A recipe for Caprese Pizza inspired by our visit to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom! A homemade pizza dough is arranged with alternating slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato, topped with basil, and baked until golden and bubbly.
Magic Kingdom
We had a couple of tickets to Disney World leftover from our October trip, so we decided to come back for Evan’s birthday! We stayed at Disney’s Pop Century Resort and spent the week visiting Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Universal, and Legoland.
Check out the rest of our trip to Orlando in 2014 here along with our previous visit to Magic Kingdom in October 2013:
- Pierogi Ruskie (Polish Dumplings with Potatoes and Cheese) and Downtown Disney
- Baghrir (Moroccan Crepes) and Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival 2014
- Bobotie (South African Spiced Meat Casserole) and Animal Kingdom
- Shrimp Pesto Pizza and POP Century
- Naan Breakfast Sandwich and Art of Animation
- Fruit Gummy Legos and Legoland Florida
- Cornish Pasties (Cornish Pastry Filled with Beef and Vegetables) and Universal Orlando
- Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce and Universal Orlando
- Vegetarian French Onion Soup and Disney’s Magic Kingdom
The Crystal Palace
We split up our time at Magic Kingdom over a couple of days. We had breakfast reservations at The Crystal Palace one morning, but Evan was tired and not feeling well due to his 2 yr molars cutting through. He got more tired and cranky through the breakfast, so we went back to the hotel once we were finished eating to take a break from the parks (I went to Epcot alone later that day). I am still a bit bummed that Evan didn’t fully enjoy his breakfast with Winnie the Pooh, but at least there were still some wonderful parts to the experience.
The interior of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. It is modeled after the Crystal Palace in England. As you help yourself to the buffet, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger make their way around the tables to visit. It is a great way to see the characters without having to wait in the long lines for a meet and greet.
There were quite a bit of food options available at the buffet. You can find all the usual breakfast items here, from pastries to Mickey waffles and frittatas. There are also two notable menu items: Winnie the Pooh’s Puffed French Toast with Cinnamon Sugar and Breakfast Lasagna (Layers of waffles, pancakes, pound cake, strawberries, and bananas topped with pastry cream and caramelized sugar). I loved the puffed french toast and Chad was particularly fond of the breakfast lasagna. Disney Food Blog has a recipe for the Breakfast Lasagna available. It is shown in the above photo on the bottom right. I was never able to get a photo with the platter full. People swooped in to get more with unbelievable speed.
Evan really enjoyed meeting with Tigger and Piglet. He started to get tired by the time Eeyore met with us and attempted to nap on Pooh.
Since we were celebrating Evan’s birthday, he got a cupcake and a signed card from Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet at the end of the breakfast!
Main Street
After leaving the restaurant, we slowly walked through the shops on Main Street to let Evan take a catnap in the stroller before getting on the bus back to the hotel. I especially love looking through the Main Street Confectionery. There were a few Frozen themed treats this visit.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
We went back to Magic Kingdom a couple of days later after spending some time at Animal Kingdom. We went straight for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh since it was going to close shortly after due to a press event for the new Mine Train Ride. Evan enjoyed the interactive line more than the actual ride!
Pinocchio Village Haus
We had dinner at The Pinocchio Village Haus, a counter service restaurant with flatbreads and salads. I had the Caprese Flatbread (a crispy flatbread base topped with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and a balsamic reduction). Evan shared the flatbread with me along with Macaroni and Cheese. We also enjoyed the Chicken Caesar Salad, Mediterranean Salad (Mixed Greens, Chicken, Mozzarella, Roasted Red peppers, Red Onion, and Black Olives), and Pinocchio (Lemonade) Slush.
Overall, I enjoyed the restaurant for a quick bite to eat. There was plenty of seating to choose from so we didn’t have any difficulty finding a table, even at a prime dinner time.
Rides at Magic Kingdom
Evan was just tall enough to ride his first roller coaster, The Barnstormer in Fantasyland! He wasn’t too sure what to make of it. He didn’t get upset, but he didn’t seem too happy either. His favorite this trip was Dumbo the Flying Elephant. As with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, he enjoyed the interactive spot while waiting in line even more than the actual ride.
Caprese Pizza
I was inspired to make my own Caprese Pizza at home after trying the Caprese Flatbread at The Pinocchio Village Haus! For my version, a homemade pizza dough is stretched into a thin circle, drizzled with a little olive oil and salt, then arranged with slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato and a few fresh basil leaves. The pizza is transferred to a hot oven and cooked until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Immediately before serving, drizzle with a little more olive oil, a balsamic glaze, and a few extra basil leaves.
I have included a recipe for a homemade pizza dough that requires an overnight resting time. You can either use this recipe or your favorite/store-bought.
I used a variety of heirloom tomatoes for the Caprese Pizza, but you can use any favorites/what you have on hand. Roma tomatoes would also work well or even halved cherry tomatoes. After slicing the fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, gently press with a towel to remove any excess moisture. While I kept it simple with just a drizzle of olive oil before adding the cheese and tomatoes, you can also spread some pizza sauce or pesto first.
I drizzled the cooked pizza with a store-bought balsamic glaze immediately before serving. You can also make your own balsamic reduction: check out NeighborFood for the recipe.
Caprese Pizza Recipe
Adapted from Neighborfood, crust adapted from Serious Eats
Caprese Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 3/4-2 cups lukewarm water 105-115˚F, divided
- 4 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Pizza:
- Cornmeal for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch salt
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
- 3 heirloom or roma tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze or reduction
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
To make the pizza dough:
- In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over 3/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Stir and allow to sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough blade or a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix in the yeast with water and the olive oil. Slowly add the remaining water until a soft dough is formed. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or place each into large ziploc bags. Refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and form each into a ball, pinching together the ends and tucking them under. Place each into a bowl, flouring if needed. Cover with plastic or a towel and allow to rest at room temperature until doubled, 1-2 hours.
- One hour before baking, place a pizza stone in the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F.
To assemble the pizza:
- If using a baking stone, sprinkle cornmeal over a large pizza peel. Otherwise, sprinkle cornmeal over a large baking sheet. Form one ball of risen dough into a large circle, thin in the center with slightly thicker edges.
- Thinly slice the fresh mozzarella and tomatoes in about 1/4 inch thick slices. Gently pat with a towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Drizzle olive oil over the crust. Sprinkle with salt and half the minced garlic. Evenly arrange mozzarella and tomato slices over the top and add a few basil leaves. Carefully slide pizza onto the hot stone or place the baking sheet in oven. Bake in preheated oven until the crust is golden and cheese is melted and bubbly, 8-12 minutes. Repeat with remaining ball of dough.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil and the balsamic glaze and add additional basil leaves immediately before serving.
lk529
Love all the photos. The pizza looks good too!
Ta ta for now! <3
Tara
Thanks!