Tomato & Basil Flatbread Pizza

Pizza may top the list of all time greatest foods on Earth and I love making traditional pizzas at home.  Here I show you how to make a Tomato & Basil Flatbread pizza that is so easy to make you won’t believe it, and everyone else will think you’re a professional chef.  I make flatbread pizzas with pita bread, or sometimes naan, which is a ton easier than raw pizza dough.  It also cooks very quickly, and in about 8 – 9 minutes you’ll be serving them up.  This tomato and basil version is very traditional, but its really easy to change up ingredients and make different versions to suit your tastes.

Recipe Overview and Keys to Success

To make the best Tomato and Bazil Flatbread Pizza, just make sure to do the following:

1. I like using pita bread, but no matter what you use, make sure the bread is fresh and of good quality
2. Use a very hot oven, and a pizza stone (or heavy bottom pan) to cook the flatbreads to ensure a crisp crust and nice cooked toppings
3. Don’t skimp on olive oil.  As these pizza don’t have a traditional “sauce” a good amount of olive oil, goes a long way to provide the right moisture and texture
4. Finally, make sure to use quality toppings, in the right quantity.  You can easily overwhelm the bread if you pile them on too deep

Ingredients (for 2 flatbreads)

• 2 pita breads
• 1 fresh tomato
• 5 – 6 fresh basil leaves
• ~6 oz of mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil

Tomato & Basil Flatbread Pizza

• Put a pizza stone (or heavy baking sheet) into the oven and pre-heat to 475 – 500 degrees
• Lay the pita bread out on a cutting board, and use a fork to prick very tiny wholes in about 5 places around the bread.  This will prevent bubbles from forming
• Drizzle olive oil over the flatbread and season with salt and pepper
• Slice 6 – 7 very thin rounds from the tomato and lay half on each pita bread
• Cut 6 – 7 pieces of mozzeralla cheese, and dot the pizza with the pieces.  If using shredded mozzerall, put a very thin layer over the pita
• Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and slide them into the oven on the pizza stone
• Cook for 7  - 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp and slightly browned
• While the flatbread cooks, finely chop the basil leaves
• Remove the flatbread pizza & garnish with the basil and a final drizzle of olive oil if desired
• Allow it to rest for 2 – 3 minutes before serving…Enjoy!

Wine Recomendation for Tomato & Basil Flatbread

I generally love Chianti with pizza, and I think it’s still a great match for this flatbread pizza.  However, because there isn’t a traditional sauce on this flatbread, I think even a white, like a chardonnay would go very well.