F. Grilled Dough

Although it is possible to bake on a grill, the process is problematic and the results are often unpredictable. The only exceptions are flatbreads, like pizza, pita, and naan, which are the right dimension to cook through without scorching, are firm enough to balance on a grill grate, and have the right textural stretch to benefit from a crispy skin speckled with char.

Like all dough, flatbread dough is a mixture of flour and liquid. Flour is composed of two elements—starch and protein. When you add liquid to wheat flour (the principal flour used in baking), the starch expands, giving the dough bulk, and the protein activates, giving the dough structure. The longer you mix the dough, the greater the activity of the protein (called gluten) and the sturdier the finished baked good will be.