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Home » Side Dishes » Caprese Bread

Published: July 20, 2017 Last Modified: May 16, 2019 By Sara 51 Comments

Caprese Bread

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Caprese Bread Recipe | Tomato Bread | Cheese Bread

This recipe for caprese bread is a rustic loaf topped with melted mozzarella cheese, ripe tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze. The perfect summer side dish!

Caprese bread is a great way to enjoy ripe summer tomatoes.   In my home, we love all things tomato.  A couple of our other favorite tomato dishes are cherry tomato salad and spaghetti stuffed tomatoes.

Caprese Bread Recipe | Tomato Bread | Cheese Bread #caprese #capresebread #tomatobread #cheesebread #appetizer #dinneratthezoo

A split loaf of caprese bread on a sheet pan topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced red tomatoes, thinly sliced basil and balsamic glaze.

 

I love all things caprese, especially in the summer time. This caprese bread may be my very favorite of all! How can you go wrong with toasted bread, plenty of mozzarella cheese, ripe tomatoes and basil? Add a little balsamic glaze and salt and pepper and you’ve got caprese perfection.

Bread cut into squares topped with melted mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, basil and balsamic glaze.

How Do You Make Caprese Bread?

This recipe starts with a loaf of bread. Any rustic style bread will do! The bread is sliced in half lengthwise, then brushed with olive oil and rubbed with garlic. A generous amount of sliced fresh mozzarella cheese is layered over the top, then the bread is broiled to melty perfection. While cheesy bread is good on its own, it’s even better with a topping of tomatoes and basil! I use the ripest tomatoes I can find here. I drizzle the tomatoes with balsamic glaze, then add a generous amount of sliced basil, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

A loaf of bread cut in half, topped with melted mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, chopped basil and balsamic glaze.

You can find balsamic glaze near the rest of the types of vinegar at your local grocery store. Balsamic glaze is a reduced version of balsamic vinegar, and it’s thick and mellow flavored, no harsh vinegar taste here! If you can’t find balsamic glaze, you can make your own by cooking balsamic vinegar until it’s reduced by half and syrupy.

We all loved this caprese bread – the classic combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil just can’t be beat. It’s super easy to make and is a summery twist on the old standard garlic bread. We’ll definitely be eating this all summer long. The next time you see some nice tomatoes at the market, pick them up and make this caprese garlic bread – you’ll be glad you did!

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A split loaf of bread on a sheet pan topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced red tomatoes, thinly sliced basil and balsamic glaze.
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5 from 1 vote

Caprese Bread

This recipe for caprese bread is a rustic loaf layered with fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 212kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1 16 ounce loaf of bread (focaccia, pane rustico, pugliese, any rustic bread)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove cut in half
  • 10 ounces fresh mozzarella thinly sliced
  • 4-6 ripe tomatoes sliced
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze
  • coarse salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the broiler. Split the loaf of bread lengthwise.
  • Brush each half of the bread with the olive oil.
  • Rub the cut side of the garlic all over each half of the bread.
  • Cover the surface of each half of the bread with the mozzarella. Place the bread on a sheet pan.
  • Broil for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn!
  • Remove from the oven. Place the sliced tomatoes on top of the mozzarella layer.
  • Sprinkle the basil, salt and pepper on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top of the bread and serve immediately.

Notes

Little Helpers - My girls had a great time arranging the tomatoes on top to make a pretty design.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 5.7mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!

This post was first published June 21, 2015 and was updated July 20, 2017 with new photos.

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Filed Under: Eat Your Veggies, Light & Healthy, Side Dishes

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    Comments

    1. Justine | Cooking and Beer says

      June 22, 2015 at 10:03 am

      Those tomato slices look like candy! Just beautiful!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:54 pm

        Thanks, good thing they’re healthier than candy! 😉

        Reply
    2. Rosemond Cates says

      June 22, 2015 at 7:40 am

      This looks absolutely heavenly! So beautiful!!

      Reply
    3. Miss Angie says

      June 22, 2015 at 7:28 am

      That looks so incredible for Summer! I’m a lover of anything Tomato, well garden grown tomatoes that is, and I love them on toast typically.

      Reply
    4. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

      June 22, 2015 at 7:23 am

      We went out for dinner last night and there were heirloom tomatoes in the salad. My husband was asking why I loved them so much and I said “because they are so colourful!!” Haha. This toast looks awesome and I love caprese anything!

