Recipe: Fresh Caprese Pizza
Summer is almost upon us, and in my family, that means it's time for caprese - a refreshing Italian salad consisting of tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil.
But sometimes, you just want pizza. I know I do. This recipe combines the best of both dishes. And yes, it involves making the crust from scratch. And yes, you can do that. It's easy. After you taste this thin, crisp crust, you may never buy pre-prepared pizza crusts or frozen pizzas again.
Fresh Caprese Pizza
Prep Time: 1 hour
Servings: 2 to 4
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp rapid-rise yeast
1/3 cup hot water
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 cup marinated mozzarella cheese
1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh basil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Stir in hot water, mixing until all ingredients are combined. The result should be a sticky dough.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough for 4 minutes. Add flour as needed until the dough can be kneaded easily and is no longer sticky.
4. Cover dough with a cloth and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit.
6. Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten using a floured rolling pin.
7. Transfer the dough to an oiled pizza pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Cut mozzarella into thin slices. Distribute evenly on pizza. Do the same with the tomatoes and garlic.
9. Top with basil leaves and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
10. Garnish with additional basil leaves, slice, and serve.
11. Enjoy!
