Caprese Pizza

As anyone who reads Catz even occasionally knows, pizza is a staple in the Rief household. Yes, it's right up there with bread and milk. Making a very nearly weekly appearance on our menu and a holding forth a constant presence in our freezer ( The Italian flag in your kitchen

Yes, I physically measure my dough to exactly 12 inches!

Olive oil really does make everything better...

Christian really wanted in on the basil

For a simple sauceless pizza like the caprese, par-baking is a must

Topped with fresh basil, waiting for this pizza to cool before eating it is almost impossible

Try this out, and I'm quite certain that it will be a staple in your household in short order as well. Oh, and for those of you with small children, did I mention there's no sauce? Leave the balsamic reduction off, and you have the least messy pizza ever served to a child! Score one for less cleanup!

Caprese Pizza
This simple Italian classic will become a weekly guest on your menu in short order!

Servings: about 4

Prep Time (not including dough prep): 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: about 25 minutes

Ingredients
Catz pizza dough
1-2 large tomatoes or 2-3 medium romas
8-10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
10-15 slices of mozzarella cheese
extra virgin olive oil
(optional) 1 cup of balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pizza stone sprinkled with corn meal in oven during preheating.
2. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface into a roughly circular shape about 12 inches in diameter. Brush both sides with extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to hot pizza stone, and return to oven to par bake for about 7 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden brown. 
3. Remove crust from oven and top with alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella, overlapping slightly. Return to oven for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until mozzarella is browned and bubbling. 
4. Remove pizza from oven, transfer to pizza peel, and top with chiffonade basil leaves. Let cool for 2-3 minutes and serve. If possible, cut with a rocking pizza cutter to avoid disturbing ingredients.