Say goodbye to the pizza delivery guy. Our Easy Homemade Flatbread Pizza recipe will get pizza on your table before the kids can question why the doorbell isn’t ringing. Customize the toppings and let the kids make their own personal flat bread pizzas.
We will show you exactly how to make your own homemade pizza and illustrate every step with pictures so you don’t have to wonder if you are doing it right. Once you’ve got the flat bread pizza crust recipe down, you can change up the toppings to make a million variations.
Why Making Your Own Pizza Dough Isn’t as Tough as You Thought
We’ve always loved making our own pizza at home. It’s an activity that the kids enjoy and you’re guaranteed that they’ll be devouring their meal. We like the convenience of carryout once in a while, but homemade flatbread pizza tastes so much better, is fun to do together, and makes an easy dinner.
If you loved the simplicity and flavor of our Flatbread recipe, you are going to rave about our flatbread pizza recipe. It’s so good that you won’t even miss the ease of dialing a phone for takeout. You only need a total of one hour of rise time with this recipe, so it is easy to have homemade pizza for dinner, even on a fairly busy weeknight.
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Easy Margherita Flatbread Pizza Ingredients
We’ve taken our easy homemade flatbread recipe and dressed her up Italian style by changing the seasonings and adding parmesan cheese to the flat bread pizza dough.
- Warm Water – It should be between 95-105ºF so that it encourages yeast reproduction without killing the yeast.
- Sugar – We use white granulated sugar to feed the yeast.
- Active Dry Yeast – If the different varieties of yeast confuse you, check out my Baking Techniques. Make sure you use the right type.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Both the fat content and the flavor are important, and other types of oils are not as rich in flavor.
- Sour Cream – We recommend full-fat because it makes a soft fluffy flatbread. You can substitute it with plain yogurt.
- All-Purpose Flour – You can use bleached or unbleached flour. One doesn’t act or taste any differently from the other. Unbleached flour is just less processed since it doesn’t go through the step of bleaching it.
- Salt – You can use any salt. Our preferences are Kosher salt or Fine sea salt which we feel dissolves better with a less likely chance of salt pockets in our baked goods.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, a dried herb blend, onion powder, garlic powder, and dry basil.
- Fresh Parmigiano (grated) – Using a good hard cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiana takes our flatbread crust over the top. Pecorino Romano is a good substitute.
Margherita Pizza Toppings
We’re using our favorite toppings for a Margherita pizza. If the kiddos are helping, give them their own personal-sized pizzas and their favorite pizza toppings. I’ve recommended a few below.
- Fresh Mozzarella – This cheese is moist and melts beautifully. Children may prefer shredded mozzarella cheese or a pizza blend.
- Fresh Tomatoes – We love beautiful sliced tomato. It makes our pizzas taste fresh and delicious. Cherry tomatoes are a good substitute.
- Fresh Basil – Nothing says Italian like Fresh Basil. The flavor of this herb will have you singing “That’s Amore”!
- Prosciutto – This is a dry-cured Italian ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked. It adds flavor without the moisture of some meat. You can use Italian sausage or beef. Just be sure to cook it and drain it well. You can eliminate meat entirely for a vegetarian option.
How To Make Your Own Flatbread Pizza Recipe
Please note, that the printable recipe card has the full list of ingredients, quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.
Proof the Yeast for Pizza Dough.
In a mixing bowl, mix water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside until the mixture gets foamy.
Add the Liquids.
Add the oil and sour cream. Mix well.
Add the flatbread pizza recipe dry ingredients.
Half the flour goes in first. Then, add the seasonings and salt. Mix to incorporate. Add the remaining half of the flour and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Note: By incorporating the flour one half at a time, it’s easier to evenly distribute the spices throughout the flatbread dough and less likely to have pockets of salt or seasonings.
Mix until dough forms. Knead the dough.
Mix until dough is forming. It will be a sticky dough. Knead for a few minutes until you have a dough ball.
Let the dough rise.
Place in a clean mixing bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
Stretch the dough.
Preheat the oven to 425 °F. For a crispier crust, place a baking stone or pizza stone or sheet in the oven while it preheats.
Punch the dough and place on a lightly floured working surface. Separate the dough in half if you want a nice thicker pizza crust. You don’t need a rolling pin, just use your fingers to stretch the pizza dough to the size you want.
Add the finishing touches to your flat bread pizza.
Brush oil on top of the pizza. Add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and shredded Parmigiano. Place thinly cut fresh Mozzarella on the pizza (4-5 slices per pizza) and add some fresh sliced tomatoes.
Bake your pizza.
Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is fully cooked.
Hostess Tips
I like to take the tomatoes off and cut fresh ones when I am ready to reheat the pizza.
As you can see, we don’t always use sauce on our pizza. You can add a light smear of tomato sauce or marinara sauce and then place your remaining ingredients over the top of the sauce. Don’t overdo it. Too much sauce can make your pizza soggy.
Make it fancy! Sprinkle arugula over the top and finish with a drizzle of sweet balsamic vinegar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when my pizza is done?
