Margherita Flatbread

Margherita Flatbread is a fun appetizer or easy dinner! It’s packed with flavor thanks to the homemade pizza sauce and gooey mozzarella.

Here’s an easy idea for an appetizer or quick dinner inspired by classic Italian pizza: Margherita flatbread! This easy way to make pizza uses the flavors of margherita pizza to make a great appetizer. It has a bright tomato sauce flavor, gooey mozzarella cheese and hints of grassy fresh basil. Preparing with store-bought flatbread eliminates the need to make pizza dough. Nothing like a real pizza margherita, of course: but this one is great for shortcuts! Our whole family loves this one.

What you need for Margherita flatbread

Margherita flatbread is a quick way to make margherita pizza, the most famous of all Italian pizzas. Invented in the 19th century, the Pizza Margherita bears the colors of the Italian flag: the red of the tomato sauce, the white of the mozzarella and the green of the basil. The common belief is that the flavor was named after Queen Margherita of Savoy, a 19th-century Italian queen. This version of flatbread uses store-bought flatbread instead of a pizza crust for an easy and quick make of the original. Here’s what you need:

• Naan bread (or other store-bought flatbread)
• Fresh mozzarella cheese
• Plain pizza sauce or store-bought pizza sauce
• Parmesan or pecorino cheese
• tomatoes (Optional)
• basil
• Reduction or balsamic glaze (bought or homemade)

Use naan or another store-bought flatbread

A flatbread pizza is a pizza made with a pre-baked crust instead of pizza dough. The difference from a regular pizza is that when you bake a pizza, the pizza dough is raw. We like to use naan in flatbreads (like this Caprese flatbread) because it’s a nice size and thickness. Here are some popular flatbread crust options:

• The store bought naan works well! It should be easy to find on the bread aisle at your local grocery store. (If you’re ambitious, try the homemade naan.)
• Or look for other types of store-bought flatbreads. You want it about 1 inch thick (or use homemade flatbread).
• Update the “Pre-Toast” time for other types of bread. First toast the naan or flatbread in the oven until it is slightly crispy. The timing for other types of flatbread can be slightly different than naan, so adjust accordingly (check a few minutes before the recipe says to be sure).

Process the fresh mozzarella

Fresh mozzarella cheese is gooey and stretchy: perfect for topping a margherita pizza or flatbread. But this type of cheese contains a lot of water: much more than a typical grated mozzarella cheese! There are a few best practices when it comes to fresh mozzarella cheese:

• Cut the cheese pieces and let them rest for 15 minutes. Cut into ¼-inch thick pieces and set aside on a paper towel to remove moisture while you prepare the pizzas. Before using, pat the mozzarella with the paper towel to remove excess moisture.
• After cooking, pat dry with kitchen paper if necessary. Fresh mozzarella can also be watery after cooking, depending on the brand. If necessary, use the corner of a paper towel to blot the moisture.

Best with homemade pizza sauce

The best way to add great flavor to margherita flatbread? Try our homemade pizza sauce in 5 minutes. This sauce will blow your mind with the robust, fresh and garlic-like taste. It only takes 5 minutes and all you need is a can of fire roasted tomatoes and some basic groceries. Here are a few notes about the sauce:

• This pizza sauce takes 5 minutes in a blender (make while the oven is preheating). All you need is canned roasted tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt and olive oil. Access our pizza sauce recipe.
• Fire roasted tomatoes are the key to flavor! This variety of tomato is flame roasted before canning, giving it a sweet flavor straight from the can.

How to serve margherita flatbread

Are you ready to serve your margherita flatbread? Here are some pointers for serving this delicious appetizer or dinner recipe:

• After cooking, add the basil. Never bake a basil pizza in the oven: it will brown! Then add the basil.
• Cut into a triangle shape. Naan looks funnier as a flatbread pizza when cut into triangles: we think it looks more appetizing than the squares you get on an oval base (like this one).
• Serve warm or at room temperature (for parties). The best part? Margherita flatbread tastes great at room temperature, making it a great appetizer to display on a platter when you’re having guests.

More flatbread and pizza recipes

Do you like to use store-bought flatbread as a base? Here are more ideas for you:

This Margherita Flatbread Recipe is…

Vegetarian.