Caprese Pizza with Easy Homemade Crust

This homemade Caprese Pizza is simple and a lot of fun to make. The entire family will love the rich flavors of this unique vegetarian pizza. With less than 30 minutes from start to finish, it may just become part of your regular dinner menu.

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I’m super excited about this recipe as it was my first time making a pizza completely from scratch. Even better, I was surprised how quickly this Caprese Pizza came together, even with making the dough. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes for easy homemade pizza any time of the week.

Pizza is one of my favorite foods, but until now I’ve always used store-bought dough or crusts. Making the dough was as simple as mixing together a few ingredients, kneading the dough for a few minutes, then letting it rise for 10 minutes. I just might be hooked. Why have I never tried this?

After that, simply top with your favorite ingredients. Caprese pizza is a unique option that makes homemade pizza fun and delicious. The Mediterranean flavors are a natural fit for pizza toppings.

Caprese Pizza Ingredients

Pizza dough: You’ll need to start with a dough. This recipe uses traditional homemade pizza dough to make an authentic crust. 

Olive oil: A classic element in any Caprese recipe. Coat the dough before baking to add flavor. It also helps create a nice golden brown crust. 

Mozzarella cheese: Instead of shredded cheese, I prefer fresh Mozzarella. You’ll find it in a small tub, often sitting in liquid. Fresh Mozzarella is soft, creamy and loaded with flavor. 

Tomatoes: Sliced Roma tomatoes or quartered cherry tomatoes will add the best flavor. They add a bit of sweetness once roasted with the pizza.

Italian seasoning: While not always used in Caprese salads, I found it adds great flavor to this Caprese pizza.

Fresh basil leaves: This an essential part of any Caprese recipe. It adds wonderful flavor and lovely greens to the pizza. Note: Top the pizza with basil AFTER baking to maintain flavors.

Balsamic glaze: Can be drizzled on as a garnish for a bit of tang and sweetness, enhancing the overall flavors. 

Ingredients for Homemade Pizza Dough

• All-purpose flour
• Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast
• Sugar
• Salt
• Warm water (120° to 130°F)
• Oil

Which Yeast to Use for Pizza Dough

I used Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast to speed things up and make this a foolproof pizza dough. It only takes 10 minutes to rise and creates a dense, chewy and crispy crust.

Using yeast in homemade pizza dough creates authentic taste and texture. On top of that, it’s just a lot of fun to make pizza dough from scratch! You can even get children involved and have them knead the dough for quality family time.

Fleischmann’s® has been helping bakers make the highest quality recipes for more than 150 years. It makes homemade doughs and baking simple for anyone.

Tips for Making the Dough

Water temperature is critical: The water should be very warm, but not too hot to touch. If possible, use a digital thermometer to ensure it’s between 120° to 130° F. 

Yeast is a living organism. If the water is too cold it won’t activate the yeast and rise. If the water is too hot it can kill the yeast. Also, be sure the yeast has not expired, which can prevent rising.

How to Knead Dough

To knead the dough, lightly coat hands and a flat surface with flour to prevent sticking. Flatten dough and fold it toward you on the prepared surface. Using the bottoms of your hands, push the dough away with a rolling motion. Rotate dough a quarter turn and repeat. 

Keep kneading dough, adding flour as needed, until it is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. After that let it rise for 10 minutes. 

Leave a comment below and star rating if you made this recipe or want to share your thoughts.

 

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5 from 4 votes

Caprese Pizza Recipe with Homemade Crust

The entire family will love the rich flavors of this unique Homemade Caprese Pizza. With less than 30 minutes from start to finish, it may just become part of your rotating family dinner menu.

Course Pizza

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword caprese pizza, caprese style pizza, homemade pizza dough

Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 26 minutes minutes

Calories 226kcal

Servings 8 slices

Author: Matt Ivan

Did you know? Servings and ingredient amounts can be adjusted on all my recipes. Click the green number above to change.

Ingredients

Pizza Dough Ingredients:

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ▢ 1 envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ⅔ cup very warm water, 120° to 130°F*
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Mazola corn oil

Toppings:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons dried Italian seasonings
• ▢ 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• ▢ 4 ounces fresh Mozzarella, drained
• ▢ 1 handful resh basil leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar glaze, optional

Instructions

Make the Pizza Dough:

• Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute.
• Gradually stir in remaining flour (you may need a bit more or less than a cup) to make a soft dough. The dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
• Knead dough* on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
• Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Roll or pat dough flat into a 12-inch circle. Place on greased pizza pan or baking sheet.

Add the Toppings:

• Preheat oven to 425° F. Brush top of the dough with olive oil, leaving about ½-inch of space around the edge. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings.
• Top with tomatoes. Break mozzarella into chunks or slice, and top the pizza.
• Bake on the lowest oven rack for 12 to 14 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned.
• Top with basil leaves and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Let rest for 2 minutes, cut into slices and serve.

Notes

*How to knead the dough: Lightly coat hands and a flat surface with flour to prevent sticking. Flatten dough and fold it toward you on the prepared surface. Using the bottoms of your hands, push the dough away with a rolling motion. Rotate dough a quarter turn and repeat. Keep kneading dough, adding flour as needed, until it is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Note: Pizza dough recipe from Fleischmann's®.

Pizza dough recipe from Fleischmann's® Bread World

Nutrition Facts

Caprese Pizza Recipe with Homemade Crust

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 226 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 309mg13%

Potassium 93mg3%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 254IU5%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 93mg9%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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