The thickness of the pizza determines how quickly your pizza will cook. For best results, to determine when your flatbread pizza is finished baking, look for the following:
- Golden Brown Edges: The edges of the flatbread should be golden brown and slightly crispy.
- Melted and Bubbly Cheese: The cheese should be fully melted, bubbly, and possibly starting to brown slightly in spots.
- Crisp Crust: The crust should be firm and crisp, not doughy or soft. You can lift a corner of the flatbread to check if the bottom is golden brown and crisp.
- Cook Time: Typically, flatbread pizzas take about 8-12 minutes to bake at 425°F (220°C). However, this can vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the flatbread.
- Visual and Aroma Cues: Trust your senses—when the pizza looks golden and bubbly and smells delicious, it’s likely ready.
By watching for these signs, you’ll ensure your flatbread pizza is perfectly baked and ready to enjoy!
Can this flatbread pizza recipe be made ahead of time?
Making flat bread pizza ahead of time is easy and convenient. Here’s how you can do it:
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Make the flat bread crust and lightly brush it with olive oil.
- Sprinkle it with cheese and fresh herbs or Italian seasoning and add your favorite toppings.
- Note: We don’t recommend adding fresh tomatoes to the pizza until you’re ready to finish it at a later date.
- Par-bake the pizza for 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is just starting to melt and the edges are slightly crisp. Cool completely.
How To Reheat & Store Flatbread Pizza
Best way to store
Once the pizza is cooled, wrap each flatbread pizza with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, place the wrapped flatbread pizzas in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
If your pizza is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
For leftover pizza or par-baked pizza, place the flatbread pizza on a baking sheet and bake for about 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted, bubbly, and the edges are golden brown and crisp.
I like to take the tomatoes off and cut fresh ones when we’re ready to reheat or finish cooking the pizza.
We love pizza!
As much as our family loves pizza anything, we keep our ideas fresh and delicious. Our Chicago Deep dish pizza and our sourdough pizza dough recipes are very popular. If you’re looking for out-of-the-box ideas, pizza knots or even our spaghetti pizza recipes are for you. Oh, and one of our favorite pizza topping is sweet pesto. It’s so fresh and delicious.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Flatbread Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup warm water 95-100 degrees F
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ½ cup olive oil or any of your preferred oil + 1 tablespoons to brush on the pizza
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dry basil
- ¼ cup fresh shredded Parmigiano
Pizza Toppings – All toppings are optional and the measurements are a recommendation.
- Fresh Mozzarella 4-5 slices
- Fresh tomatoes 4 to 5 slices
- Fresh Basil
- 2 tbsp basil per pizza if divided the dough in half
- Fresh Mozzarella 2-3 thin slices
- 2-3 slices Prosciutto
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mix water, sugar, and yeast. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Set aside until the mixture starts to foam up.
- Once the mixture has foamed up add the oil, and sour cream. Mix well.
- Add half of the flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, and Italian seasoning. Mix until almost incorporated. You'll still have dry flour visible.
- Add the remaining half of the flour and the shredded Parmigiano.
- Mix until dough is forming. It will be a sticky dough.
- Knead for a few minutes until you have a dough ball. (If you made the dough in a stand-up mixer you may not need to knead the dough). Place in a clean mixing bowl and cover with a plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until it has doubled up.
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Punch the dough and place on a working surface, lightly floured (1-2 tablespoons flour)
- Separate the dough in half if you want a nice thicker pizza crust or in 4 pieces if you prefer a thin, smaller pizza.
- Roll the dough or use your fingers to stretch the pizza to the size you want.
- Brush oil on top of the pizza.
- *OPTIONAL* add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and shredded Parmigiano.
- Place thinly cut fresh Mozzarella on the pizza (4-5 slices per pizza)
- Add some fresh sliced tomatoes. *OPTIONAL* Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper on the tomatoes
- Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is fully cooked. If the crust under is not crispy to your liking, add 1-2 minutes in the lower rack in the oven. Keep an eye so the cheese doesn’t burn.
Notes
- INGREDIENTS INFO
Before baking the pizza, you can sprinkle more Italian or basil seasoning on the cheese. You can also add a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. This is completely optional. - If you want to add fresh Basil, I would suggest adding it once the pizza is cooked, the residual heat will release the basil flavor without cooking it. Fresh basil becomes bitter once cooked.
- If you want to make a Pesto/prosciutto pizza, once you have rolled the pizza to your preferred thickness and size, add 2 tablespoons of pesto and spread evenly. Add some fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced. Cook like the Margherita pizza and add the prosciutto once the pizza is cooked.
- This flatbread is also excellent as a side dish or simply add cheese for cheesy bread to serve with a meaty main course or your next bolognese pasta.
- We also have made this dough recipe to serve with a charcuterie board.
- I added fresh Parmigiano to the dough for this flatbread for a structure that replicated the perfect pizza dough.
- Serving: Serve the pizza as is, with a side salad or as an appetizer with dipping sauces.
- Storage: Once the pizza is cooled, place it in a plastic bag or container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I like to take the tomatoes off and cut fresh ones once I will rewarm the pizza.
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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