How to Make Easy Homemade Flatbread Pizzas

Pizza night usually leads to one of two extremes: Either you're working with fresh pizza dough — rolling it, stretching it, and cranking up your oven — or you're going with frozen or delivery. Flatbread pizzas are the best of both worlds.

By starting with fully baked, store-bought flatbreads, you cut prep and cook time to under 15 minutes. Individual flatbreads also let you customize every pizza and make as many as you need. Use this guide as your flatbread pizza blueprint for a super crispy crust, perfectly cooked toppings, and melty cheese every time.

Choose Your Base

Naan

This Indian-style flatbread comes with the air bubbles and fire-kissed edges of an actual pizzeria because they're cooked in a traditional tandoor oven. We love the oval-shaped naan from Stonefire. Keep it classic or try a beautiful, summery Grilled Prosciutto and Peach Flatbread Pizza, or go island-style with Mini Naan Hawaiian Pizza.

Pita

Thin, round pitas are the perfect size for individual pizzas. You'll notice that one side dips inward slightly — that's ideal for chunkier toppings. Because pitas are so thin, the pizzas can be made right in your toaster oven. Try user favorites like Veggie Pita Pizza and Individual Greek Pita Pizzas.

Flatbread

These flatbreads can be fluffy (think of the wrap for a gyro sandwich) or thin, like Flatout's Artisan thin crust flatbreads. Whole-wheat versions have a noticeably sweeter flavor; we recommend sticking to classic white for pizzas. Go simple or get creative with toppings, like this Flatbread Breakfast Pizza or this Grilled Prosciutto and Peach Flatbread Pizza.

Tortilla

Yes, even these wafer-thin wraps make fantastic pizza crusts. Reviewers love that tortilla pizzas are easy to assemble and quick to bake, and that they feel like a real pizza experience without the carb-heavy crust. Start with top recipes like Easy Tortilla Pizza or BBQ Chicken Tortilla Pizza.

Choose Your Toppings

Any vegetables, meats, and cheeses will work. Remember to use fully-cooked proteins like sliced pepperoni or shredded rotisserie chicken. Slice veggies thinly and toss drier ingredients like mushrooms with a little olive oil first.

Sauce isn't always necessary since the crusts cook so quickly. Use a scant amount (1 to 2 tablespoons per pizza) or skip it and add a couple slices of fresh tomato instead.

Crisp Your Crust

Par-baking the flatbreads gives them the crispy edges we love and makes them sturdy enough to support the toppings. Brush with a very thin layer of olive oil, then bake at 350°F or 375°F for 3 to 7 minutes depending on the thickness of your flatbread (you can skip this step for tortillas).

You can also grill the flatbread for a couple minutes on each side. Add even more flavor by seasoning the oil first: Stir in minced garlic, dried oregano, or crushed red pepper before brushing.

Build and Bake

Less is more when it comes to topping flatbread pizzas. Keep meat and veggies to a single layer so they cook evenly. Finish with a thin layer of cheese (drier cheeses like Parmesan work especially well).

While pizzas made with fresh doughs call for scorching hot ovens, flatbread pizzas need a relatively low heat (350°F to 400°F) so toppings won't burn or dry out. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is completely crisp and the cheese is melted.

Related:

• Naan Pizza Recipes for Busy Weeknights
• Quick and Easy Italian Dinners Ready in 45 Minutes or Less
• Delicious Dinners That Start with a Jar of Spaghetti Sauce