Caprese Pizza

• Pizza Dough
• 1/3 cup Olive oil
• 7 cloves of garlic
• 1 brick of fresh (soft) mozzarella -sliced into medallions
• 2 tomatoes, 3 roma tomatoes, or 15-20 cherry tomatoes- Sliced into discs
• 5 leaves of fresh basil-rough chop or chiffonade
• Balsamic Vinegar
• OPTIONAL: 1/2 red onion- sliced thin
• OPTIONAL: 6oz mushroom-sliced and browned in butter

Preheat the oven to 425 with a pizza stone in it if you have one. 

Start by smashing and peeling the garlic cloves ad putting them in a small pot with the olive oil. Cook over low heat until the garlic is soft then blend in a small food processor until you have a nice garlic oil paste.

Roll out your dough to the size of your pizza stone or pizza pan. If you have a pizza stone, take it out of the oven now and sprinkle some corn meal on it before putting the raw dough on the hot stone, Otherwise, grease your pizza pan and put the dough on it.

Brush your pizza all over with the garlic paste. Place the mozzarella slices all over it. Then place the slices of tomato all over it. If you want onion or mushroom sprinkle those evenly over the pizza now as well.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust looks cooked and the cheese is melted all over and starting to brown just a little. Sprinkle the basil over the top and bake for just one more minute. 

Take the pizza out and move it off your pizza stone (or it will get cheese stuck to it) and slice and serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over the top. The best vinegar to use would be a balsamic glaze that is much thicker than a regular vinegar-almost honey consistency. You can find this vinegar in stores like Safeway and Fred Meyer (or Smiths) but I haven't seen it at Winco or Walmart.