That's right. You won't need your oven to make this bread! That means no heating up the kitchen on a hot day! You will need a skillet, preferably non-stick. The flat bread is incredibly simple to make, and you can use a mature starter/discard or discard that's not quite at its prime. You can make the bread immediately--great when you're short on time--or let it sit for a while before making it. Either method will turn out great bread. Sourdough Caprese Pizza Bread is a bread rather than a pizza, but it does have the taste of pizza and is topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. I like the bread as an appetizer, with salads and soups, and for lunches the next day--if there's any left. Enjoy!
Sourdough Caprese Pizza Bread -- Makes 1 round flat bread
1 cup of starter/discard
1/2 cup of warm water
1 cup of flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of dried Italian herbs
1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
If you want to make the bread immediately, mix everything together well in a large bowl. If you have more time, in a large bowl, mix the starter/discard, warm water, and 1/2 cup of the flour well. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit for an hour or four (you choose, the stuff isn't finicky), then add the remaining flour, salt, baking powder, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. When you're ready to finish the recipe--whether immediately or later--heat a skillet--preferably non-stick--over medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet (I use olive oil, but canola is fine, too). Dump the dough mixture into the skillet with the oil. Moisten your hands with water and carefully press the mixture out and around the skillet into an even, flat layer (careful, because the pan is hot!). Dribble a couple of tablespoons of water around the outside edge of the pan and cover the pan with a lid. Let the bread cook for about five minutes, then peek underneath it to see how much browning is occurring. If the bread is browning too much, turn down the heat a little (to medium low). Let the bread continue to cook another five minutes, then remove the lid, flip it over, and let the bread cook another five minutes.
Topping
1/2 pound of sliced fresh mozzarella (I use rounds)
2-3 sliced fresh tomatoes
1/4 or so of chopped or torn fresh basil leaves (or leave them whole, if you like)
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to drizzle (optional)
When the bread is almost but not quite done, remove the lid and and arrange the cheese on top of and around the bread. Top each cheese slice with a slice of tomato. Replace the lid and let the bread cook a minute or two longer, then turn off the heat. Leave the lid in place until the cheese melts a little and the tomato softens. Remove the lid and sprinkle on the basil. Drizzle on some olive oil, if you like. Serve the pizza bread warm. It's also good reheated the next day. I reheat the bread in the air fryer on 320 degrees for about five minutes.
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