Flatbread Fridays

Friday night pizza is a well known go-to dinner for many. Whether it’s home made pizza or ordered from your favorite neighborhood pizza shop, it is an easy and fun way to help celebrate the end of a long week. To help mix up this routine a bit, my daughters and I have started making flatbread pizzas once or twice a month. It’s a special day that we have named Flatbread Friday. 

Flatbread Friday is not so much about a recipe, but rather being fun and creative with whatever topping we decide to use for that day. To help keep it interesting, we often come up with themed Flatbread Fridays, often revolving around a specific ingredient. Some of our favorite themes have been Chicken Flatbreads (buffalo chicken, barbecued chicken, chicken with feta and spinach) and South Philly Flatbreads (cheesesteak, crab gravy with shaved parmesan, meatball parm, and pulled pork with broccoli rabe, provolone and roasted red peppers). We always make sure to include a traditional flatbread with mozzarella and sauce, and a white flatbread with extra garlic! Our favorite is the prosciutto and arugula flatbread. Nothing better than oven crisp prosciutto!

First comes the Flatbread

Instead of sharing a specific recipe, I thought it would be best to share some tips and tricks on how to make your own flatbread pizza. First, you need the actual flatbread. There are no specific rules or regulations for this. You can buy a variety of flatbread shells in the grocery store, usually in the bakery section. The shells could be rectangular or round, whichever you prefer. Even a Naan flatbread will work if you prefer. My personal choice is Brooklyn Bred Thin Pizza Crust. You can get two large shells or four small in a pack. Again, the key is to have fun. 

Pick your Toppings

The second tip is to go light on your toppings. Flatbreads are thinner than a traditional pizza crust, so there is a good chance of the flatbread folding or breaking if you go too heavy on the toppings. When adding a sauce, such as traditional pizza sauce, buffalo sauce or barbecue sauce, just a light coating will do the trick. The same goes for your toppings. Whether they are chicken, vegetables or meats, thin lightly chopped or shredded pieces work well. Try to avoid big chunks. 

Start the Oven

Preheat your oven to a nice, hot temperature. I prefer 425 degrees, which will cook your flatbreads in about 7-10 minutes. The best part of this is that you can make a variety, whether it is for a family of three or a party of twelve.  Get a variety going. Put out a bunch of toppings and let your family and friends make their own flatbread, Then slice them up and enjoy!

Flatbread Suggestions

Traditional – lightly brushed sauce, topped with shredded mozzarella and oregano

White – lightly brushed olive oil, topped with shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese and garlic powder. You can also add pieces of prosciutto. Top with some arugula after the flatbread is cooked.

Pizzazz – thin slices of American or cooper sharp cheese, topped with hot banana pepper rings and thin sliced Roma tomatoes

Cheesesteak – cooked thinly shredded pieces of rib eye steak, mixed or topped with shredded provolone and caramelized onions

Porchetta – cooked thinly shredded pieces of Italian style pulled pork on top of sliced provolone. Topped with bits of broccoli rabe and roasted red peppers. 

Buffalo Chicken – cooked chopped pieces of chicken breast, either mixed with or placed on top of a thin layer of Buffalo sauce (home made or store bought), topped with bits of bleu cheese.

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You can also check out this post in the Winter 2022 edition of RowHome Magazine!