Flatbread Pizza
Flatbread Pizza Video (scroll down for printable recipe)
This recipe started out as a good and easy flatbread recipe. But then pesto got involved and we had to embrace the ease and loveliness that is flatbread pizza. Of course if you just want to make the flatbread and serve it with hummus or lamb or anything else, by all means stop after you’ve cooked them and for heaven’s sake don’t put any pesto on them! But to turn flatbread into a meal, continue down the Path of Pesto (and cheese and vegetables and really whatever you have in the fridge) for a pantry dinner in around 30 minutes.
Other toppings that work well on these are chopped arugula and spinach, pineapple chunks, prosciutto, cooked sausage, cooked diced potatoes, and thin slices of summer squash.
Flatbread Pizza Recipe
PrintFlatbread Pizza
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- Dough:
- 11/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- Toppings:
- 1/2 cup pesto (or pizza sauce)
- 2 cups grated mozzarella, provolone, cheddar
- Your choice: diced tomato, corn kernels, onion, peppers, olives, anything
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix olive oil in to make some chunky bits. Make a well in the center and pour in milk. Mix. Knead 3-5 minutes.
- Divide into 4 pieces and roll each out into shape. Maybe a circle, maybe a triangle, maybe an amoeba. It’s not important as long as it’s thin, about 1/8 inch or a half centimeter. If it’s easer to stretch the dough thin, then do that.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high until a splash of water sizzles. Cook each flatbread for about one minute on each side until bubbly and brown. Lay them on a baking sheet. (if you wish to stop here and serve them as is, brush a little melted butter on each and wrap the stack in foil to keep warm.)
- Spread each with about 2 tablespoons pesto, 1/2 cup cheese and whatever toppings you like.
- Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes or if you’re in a hurry and you don’t burn things, broil for 3 minutes until melted and toasty.
Don’t miss these two pesto recipes: classic basil and spicy cilantro pesto. Both are delicious.
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I remember once seeing Julia Child on TV, recommending that home bakers use cake flour when making pita. I’m not that familiar with food chemistry, but why would the low gluten content of cake flour make it better for flatbreads?
Hey GSF! I’d never heard that before but I imagine it would just make them more tender and make it harder to over knead the dough. Maybe it would turn out more like a tortilla and less like a chewy pizza crust?
Using cake flour would make it more like a tortilla as cake flour is much more dense but it all depends if you like your pizza crust chewy and thick or crispy and thin like a tortilla
Thanks for this recipe, Hilah. I’m going to double it and let my bread machine do all the work. Thanks also for the pesto inspiration, this is something I’ve been wanting to try but keep forgetting.
I’ll also make some for the guys: garlic cream sauce, the same cheese combo, diced fresh jalapeño peppers and lots of crispy chopped bacon. Jalapeño Popper Pizza! I add a little of the bacon fat to the cream sauce because, well, bacon and dudes, right? It is perfect game day food, combining 2 of their favorite food groups, Tex-Mex bar food and Pizza.
Oh yummy! That sounds super delicious! Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Yum! And hooray for cameo by Chef Baby!
For the past 4 or 5 years, my KitchenAid mixer has served mostly as the engine for the meat grinder attachment. For health reasons, it doesn’t even get used for that anymore. But other health issues are no longer a problem and I decided to start baking bread on a regular basis again. But since you released this video and recipe, I couldn’t find the dough hook. I was starting to think I must have missed packing it when I last moved and was about to order another one, until I happened to glance at my dishwasher which I no longer use for water conservation reasons. Bingo, there it was (along with several other kitchen tools I never even missed).
I’m eager to try baking these pizzas in my new counter top pizza oven. My desire for more heat overrode my dislike of one-trick-pony appliances. This baby cranks out what I estimate is around 740 to 750 degrees (I’m not sure because I have to open the lid completely to check my high temp oven thermometer and it reads 730). It might not make that much of a difference with a flat bread par-baked crust, but for regular pizza and naan it makes a big difference.
This episode reminded me that years ago I used to have lunch at the Brick Oven Pizza on Rio Grande about twice a month. I usually had the very thin crust pizza with pesto and wondered how they made it. I suspect that this will be even better.
Haha! My grandma used to use her dishwasher as storage, too. I bet the high temp will definitely make a difference here, too. Yum! I’m imagining a super crisp, cracker-like crust. Sounds good.
Recipe says to heat dough on skillet but doesn’t mention using oil in pan. Is it cooked dry or was oil omitted in error?
No oil needed on the skillet!
Have you made it without the milk? my daughter it Dairy-Free. does water work?
I think it would work fine with water. They might be a little crispier, but that’s not bad! You could also try a non-dairy milk, but I’m sure you’ve thought of that already.
I just made this with almond milk and it is fantastic. This is the flatbread recipe I have been looking for for years. I also made it with 1 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup of wheat pastry flour because I prefer whole grain and it worked great.
I’m so happy to hear that, Helen! 😀 Thanks for sharing your recipe adjustments
I’m going to make this today
Always looking for better crust ideas! Sounds absolutely wonderful!
I made this with a horseradish base, corned beef thinly sliced covered with smoked mozzarella. Even picky eater liked it!
Are you able to freeze the dough? If so how should it be done and how is it compared to fresh?
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t tried freezing it but I don’t see why not. Wrap it tightly to keep air out and freeze. Probably wrap indivisual portions is best. Then that in the fridge overnight and proceed as directed!
Hi there! Will a regular frying pan work?
If it’s an oven-safe skillet (no plastic or rubber handles) then it should be fine
Hi!
I’m hosting a party and wondered if you have ever tried making the flatbreads ahead of time? I was hoping to make them and top them the day before the party – then just bake them the day of?
Hi!
I’ve made the dough ahead of time, refrigerated. Then shape and top and bake the next day. You could also shape and par-bake them the day before. Then top and finish baking. I haven’t tried what you suggest – I think the dough might absorb too much moisture and not bake properly