Urrrgh!!! THAT did not work out well, not the most successful at all.....

Joanie, the WW flour is not the trouble.....

after you have let the dough rise, either for a short time at room temp, or longer at fridge temp (then let return to room temp), perhaps it was the stone that was at fault. I'm thinking that it was hot enough when you first placed the dough down, but not so when you turned it.
This is why I don't use a stone or tiles, but place the dough right onto the grill grates.
I do roll the dough out, so it's as even as I can get it. That way, I dont' get some done spots, and some doughy ones.
Don't give up yet. Grilled pizza is great stuff.

 
Oh Judy, you've piqued my curiosity now...

Do tell me about that dough right on the grates. What kind of grates do you have on your grill? I know there are different styles. I would be scared to death to try that for fear of losing all down into the fiery depths. But obviously you've got it to work and it sounds like a great idea. Do you make smaller pizzas to make maneuvering easier?

Oh, did you get your banana yet? Mine are shooting up great guns. I look at the leaves longingly thinking of what's in store for them at the end of summer LOL!

 
I have a Weber with stainless grates.....

and the first time I tried this, I had similar concerns. I could picture the dough slumping through the grates, or fillings falling all over the place.
I had little to worry about, as it turns out. Only trouble I had first try was the dough wanted to fold or pleat as I placed it on the grill for the first time. I solved that by putting the stretched/rolled dough onto a piece of parchment, which I used to flip the dough onto the grill, then I peeled off the paper.
Since the dough is very thin, and the grill very hot, the dough sets up quickly as has no chance to slump. The toppings are kept to a minimum, and precooked, if called for, so they are hot/melted when the dough is cooked.

As for the banana, I have not gotten an answer to my question about which variety I should get! I looked online and was overwhelmed by the offerings, and wasn't finding info on whether all were good for use as wraps for cooking.
Look under post 2249.....

 
couple questions and an answer...

hmmm, parchment paper and a flip. I take it there are no toppings when you do this? You add them after the dough is in place? Did you try a peel? That's how I usually shovel my formed pizzas (toppings in place) onto the tiles and I've gotten pretty good at keeping it from sticking so I can shovel. Just get a flare up from the excess cornmeal, but that's only temporary. But then, it does make a mess in the indoor oven. Didn't think about putting dough in place, then topping. BTW, how do you handle the indoor oven pizza baking?, just curious.

Sorry, missed the followup banana questions. I've been busy and hadn't checked in. As far as I know, there is no reason you couldn't use any of the bananas at that site. I have no idea what kind I have, as it was years ago that I bought it. The only thing is you'll have to winter the tropic varieties indoors. I am intrigued by the northern hardy banana you discovered. That would certainly make the process easier than digging the things up and over-wintering in the basement. However, I have a horrible feeling about it taking over my garden the way the infamous bamboo took over my former house (where you and Rich visited). I finally moved to flee from it! LOL It was popping up in all my neighbors yards. It was the Little Shop of Horrors come to life.

Oh, one last thing. You won't be getting any bananas. There just isn't enough time in the outdoor part of the cycle to do that. Or at least, never has for me. I tried for several years bringing the whole potted thing into the house, but it just started withering inside. But the dinners at the dining room table under the spreading leaves of the banana trees were just delightful! My son-in-law is very short and would stand under the banana tree and look up at the canopy of banana leaves with this "OK, I know they're weird, but this is a little bit much" look on his face. We refrained from decorating them for Christmas; it was tempting however. : )

There might possibly be other types that might be able to set fruit, but I wouldn't know about it. Just wanted to let you know that so you don't get your hopes up. : )

 
Judy, Richard, maybe I can offer some banana variety help

If you get the Northern hardy variety chances are the leaves will not be the best for cooking- might be too tough. The apple banana is my personal favorite- have also grown the ice cream banana and either of them will produce excellent leaves for cooking. The Williams and Bluefield bananas are two of the standard commercial varieties ; the apple banana is far more interesting in flavor. So is the ice cream banana that tastes sort of like warm melted ice cream. There is also a red Cuban banana that has a black cherry aftertaste. Fun, eh?

Like Richard said, you won't get bananas. It takes anywhere from 12-18 months for a banana shoot to grow and produce a stalk.

Bananas are actually a gigantic herb- a member of the grass family, related to grains like wheat, rye and barley. I have never heard of any banana variety that would not be safe for cooking with.

 
Ah, how you tempt us northern birds...

Thank you for the wonderful descriptions of all the different banana sorts. I love bananas, but unfortunately until just very recently, we've been fed the large, sturdy, shippable without bruising, "gas them when they arrive to ripen them" sort that the Dole company selected for us a long time ago. The tiny red bananas that I think are called custard, just recently began appearing in our markets here. I would love to try the banana with the black cherry aftertaste-as well as the ice cream banana, since I consider ice cream one of the major food groups!

I remember seeing banana flowers at the hindu monastery on the Wailua (as well as an amazing aqua flowering vine that I would kill for to grow here!). They're beautiful.

I think Judy will be fine with growing whatever she selects in the cycle I suggested for us in the north. They make beautiful speciman plants in the back of the garden during the summer and they're not at all hard to winter over, save the labor of doing it. I've been doing this now for over 5 years from the same banana plant. The original is long gone, but every year the shoots spring up and I plant them to repeat the cycle all over. My plants are usually between 6-10 feet tall at the end of the summer, with an abundant supply of leaves and stalks for the barbeque.

 
Oh I think so too, Richard- any of them will do. By the way, the aqua flowering vine was

what is called a green Jade vine. It sometimes looks aqua depending on the dirt it is grown in. A gorgeous, exotic thing, that one! I remember Jade flowers were in bloom when you were here.

 
Ok, an answer.....

as for the pizza dough and toppings....you don't top the pizza until it's cooked on the first side and you've flipped it over, hence the parchment to get it to the grill the first time.
To this end, toppings must be minimal, and if needed, precooked. I tend to use an infused olive oil, carmelized garlic cloves, a small amount of tomato sauce or small dice of peeled seeded tomatoes (In season) and a bit of cheese that will not need much time to melt/warm up.
All this needs to warm.melt in the time it takes for the other side of the dough to cook....which isn't much!
It's all about mis en place.....(sp?) You know what I mean!
Thanks for the banana info....I just tried to order an Ice Cream banana plant form the previosly linked website, and I was rejected. I hope that isn't a reflection on me! Will keep trying, as I like the idea of growing something so non-New England!

 
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