Caprese Pizza

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This Cast-Iron Skillet Caprese Pizza comes together quickly for a fun dinner that your family will enjoy. With a perfectly golden brown and crisp crust, and less than 30 minutes of your time, this will make Friday pizza night deliciously amazing!

Instead of ordering from your favorite pizza place this week, try your hands in making your own delicious pizza at home.

This caprese pizza can be made using our homemade pizza dough from milk bun recipe, or you may use store-bought pizza dough. 

What is Caprese Pizza?

Two words: Mozzarella and tomatoes! Caprese Pizza is just a Caprese salad (Insalata Caprese in Italy) baked on top of a pizza.

It’s an Italian pizza with sliced tomatoes, basil leaves, and creamy mozzarella cheese, all topped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar glaze.

Making pizza at home is simpler than it appears.

You can make a large pan of Caprese pizza in under 30 minutes and eat it even faster; especially if your dough is already prepared.

In addition to being simple to make, delicious, and filling, this cast iron skillet pizza is a refreshing change from the typical cheese or Margherita pizza. 

It is also a versatile food that can be eaten as a snack, an appetizer, or a light lunch. 

The Origin Story of Caprese

Caprese salad, or simply Caprese, is thought to have originated on the beautiful island of Capri in the Gulf of Naples.

Caprese salad is typically served as an appetizer (antipasto in Italian, which translates to starter) rather than a side dish in Italy (Contorno in Italian). Its ingredients can also be used as pizza toppings and sandwich fillings.

However, the true history of this native Italian dish is unknown, as there are various stories about it.

Many people believe it was created shortly after World War II by a patriotic mason as a tribute to the Italian national flag, with the green of the basil leaves, white of the mozzarella cheese, and red of the tomatoes all representing the green, white, and red colors of the flag, respectively.

Another version claims that Caprese was invented in the early 1920s by a chef at the Hotel Quisisana in Capri as part of a Futurist dinner based on the Futurismo movement’s beliefs.

The Futurismo movement began when Tommaso Marinetti, a painter, sculptor, and poet, published his Manifesto of Futurism, in which he proposed a reform of traditional Italian cuisines. 

Marinetti advocated for the abolition of some of Italy’s traditional cuisine (particularly pasta) in favor of modern, aesthetically pleasing dishes made without flour. 

He preferred these dishes because of their light colors, which he thought were ideal for today’s lifestyle. The color scheme of the Caprese components perfectly matched this description.

According to legend, King Farouk of Egypt and Sudan was served a panini sandwich with Caprese salad filling in the 1950s after requesting “something light,” and this is what propelled the native Italian dish to worldwide recognition.

Whatever the true history is, one thing is certain: Caprese is a native Italian dish that is adored around the world for its simplicity and delicacy.

What Are The Ingredients For Caprese Pizza?

Pizza Crust: The first and most basic ingredient you’ll need for your pizza is pizza crust or the pizza dough.

However, if you are uncomfortable in making your own dough, you may use our Milk Bun dough recipe – just remember to only let it rise once, or you may use store-bought dough.

Whether you are using homemade or store-bought dough, it makes no difference. 

Vine-ripe Tomatoes: My preference when making this caprese pizza is to use the cocktail tomatoes. They are smaller, they are filled with liquid, and taste absolutely delicious.

Tomatoes are one of the most significant ingredients in almost every pizza, including this Caprese Pizza. You can also opt in to use large, vine-ripe tomatoes. 

Other tomatoes you may use are the cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or heirloom tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes. 

Be mindful, because the tomatoes are very juicy, they will release liquid as the pizza bakes. 

Mozzarella Cheese: Cut up some fresh mozzarella cheese and add it to your Caprese Pizza. However, don’t add too much because fresh mozzarella contains water, which can soak up your crust and make it soggy.

Balsamic Vinegar glaze: This is the coating you’ll use to give your pizza a nice Italian food appearance. Balsamic vinegar glaze is simply thickened balsamic vinegar. 

If you are using a store-bought one and if it is too thick, you can dilute 2 tablespoon vinegar with 2 tablespoons of water. 

You can buy one or make your own by simply boiling a cup of balsamic vinegar over the stove until it thickens and becomes sticky. By making your own at home will leave you with a sweeter flavor than regular balsamic vinegar.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: After baking your pizza, top it with fresh basil leaves for extra boost of flavor, then drizzle the pizza with extra virgin olive oil. At this point you can also sprinkle fresh grown pepper on top of the pizza. 

Variations and Optional Ingredients

Sauce: Instead of using pesto, consider making your own marinara sauce. You can also opt in for a store-bought version. You can also use an alfredo sauce. 

This Ghanaian tomato sauce works well with pizza. 

Cheese: If you like cheese, you can add some Parmesan or Asiago to your Caprese Pizza for a more gooey texture.

Adding Meat: Lastly, feel free to add your favorite meat choice as a topping. Shredded chicken compliments this dish well as it is not too thick and will help to soak up the liquid left behind from the mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. 

How To Store and Reheat Your Pizza

Pizza tastes best when it’s hot and fresh. It is not recommended to keep pizza for an extended period because the tomatoes become soggy, and the cheese no longer melts properly.

However, and if necessary, store your Caprese Pizza in slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. 

Reheat slices of Caprese Pizza in the oven at 275°F until heated through. We do not recommend freezing the pizza. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Pro Tips for making Caprese Pizza

• If you are using our milk buns dough, it will make a 14 to 16” hand tossed style pizza. If you are using a 8” cast iron skillet, we strongly recommend that you divide the dough into two pieces. If left whole, the dough will become very thick as it bakes. 
• I love this cast iron skillet whenever I want to cook or bake something in a cast iron.   
• We recommend you wait a few minutes after the pizza has cooled before sprinkling it with the basil leaves. This keeps the leaves from browning.
• If you are making your own pizza dough, you only need to let the dough rise once.
• Instead of using eggs around the edge to baste your dough, try using milk as this will leave you with a softer crust. 
• Be sure to pat the mozzarella cheese dry before adding to the pizza. This will help to slightly reduce the liquid that’s released when baking. 

After trying this Caprese pizza, we recommend you try this smoked pizza next. 

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