Homemade Caprese Pizza

Sauce:

1. *Tip: Sauce can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
2. Pour the can of whole tomatoes into a small bowl and use your hands to crush or kitchen scissors to cut up the whole tomatoes and set aside.
3. Drizzle oil into a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Allow mixture to come to a simmer over medium heat.
4. Stir in chopped basil and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook mixture until it thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Taste again and adjust seasonings. You can also add a touch of honey or sugar for sweetness, if needed.

Quick Crust:

1. For the crust, I use Rapid Rise yeast to cut the rising time down. If you are using regular active dry yeast, you’ll have to let it rise a bit longer.
2. Place 1 cup of flour, rapid rise yeast, oil, honey, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Slowly add your warm water and begin mixing with an electric mixer or wooden spoon.
3. Beat until the mixture is smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Begin adding additional flour 1/2 cup at a time until it forms a soft dough.
4. Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes or until dough is soft and smooth. Be careful not to add too much flour or the crust will be hard. Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. If using active dry yeast, let rise about 40-60 minutes.
5. *Tip: If your kitchen is cool, you can turn on your oven to the lowest setting for 1-2 minutes and then turn off. Oven should be warm but not too hot to touch. Place bowl inside of the warm oven to rise. Alternatively, you can place a pan of boiling water in the bottom of your oven (turned off) and close the oven door. The steam and moisture will also be a good environment for the dough to rise.

Balsamic Glaze:

1. *Tip: Glaze can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. If it gets too thick from the cold, just place the container in a bowl of very warm water to heat it back up.
2. Place balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes, give or take. Remove from heat until ready to use.

Putting The Pizza Together:

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place dough onto a lightly greased pizza pan or cookie sheet and gently stretch it out to about 12-14 inches, but be careful not to overwork the dough. The size will determine how thick or thin the crust is—smaller pizza for thicker crust, spread it out larger for thinner crust. If you get a hole in the crust when stretching it out, just pinch the dough back together.
2. (Optional: For thick, fluffy crust, you can cover the dough on the pan and let rise again for 15-30 minutes)
3. Place a few spoonfuls of sauce onto the dough and spread it over the crust. You may not need all of it. Top with slices or torn chunks of mozzarella. It’s okay if there is sauce showing. Sprinkle the top with salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Place pan into the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes (time will vary depending on how thick the dough is) until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Sometimes I stick it under the broiler for the last minute just to brown the top, but that’s optional.
5. Remove from oven, top with fresh basil leaves and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serves 2-4 people.