Whisk the water, yeast, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and leave for 5-10 minutes until foamy.

Add 3 ½ cups of flour and salt, followed by olive oil. Beat at a lower speed for 1-2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and allow to knead for 4-5 minutes. You can add in the remaining ½ cup flour if the dough is too sticky. It should come away from the sides of the bowl after a few minutes.

3, Grease a bowl with cooking spray or some additional olive oil. Add the dough to the bowl, making sure all sides are coated. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.

Turn the pizza dough out onto a floured surface and start rolling it out to a circle.

Place the dough onto a lightly greased pizza pan or baking sheet. Either with the rolling pin or your hands, press your fingers into the dough and flatten the surface. You can let the excess dough gather around the crust so you’ll have a Neopolitan style crust with a thinner middle and thicker sides.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Drizzle some olive oil onto the dough and rub it in.

Place the mozzarella cheese slices around the pizza.

Cut the tomatoes in half and place them around the pizza.

Add a pinch of salt, black pepper, and red pepper flake to taste.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or more, until the cheese is melted and beginning to darken. Make sure the crust is golden brown beneath the pizza.

Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle fresh basil over the pizza. Enjoy your Caprese pizza!