Semi-homemade pizza

Caprese pizzas ready to bake

I put together semi-homemade pizzas (two Caprese style and one a doctored-up focaccia) for a group today, using the following items:

1)  1 Tetra Pak (15 oz) of Italian tomato sauce
2)  1 small bunch of basil, washed and the leaves picked off and dried with a towel
3)  3 T good olive oil
4)  I small container (15 oz) of part-skim ricotta cheese
5)  1 lb fresh mozzarella log, such as can be found at Trader Joe’s, sliced into about 20 rounds
6)  Two cornmeal pizza crusts that you can buy at a place like Berkeley Bowl, about 10 inches in diameter
7)  One vegetable focaccia, about 8 1/2 inches X 15 inches
8)  Red pepper flakes

I’ve improved store-bought focaccia to make it a meal

Here’s what you do for the CAPRESE pizzas:

1)  Spread 1 T of the olive oil in each of the two cornmeal shells
2)  Lay down some of the basil leaves over the oil, flat
3)  Spread on about 1/3 of the tomato sauce such that the basil is mostly covered
4)  Make a mozzarella layer on top with 10 rounds of the cheese
5)  Set aside while you make the other pizza

Here’s what you do for the DOCTORED-UP FOCACCIA:

1)  Brush 1 T of the olive oil on the top of the focaccia
2)  Spread on about 1/3 of the tomato sauce (will be a light layer, but this is OK, since you should be using a focaccia that already has stuff on it)
3)  Scoop out little rounds of ricotta and distribute them evenly over the top, and then press each one down a bit with the back of a spoon
4)  Sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on top
5)  Bake ALL pizzas in a 400 deg. F. oven until the cheese on the round Caprese pizzas is bubbly and a bit browned.  This would be the time to drag out that baking stone, by the way.
6)  Allow the Caprese pizzas to set for 5 mins before you serve or else you will need a ladle

Note:  feel free to add S&P, but I don’t because of how I like cheese to taste on these

Caprese-style pies done

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