Caprese Piadine Recipe

I’d say that a good portion of the recipes I make are inspired by restaurant food we have had and liked well enough to recreate at home. Today’s recipe is inspired by the Caprese Piadine from a northern California Italian restaurant called Tomatinas. While it doesn’t taste exactly the same, it’s so close that you might be convinced it is!

Here’s the pizza dough/bread dough recipe that I’ve been using for ages! The video tutorials are as follows:
Here’s the original bread recipe that I’ve used since 2006. It’s simple and foolproof. It’s a quintessential kindergarten tradition in Waldorf schools to have fresh baked bread.

Since making bread, I’ve found that homemade pizzas were the logical next step, especially since I have a son who has dairy allergies, and by making our pizzas at home, I can make him a dairy free alternative that’s sure to be safe. Over the years, I’ve found that making “Pizza Puffs” are not just crowd pleasers, they’re super easy!

It was my husband who requested a thin crust pizza, and so this fancy adult version was created. I love adding veggies, brie and chicken to our flat thin crust pizza and I also like omitting the traditional marinara sauce for a white sauce or simply olive oil and garlic.

For more recipes, check out my complete playlist for all the recipes that are inspired by others and perfected in my kitchen.


Here’s the recipe for our version of Caprese Piadine with hot steak.
Start with a pizza dough or bread dough. Here’s a quick tutorial. You can also buy pre-made pizza dough or pre-made pre-cooked pizza crust.

Pizza dough recipe:
1 tablespoon sugar (I use brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of yeast
2 cups of warm water
4 cups of flour

Mix ingredients together in a non-metal bowl (ceramic or plastic) with a wooden spoon (don’t use metal).
Add a loose fitting lid (optional, add oil to dough so it doesn’t dry out).

After it has doubled in size (2-4 hours), shape it into medium-sized balls using your hand that have been oiled with olive oil to keep the dough from sticking.

Bake for 12 minutes at 430 degrees on an oiled pan or in a pan lined with parchment paper.

For 6 servings:
3 medium to large vine ripe tomatoes
8 oz mozzarella balls, sliced
1-2 heads of Romain lettuce
1-1.5 pounds of sirloin steak
4 oz of pesto (more is better!)
balsamic vinegar
salt
olive oil

Marinate thinly sliced steak with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1.2-1 teaspoon of salt. Store in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 4 hours.

Thickly slice tomatoes and place on a greased baking tray or on parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil on high for up to 20 minutes. Keep on eye on this!! They go from not done at all to burnt in a matter of minutes.

Wash and set aside several stalks of romain lettuce. Slice mozzarella balls.

Roll out about 1 cup of dough onto a floured surface and roll into a thin crust. Place on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes at 475 degrees. You can bake the dough with a thin layer of pesto or add the pesto after it is baked.

To a hot pan, add a drizzle of oil and cook the marinated steak. You can bring the streak to room temp before cooking. It only needs about 5 minutes. Cover and set aside until ready to assemble.
Layer mozzarella slices, roasted tomatoes, and romain lettuce onto pesto lined piadine. Tops with steak and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Fold in half and enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? Use the hashtag #pepperandpine and tag me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook! I love seeing what you come up with.

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