Pizza Caprese

After posting the Napoletana Pizza Dough recipe, I just had to follow up with my favorite way to use it. Our basil and tomatoes are coming in like crazy, and this is certainly a tasty and easy way to enjoy our garden bounty. You just layer on sliced tomatoes and chopped basil, sprinkle on some olive oil, and then top with sliced fresh mozzarella. If you want to get adventurous, throw on some minced garlic. The idea is to keep it simple and allow the flavors of the fresh ingredients to shine.

I like the cheese to melt a bit in the oven, so I put it on before baking, but you can also reserve the cheese until the pizza is out of the oven and then lay it on top, which will soften it just a bit before slicing.

Equipment

12-inch or larger pizza stone or pan
paper towels

Ingredients

thin crust pizza dough
2 roma tomatoes
15 basil leaves, chopped
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 500° F.

2. Cut tomatoes into thin slices and lay them on a paper towel to soak up excess liquid.

3. Cut the mozzarella into 1/4-inch slices and lay them on a paper towel to soak up excess liquid.

4. Chop the basil leaves.

5. Press the dough into a 12-inch circle. Lay the tomatoes on in concentric circles around the dough, about 1/2-inch away from the edge. Sprinkle on the chopped basil and some olive oil. Lay the sliced mozzarella around the top.

6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crust is browned and cheese is just starting to bubble. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to sit 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

Variations

Add 1 clove of minced garlic to the tomato and basil layer.

Reserve the cheese until the pizza is out of the oven. Lay the sliced mozzarella around the hot pizza and allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.