One Simple Bread Swap Makes A Caprese Sandwich Crispier, Chewier, And More Satisfying

For as simple as it is in spirit, there are oodles of ways you can make a Caprese sandwich. Its fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, basil, and balsamic are compulsory, so most of those adaptation opportunities lie with a condiment switcharoo here and there, or with inventive sandwich bread swaps. You'll often see a Caprese served on ciabatta or focaccia, but less expected vehicles can put a fun spin on the classic and lend their own unique advantages, too. Your perfect crispy pizza crust, for example, can be baked on its own for this very application, and it performs wonderfully when repurposed as a special sort of sandwich bread.

Being that mozzarella and tomato are the most common pizza ingredients to begin with, the combination also tracks terrifically as a pizza crust sandwich. Because the crust is so much thinner and flexible than those other, taller carbs, this preparation is easier to handle and to eat, whether you fold it, slice it, or use it like a pita pocket. And, while it lowers the sandwich's profile, pizza crust is still substantial enough to hold everything together. There are also a ton of ways to add more flavor to the dough itself, so the potential upgrades don't end there.

Exactly how you infuse your sandwich-bound pizza dough with flavor will depend on whether you're using store-bought dough or whipping it up from scratch. The canned stuff that pops open is usually ready to go, and you can actually harm its texture with too much additional mixing, as the gluten has already been jostled into its intended position. So, instead of folding in extras like sliced garlic, herbs, crushed red pepper, or a dusting of Parmesan, you'll want to press them into the surface of the dough, then brush it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil before baking.

You can, of course, take this same approach with homemade pizza dough, but this kind does give you the time and opportunity to incorporate additions as you mix and knead. You'll also have more luck introducing liquid ingredients in this case, like the beer that some recipes include for a hint of unexpected pizza crust flavor. Once it's finished baking, you can slice it roughly into squares and use it like you would virtually any other bread. And, while pizza crust is particularly conducive to the Caprese treatment, it can also help to make any sandwich more flavorful.