Name: Caprese Pizza with Garlic Herb Crust
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon dry oregano; 2 teaspoons instant yeast; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 12 ounces beer; 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil; 1/2 pound Garlic Herb Pizza Dough, (room temperature (1/2 portion, see note)); 1/2 cup tomato sauce; 1 cup sliced tomatoes ((see note)); 5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, (sliced); 1/4 cup fresh basil, (torn); Crushed red pepper (for serving, optional )

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Who doesn't love a classic Caprese Pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil? Homemade garlic-herb "beer bread" crust makes this recipe even better, but you can also use any other type of pizza dough you like.

Sliced Caprese Pizza sprinkled with crushed red pepper on a white marble slab.

What's your favorite pizza? This Italian Caprese-inspired pie is one of my personal go-to's. Sweet tomatoes, gooey cheese, and fresh basil. It doesn't get any better...until you put it all on top of a homemade Garlic Herb Crust.

I've been experimenting with pizza dough recipes for awhile now, and this one, which is inspired by beer bread, is my personal favorite. I've made it dozens of times at home, ever since I found the basic dough recipe in a cookbook.

Besides the beer, another easy way to jazz up a basic pizza dough recipe is to add herbs and spices. So while the toppings for this pizza are pretty simple, this dough has garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano to add another element of flavor into the mix.

Closeup image of Capese Pizza on white marble.

Ingredients

Garlic Herb "Beer Bread" Pizza Dough Ingredients:

All-purpose flour
Instant yeast - To make the dough rise.
Oregano - For the herb flavor.
Garlic powder and onion powder - For more flavor.
Beer - Any kind you like to drink works.
Oil - Use grapseed oil, olive oil, or canola oil depending on what you have on hand.
Salt - I like kosher.

Ingredients for pizza dough, including flour, beer, oil, and instant yeast, on a grey counter.

Caprese Pizza Ingredients:

Pizza dough - One half-pound portion makes a 12-inch pie
Tomato sauce - I use canned tomato sauce. If you have a jarred pizza sauce in your pantry, feel free to swap it in here.
Sliced tomatoes - Use any mix of regular, heirloom, and/or cherry tomatoes.
Fresh mozzarella cheese - It has a softer, more delicate texture than regular mozzarella.
Torn basil leaves - Fresh is definitely best for this recipe!

Horizontal image of sliced vegetable pizza on white marble slab with crushed red pepper.

How to Make Garlic Herb "Beer Bread" Pizza Dough

The first step is preparing the dough. Start with the dry ingredients. Stir flour, oregano, instant yeast, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder in a large bowl.

Then add the liquid ingredients. Pour in the beer and grapeseed oil and mix until a uniform dough forms. You can add a little more flour as needed, but it's better for the dough to be slightly sticky than too dry.

Dry ingredients for Garlic Herb Pizza Dough in white bowl.

Once the dough is mixed, cover the bowl and let it rest on the counter for two hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Pizza dough in a large white measuring bowl.

Then, transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide it into two equal pieces. Each of these portions makes one 12-inch pizza. Use the dough immediately, or wrap up the portions. They'll last in the fridge for up to three days and you can also freeze pizza dough for up to three months.

How to Make Caprese Pizza

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with your pizza stone inside (if you have one). Roll out one portion of pizza dough on a floured work surface to a 12-inch diameter.

Pizza dough with herbs and garlic rolled out on floured countertop.

Once the oven is preheated, remove the pizza stone and lay the rolled out pizza dough on top. (If you don't have a pizza stone, use a baking sheet for this step instead.)

Spread tomato sauce evenly on the dough, leaving a little bit of space around the edges for the crust. Arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on top and bake 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Remove the pizza from the oven and spread fresh basil on top. Slice into pieces and serve with crushed red pepper.

Whole Caprese Pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil on white marble.

Can you make homemade pizza dough ahead of time? What's the best way to store leftovers?

You can prep the pizza dough months in advance if you want to. Wrap and refrigerate prepared pizza dough for up to three days or freeze it for up to three months.

Once cooked, you can keep leftover pizza in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to four days or freeze for up to two months.

Sliced of vegetable pizza on white marble slab.

Potential Caprese Pizza Ingredient Substitutions:

If you don't have fresh tomatoes, substitute sun-dried tomatoes instead.
If you don't have fresh basil, substitute baby spinach or arugula. Toss leaves with oil and vinegar before adding them to the pizza if desired.
If you don't have grapeseed oil, use canola oil or any neutral-tasting cooking oil.

Closeup image of sliced Caprese Pizza on marble background.

Looking for More Homemade Pizza Recipes?

Try these:

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Pizza topped with tomatoes and basil with red and white text reading, "Caprese Pizza with Garlic Herb Crust."

Did You Make This Caprese Pizza Recipe?

Rate the recipe and leave a comment below, or tag me (@GratefulGrazer) if you share on Instagram!

This post was most recently updated on 9/3/2020.