      Reply
      • kristen says

        June 22, 2015 at 8:09 am

        I am making this tonight! Tis looks incredible!

        Reply
        • Sara says

          June 23, 2015 at 7:54 pm

          Let me know how it comes out!

          Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:55 pm

        Yeah, it’s all about the colors, my kids are more willing to eat the colored ones too because it’s something a little different.

        Reply
    5. Sue Lau says

      June 22, 2015 at 7:21 am

      The simplest of recipes, brilliantly prepared. What can top this? Oh.my.YUM!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:56 pm

        Thanks! I have a recipe for a caprese with burrata and homemade croutons that is a serious contender to be at least as good as this one if not top it, I’ll have to share it sometime this summer.

        Reply
    6. Leah says

      June 22, 2015 at 7:04 am

      Love Heirloom tomatoes – they are so colorful and beautiful! Great recipe!

      Reply
    7. Andrea B. says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:35 am

      Considering I could live off of tomatoes, I’d love this.

      I’d eat the entire thing, though, since my husband and daughter? Not so much. 😉

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:57 pm

        I actually thought my kids would pick the tomatoes off and eat them separately but they ate all the components together and loved it!

        Reply
    8. allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:10 am

      Dear Sara – I have a thing for heirloom tomatoes too. They are so gorgeous. We are staying on the Cape this week and now I must find a Farmer’s Market to buy some heirlooms to make this Caprese Toast. I snipped a bunch of basil from home and brought it with. Just needing THOSE HEIRLOOMS! Drooling!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:57 pm

        I hope you can find some tomatoes to make it soon!

        Reply
    9. Joanie @ ZagLeft says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:04 am

      How simple and delicious! I love heirloom tomatoes and this looks perfect!

      Reply
    10. jenna @ just j.faye says

      June 22, 2015 at 5:42 am

      What a simple and delicious recipe! I love heirloom tomatoes. This would be perfect for a Sunday evening dinner.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:58 pm

        I actually served it for a Sunday dinner with some grilled pork chops that I’ll be sharing soon!

        Reply
    11. Marye says

      June 22, 2015 at 5:09 am

      I love heirloom tomatoes! I have 18 plants in my garden and they’ve got tiny tomatoes on them so hopefully I can make this soon!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:58 pm

        Wow, 18? I am so jealous. We have a major drought in California so I only did 4 tomato plants this year.

        Reply
    12. pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says

      June 22, 2015 at 5:07 am

      I can’t wait to my CSA gives me tomatoes!

      Reply
    13. Robin Follette says

      June 22, 2015 at 3:05 am

      Oh my gosh, this looks delicious. It’s the quintessential summer food. I love heirloom tomatoes and so agree with you! They hybrids are easier to grow and the varieties I grow taste great, but there’s something about the looks of all these beautiful heirlooms that make them more appealing.

      I’m going out to give my tomatoes a pep talk now. “Come on…grow!”

      Reply
      • Robin Follette says

        June 22, 2015 at 3:06 am

        PS Pinning and Tweeting to share with my foodie followers!

        Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:59 pm

        It’s all about the visual effect – thanks so much for sharing!

        Reply
    14. Florian @ContentednessCooking says

      June 22, 2015 at 1:29 am

      This looks delicious! Fantastic flavors, the addition of Pesto is marvelous! Great summer snack!

      Reply
    15. Nikki says

      June 22, 2015 at 1:19 am

      That looks delicious!

      Reply
    16. Aishwarya S says

      June 22, 2015 at 12:17 am

      This dish is so craving! I loved how you garnished everything so perfectly! 🙂

      Reply
    17. Jackie says

      June 22, 2015 at 12:01 am

      This looks so good! Those tomatoes look amazing – perfect “pizza” for snacks

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 7:59 pm

        It is pretty pizza like, in the very best of ways 🙂

        Reply
    18. Trisha @ The Ham & Cheese Of It says

      June 21, 2015 at 10:58 pm

      I bet this would taste just delicious with balsamic on it too! Going to have to add this to my weekly brunch party!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 23, 2015 at 8:00 pm

        You could absolutely add balsamic, I thought about adding a balsamic reduction but I knew my kids wouldn’t go for that 🙂

        Reply
    19. Rachel says

      June 21, 2015 at 10:39 pm

      Those tomatoes look utterly luscious!

      Reply
    20. Ashleigh says

      June 21, 2015 at 10:24 pm

      This has got to be one of my all time favorite recipes! I love everything about it… heirloom tomatoes, bread and herbs!! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
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