Caprese
Caprese is actually commonly known as an italian salad. The name means Capri-style, a small island off the coast of Campania, Italy.
This pizza is the perfect combination of two Italian classics: pizza and Caprese salad.
This Italian pizza-variety is commonly topped with cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella di bufala, balcamic glaze, and Basil just like a salad.
In the mood for a Vegetarian pizzas with a Tomato sauce? Well then check this pizza out.
Pizza is a tasty food all around the world, but did you know that it can be quite different depending on where you go? That’s because the ingredients, cooking methods, and pizza-making traditions vary greatly from place to place. For example, in Italy, pizza is typically made with simple and high-quality ingredients such as fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, and cooked in a wood-fired oven, which gives it its characteristic soft and chewy crust.
In contrast, in America, pizza is often loaded with toppings and cooked in a gas oven, resulting in a much crispier crust. Even within the same country, you can find different regional variations.
For example, in New York, you will find the classic thin-crust pizza, while in Chicago, you will find a deep-dish pizza with a thick crust. The unique characteristics of pizza in different places make it a fascinating food to explore and try. It’s like a culinary journey around the world, in one slice!
Pizza in Italy
A Naples invention, Pizza originated in Italy in the 1700’s, and they know how to craft the perfect pizza. Naples is the most famous location for pizza in the entire world, and you can still visit the world’s oldest pizzeria, the stunning Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba.
Take a look at some of the other pizzas from Italy here.
| Origin | Italy |
| Type | Vegetarian |
| Sauce | Tomato Sauce |
Caprese Pizza Recipe
Below we’ve put together a recipe for you to make your own homemade Caprese Pizza from either a pizza oven or using a pizza stone.
| Dough | 2 hours |
| Assembly | 10 minutes |
| Baking | 12-20 minutes |
Caprese Pizza Ingredients
Buy enough pizza toppings for the amount of pizzas you plan to make. The pizza sauce and dough ingredients below are designed for 3-4 pizzas, so scale up or down, based on your requirements.
Simple Pizza dough
- 400 g (2 2/3 cups) 00 or pizza flour
- 1 cup (250 ml) luke-warm water
- 2 tsps (7 g sachet) dried yeast
- 2 tsps salt
- 3 tbsps (1/4 cup) olive oil
Caprese Pizza Toppings
Toppings used in this pizza recipe, are;
- Mozzarella
- Sliced Tomato
Tomato Pizza Sauce
- 1 can (15oz/420g) diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 (6oz/170g) can of tomato paste
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 small onion
- 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
Want to try a different sauce? See our article on the different types of pizza sauces.
TIP
You can click on any of the tags at the bottom of this page, to find other pizzas besides Caprese Pizza, that use that topping.
Pizza Dough Method
You can either make your own dough following the simple steps below, or you can purchase a premade pizza base at your local store.
- Whisk the lukewarm water and yeast in a plastic or glass jug. Let mixture stand for five minutes.
- Add salt and flour in a large bowl. Create a hollow well in the middle and gently pour the liquid yeast mixture and oil.
- Using a spatula, or your hands, mix the dough really well until smooth. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for five minutes.
- Lightly oil a bowl, and place dough in it and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes to an hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for another 5 minutes or until smooth.
- Sprinkle a little flour on the bench before rolling to prevent dough from sticking.
- Divide the dough into balls, and roll out bases to desired size.
TIP: We have other dough recipes if you would like to try your hand at sourdough, poolish or more.
Tomato Pizza Sauce Method
You can make this tasty pizza sauce following the simple steps below, or you can purchase a pizza sauce at your local supermarket.
- Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix well using a whisk, or blender.
- Leave sitting for five minutes.
- Your sauce is now ready. Enjoy!
- Keep sauce in fridge or freeze for future use.
By not heating these sauce ingredients, you give this simple pizza sauce a very fresh taste.
Preparing Caprese Pizza
Switch oven on to at least 450 degrees and preheat for at least 30 minutes.
Stretch out dough into a circle, on a floured surface.
If you are using a pizza steel or stone, make sure it is preheating in oven.
Now it’s time to add the sauce. This recipe calls for Tomato Sauce. Spread the Tomato Sauce around the pizza base, leaving a gap at edges.
Add your ingredients in size, from the largest to smallest.
Cheese should be sprinkled on at the end.
Toppings for this pizza are;
- Mozzarella
- Sliced Tomato
This pizza is flavorsome by itself, yet why not pair it with another pizza as well?
Cooking time
Put the Caprese pizza in oven, and set alarm for ten minutes.
After 10 minutes, open oven and look at pizza.
The pizza should be done within roughly 15 minutes. Always cook to personal tastes.
About Mozzarella
Fresh Mozzarella is typically white, however when seasoned it can change to light yellow, depending on the animal’s diet. Due to its high moisture content, it is traditionally served the day after it is made, however it can be kept in brine for a week, or even longer if packaged well.
Mozzarella was first cited in an Italian cookbook in 1570. Nowadays, Mozzarella can be twisted to form a plait, and called Treccia. You can also buy it as a smoked cheese, called Affumicata.
Pizza Tools
When making Caprese Pizza, it’s always handy to have the right pizza making tools. Here’s what items I always recommend…
Food Containers
Leftovers need to go somewhere, and I hate using lots of plastic wrap or alfoil. I prefer good air tight clear containers for my fridge.
Dough Containers
Dough storage containers must be of high quality and airtight.
Quality Food Containers
Leftovers need to go somewhere, and I don’t enjoy using aluminium foil or plastic wrap all the time. A couple of good air tight containers should be in every home.
Tomato
Did you know that Tomato is actually a fruit, not a vegetable? There’s over 10,000 types of tomatoes around the world, and China is the largest producer of the delicious fruit. Historically, Tomato was originally found in South America and Central America.
Tomatoes are healthy! Packed with vitamins A and C, calcium and potassium, they are also rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that is good for the heart and effective against certain cancers.
Storage Ideas
Have leftover pizza? Here’s what to do.
Warming up
Warm in the center of a 450 degree F oven for approximately 6 minutes, on a pizza stone if possible, until heated through. See our article on reheating pizza for more.
Freezer guide
You can store leftover pizza in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen as directed above until heated through.
Store in the fridge
Leftover slices of pizza may be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Pizza making FAQ
Below we’ve compiled the most common pizza making questions and provided expert answers. Are you looking for how to make delicious pizza at home? Please read on!
How long after gallbladder surgery can I eat pizza?
Doctors will normally suggest that you wait at least 4-6 weeks after gallbladder sujrgery before eating pizza. Even then, they will suggest you only eat small amounts of pizza, and roughly once per month.
How can I keep bread from becoming soggy when making pizza bread?
If you find that the dough you are producing for pizza bread is too soggy, try reducing the liquid ingredients, or add slightly more flour. You can always save most dough by rolling them out on a well floured bench, and kneading them with new flour being slowly added.
Can I use stevia when making pizza dough?
It isn’t advised to use any sugar substitutes in your dough. They often won’t feed the yeast and they have a different burning level than normal sugars. You can try of course, however you’ve been warned.
Have you made Caprese Pizza?
Caprese Pizza matters to us, let us know how it was! Tag us on our Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter and let us know what you thought of it! I’d love to know.
Featured image: Source
