Flatbread Pizza

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°F with an upside-down heavy baking sheet on the middle rack.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms (or mix in a stand mixer). Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough in half. On Parchment paper or a silicone pad, roll dough fairly thin with a floured rolling pin. Make sure the middle is as thin as the edges, or it will be doughy and not crisp. With the dough still on the paper/pad, place it in oven on the heated cookie sheet. Cook for 5 minutes, or until golden on the edges.

Meanwhile, prepare the other half on parchment paper or silicone pad. When the first flatbread is done, pop the other in.

Now for the toppings, minimal toppings is best otherwise your thin crust may break or get soggy. Once you have created your masterpiece pizza, put it back in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Voilà!

*Note for re-heating: this pizza will lose the crispness once refrigerated. So re-heat the same way you cooked. Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat to 450°F. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Toppings

Everyone can throw their favorite toppings on to enjoy. Some of my family’s favorites are tried-and-true cheese pizza, my favorite (copycat from Jules) is butternut squash and caramelized onion, BBQ pizza with chicken, red onions, and green peppers, or Tex-Mex pizza with black beans, avocado, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, and cilantro. Try seasonal vegetables and be creative! Go easy on the cheese on this style pizza. The crust may break or may become very soggy. You can also substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. Just extend the first cooking time; it takes a couple extra minutes to crisp. This pizza is a healthier alternative to the greasy, cheesy, thick crust you get at the pizza shops (don’t get me wrong, I love that pizza too, this is just a supplement!) and it’s always wonderful to get the family together in the kitchen. Maybe they will help clean up the mess too!

Be well,

Leia Barrett