Forget Tofu Hot Dogs - Pizza on the Grill - NYTimes.com I don't grill very often, though I do have a sturdy Weber that I pull out in the summer. But this week I began thinking about Fourth of July barbecues and the requisite tofu dogs and burgers that are standard fare for vegetarians at these events, and how much more delicious (and healthy) it would be to grill other, less processed foods - like pizzas. So I made some pizza dough and marinara sauce, picked up some vegetables, fired up my Weber, and spent a delightful late afternoon making pizzas on it. Pizzas made on the grill are really more like topped flatbreads. They get plenty of direct heat, so the surfaces brown nicely, but not enough ambient heat, even with the lid closed, for a crumb to develop on the rim of the pizza. Stretch out or roll the dough very thin, with no raised edge, so that the pizzas won't have a doughy texture. It's much easier to work with smaller pies, so I divide into three portions dough that I usually divide in half, and I roll them to approximately 10-inch disks. Then I freeze the disks between pieces of lightly dusted parchment so I don't have to worry about the dough sticking or tearing when I'm ready to put it on the grill. I take it from the freezer shortly before I'm ready to grill it, and the cold rounds are easy to manipulate. If you want to reduce the calories in these pizzas you could roll them really thin and get four slightly smaller pies out of one batch of dough. Then freezing is really necessary for easy handling. It's important that you don't weigh down your pizzas with ingredients, especially marinara sauce, or they'll be difficult to get on and off the grill and they'll be soggy. A thin layer of marinara - 1/4 cup - will be plenty for a 10-inch disk. As for vegetables, because the pizzas get so little time on the grill, they will taste best if you grill them a bit beforehand, on their own, in a grill pan. Then they get the nice charred flavor we love. I've given you recipes this week for tomato, eggplant, onion and fennel pizzas. Other vegetables that work well are peppers, summer squash, artichoke hearts, even potatoes. Set up all the fixings on a table near the grill, and have your friends and children participate in assembling the pizzas. Let the week's Recipes for Health be a guide and come up with your own combinations. Pizza Marinara on the Grill It's easiest to make pizzas on a grill if the pies are smallish, so I divide dough that I usually use for two pies into three. I stretch out and shape the crusts, then keep them in the freezer until I'm ready to grill. Then they're really easy to get onto the grill; you don't even need a peel if the crust is really cold. For lower-calorie pizzas, divide dough into 4 pieces and roll into paper-thin 8- or 9-inch disks. Pizza Dough 8 grams (2 teaspoons) active dry or fresh yeast 225 grams (1 cup) warm water 5 grams (1 teaspoon) sugar 12.5 grams (1 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the pizza crusts 185 grams (approximately 1 1/2 cups) whole wheat flour 125 to 185 grams (approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour 10 grams (1 1/4 teaspoons) salt Topping: 3/4 cup marinara sauce made with fresh or canned tomatoes 5 to 6 ounces mozzarella, shredded if fresh, sliced if low-moisture Fresh basil leaves Making the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bread bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the sugar and stir together. Let sit 2 or 3 minutes, until the water is cloudy. Stir in the olive oil. Using a stand mixer: Combine 310 grams (2 1/2 cups) of the flour and the salt, and add to the yeast mixture all at once. Mix together using the paddle attachment, then change to the dough hook. Knead at low speed for 2 minutes, then turn up to medium speed and knead for 8 minutes. Add flour as needed. Hold on to the machine if it bounces around. Turn out onto a clean work surface and shape the dough into a ball. The dough should be firm and slightly sticky. If you are kneading the dough by hand: Mix together the yeast, sugar, water and olive oil as directed in a medium or large bowl. Combine 310 grams (2 1/2 cups) of the flour and the salt. Fold in a cup at a time, using a large wooden spoon. As soon as you can scrape the dough out in one piece, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary, until the dough is firm. Shape into a ball. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled. Weigh the dough and divide into 3 equal balls. Shape each ball by cupping it between your hands, with the bottom of your hands touching your work surface, and moving the dough in a clockwise circle between your hands, working round and round the dough until it becomes a ball. Put the balls on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave them to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, the dough balls can be placed in a wide bowl and covered with plastic wrap, or in a resealable bag, and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. You will need to punch them down again when you are ready to roll out the pizzas.