crushed hot red pepper

Combine garlic, green onions, olive oil, herbs, salt and crushed pepper to taste in food processor or blender until as smooth as possible. Can be made 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated, covered airtight. Warm slightly in microwave oven or stove top. Stir just before using. Makes 2/3 cup.

This grilling is as simple as it gets. Brush one side of the dough round with the herbed oil (warmed, it spreads thinner); flip the oiled side down onto a medium grill. Brush the topside with oil. Cover the grill for four minutes. Turn the bread; brush grilled surface. Close the grill for four minutes more.

GRILL BREAD

Grill Bread Dough

Thick Herbed Oil, warmed in microwave oven or stove top

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Divide dough into thirds (about 8 ounces each or 1 cupful). On floured board, roll each portion into roughly 7 1/2-inch rounds. If dough resists being quickly rolled into round, let dough rest at room temperature few minutes or up to 1/2 hour before being grilled. Otherwise stack with wax paper between rounds and place in refrigerator up to 6 hours.

Prepare medium-hot fire. When hot, toss in wood chunks. To flip round onto grill, place on cooling rack, brush topside with oil and flip onto grill, oiled side down. Brush topside of bread with oil. Repeat with other rounds, if grill is large enough to hold more. Otherwise, cook breads in sequence as each comes off grill. Close grill. Cook about 4 minutes. Bread should puff and be grill-marked on underside.

Turn bread over. Brush grilled side lightly with oil. Sprinkle with cheese. Close grill about 4 minutes more. Cut bread into wedges. Serve immediately. Makes 3 loaves.

Each serving contains about:

454 calories; 690 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.31 gram fiber.