Grilled Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

Ok so not exactly sweet, but definitely delicious! This yummy summery pizza is definitely a must try before the summer's over (sad, i know)! It takes a little bit of practice to get the grilling technique right (we messed up big time on the first try) but once you do it's super easy!

Ingredients/Supplies:
- one batch whole wheat pizza dough (the one I used is down below)
- about 1/2-1 cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
- 1-2 large onions, caramelized
- one package goat cheese
- charcoal grill
- charcoal

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (from The Complete Book of Pizza):

Ingredients
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 (4 tbsp.) cup vegetable oil
- 2 packages dry yeast
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1 1/2- 2 cups warm water

Directions
Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and add 2 tsp. honey. Set aside for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a depression in the center of the flour and add 3 tbsp. of the oil and the other cup of warm water. Put flour on a kneading board. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and mix the ingredients with your hands. Gather the dough together and place it on the floured board. Knead the dough, adding more flour if necessary. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes or until it is elastic, cohesive, and when you poke it with your finger it springs back right away.

Place the dough in a clean bowl that has been rubbed with oil. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining oil. Cover the bowl with a clean towel (I use plastic wrap instead) and put it in a warm draft-free place for 1.5 hours or until doubled in size. When doubled in size, punch down the dough.


To Prepare:
1. Cut the dough in half, grab one of the halves.
2. Roll dough into a circle, about 18 inches in diameter.
3. Repeat with second half.
4. Bring dough to the grill without any toppings on it, but have the toppings prepared.

To Grill:

1. Using a charcoal grill, allow the fire to get hot.
2. Once hot, bank the coals to one side of the grill.
3. Place one of the raw pizza dough halves on the opposite side of the grill as the coals (as in you want an indirect heat source on the pizza or it will burn)
4. Allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes, watching constantly and adjusting cooking time/dough position to prevent burning.
5. Take half finished pizza off the grill and turn it over so that the raw side is down.
6. Place toppings on the cooked side of the pizza, making sure to start with the pesto.
7. Place the pizza back on the grill, raw side down, for another 3-4 minutes or until it is done.
8. Repeat with second half of dough.

*Tip: If your pizza appears to be burning but is not done cooking, you can have a 400 degree hot oven waiting to finish off the cooking safely without fear of ruining the pizza due to burning.

Rosca De Reyes

Earlier this year I made a Rosca De Reyes, or Spanish King's Cake for my spanish class. This sweet bread is traditionally eaten in Mexico and in other Latin American countries (and Spain) on the Christian holiday of King's Day, which occurs in January. A spiced filling with hints of citrus and cinnamon is rolled into the sweet, rich dough to create a heavenly treat. This sweet bread is a great alternative to a yeast coffee cake.

Rosca De Reyes (Spanish King's Cake) recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour

dough

• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

filling

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 3/4 cup dried mixed fruits or Favorite Fruit Blend
• 1 tablespoon lemon, orange, or lime zest

garnish

• candied red cherries and/or orange peel
• toasted sliced almonds, pecans, cashews, or walnuts

1) For the dough: Heat the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan or at medium power in your microwave. Pour the hot milk over the butter, sugar, and salt, and stir occasionally until the butter melts. Cool the mixture to lukewarm.

2) In a mixing bowl combine the milk mixture, eggs, and yeast. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, and mix until a soft, smooth dough forms. You can also use your bread machine, set on the dough cycle, for this step.

3) Place the dough in a greased container, cover it, and set it in a draft-free place to rise until doubled (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Or let your bread machine complete the dough cycle.

4) After the first rise, deflate the dough, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 20" x 12" rectangle.

5) For the filling: Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, leaving a 1/2" strip bare along one of the long edges. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the nuts, mixed fruits and zest, and stir to coat. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered section of the dough.

6) Assembly: Starting with the garnished long edge, roll the dough up jelly-roll style, working toward the edge with no butter on it. Pinch the seam together to seal it firmly, then bring the ends together to form a ring. To keep the bread round, grease the outside of a small bowl or custard cup and put it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the ring, seam side down, around the bowl and tuck one end inside the other, pinching it together to seal it.

7) Flatten the ring slightly, and using a pair of scissors, make cuts in the dough at 1 1/2" intervals around the outside edge. Hide a doll or candy inside the bread. You can place strips of candied orange peel in the cuts to create the look in the photo at the top of the recipe. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled (about 30 to 40 minutes).

8) To bake: Once the dough is shaped and is rising for the second time, preheat the oven to 350°F. When the dough is risen, remove the plastic wrap, and brush the top with beaten egg. Place the candied cherries (cut in half) in the spaces between the slits in the dough, and decorate with nuts as desired. Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top.

9) Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, covering the loaf loosely with foil after the first 15 minutes, as it will brown quickly. Remove the bread from the oven when the inner parts of the slits look cooked and the interior measures 190°F when measured with an instant-read thermometer. Cool the bread on a rack.

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 servings.