Caprese Pizza Bread

There aren't many things more delicious than a freshly prepared caprese (pronounced "ka-prey-say") salad - vine ripened tomato topped with a big slice of fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of good olive oil, fresh basil, and sea salt. I had this craving for a fresh summer meal a few nights ago, but wanted a warmed version that was a little more substantial than the typical caprese salad.

So, I took a nice loaf of fresh bread, sliced it in half, and topped each side with all the typical caprese salad ingredients (replacing the fresh basil for basil pesto). Then, I tossed it in the oven so the mozzarella could melt and the bread could get all toasty and crisp. 

The end result?

Served with a big green salad and a nice glass of red wine - it almost felt like summer!

Caprese Pizza Bread Recipe

- 1 loaf french bread

- 1 large vine ripened or heirloom tomato (I got an heirloom from the grocery store and it was surprisingly good, for a winter tomato)

- 1/4 cup basil pesto

- 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella

- A generous drizzle of olive oil

- A few pinches of sea salt (regular salt would work fine)

- Fresh or dried basil for garnish

Directions:

- Slice the loaf of bread long ways and divide into desired sized sections.

- Place bread pieces open side up onto a cookie sheet or into a baking dish.

- Spread pesto on bread pieces and top with thick slices of tomato and mozzarella.

- Sprinkle with sea salt.

- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy on the bottom.

- Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh or dried basil for garnish.