Description
Deliciously cheesy and savory garlic pesto flatbread topped with crumbled sausage, mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes uses my easy 1 hour homemade pizza dough. This is a quick and convenient dinner recipe the whole family will love!
Ingredients
Flatbread
- 1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) warm water, (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and surface
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for brushing the dough
- 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 1 cup cooked sausage*
- 1 cup homemade pesto*
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes or thinly sliced fresh tomatoes*
- optional: crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make the crust: Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Or, if you do not own a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Pour warm water on top. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be frothy after 5 minutes. If not, start over with new yeast.
- If you do not have a mixer, you can mix by hand in this step. With the stand mixer running on low speed, add the flour, olive, oil, and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute as it all combines. The dough should be thick and shaggy. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, including any loose flour. Knead it with lightly floured hands for 2 minutes until it begins to come together and becomes smooth. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-2 more Tablespoons of flour.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use nonstick spray to grease) and cover with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to sit and rest for 45 minutes at room temperature. Once it has rested and slightly risen, you can place it in the fridge for up to 2 days. More instructions in the make ahead tip below.
- As the dough is resting and rising, prepare the toppings. Make the homemade basil pesto and cook the sausage if it’s not cooked. I crumbled up uncooked pork sausage and browned it on the stove for about 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 475°F (246°C).
- Shape the dough: Punch the dough down to release any air. Divide the dough into two. On a lightly floured surface with floured hands and working with one dough piece at a time, begin shaping and stretching the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. You can use a floured rolling pin for this too. Don’t worry about the shape of the dough, just make sure it’s pretty thin. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Carefully transfer both pieces of dough to a parchment paper or silicone-mat lined baking sheet, or use a pizza stone. (You can also shape/roll out the doughs directly on a silicone baking mat or a large sheet of parchment if that is easier for you and then just transfer the whole thing to the baking sheet.)
- Poke your fingers all around the surface of the flatbreads or prick a few holes with a fork. Drizzle or brush each with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Spread about 1/3 cup of pesto on each then top with mozzarella, tomatoes, and finish with sausage. (Reserve remaining pesto for topping.)
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust and toppings are browned to your liking. Remove from the oven and spoon remaining pesto on top. If desired, finish with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Slice and serve warm.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The sausage can be cooked a few days in advance; just keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. The pesto can also be prepared in advance. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2-3 months. The dough can be prepared through step 3, then after it has risen, cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Continue with step 5. To freeze the dough, prepare it through step 3. After it has risen, punch it down to release any air. Divide it in 2, if desired, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before stretching out/shaping and topping. If the thawed dough keeps shrinking back as you try to shape it, lightly cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest on the counter or your work surface for 15 minutes. (The gluten just needs a chance to settle.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl & Rubber Spatula | Rolling Pin | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Pastry Brush | Pizza Cutter
- Yeast: You can use instant or active-dry yeast with zero changes. If you’re new to working with yeast, I recommend reviewing my Baking with Yeast Guide.
- Pesto: I used the full recipe (1 cup) for my homemade pesto, but I added an extra clove of garlic. You can use any pesto, homemade or store-bought, that you love.
- Sausage: Use whatever sausage you and your family enjoy. I crumbled up pork sausage, but sliced turkey or chicken sausage would be great too. If it’s not cooked, cook it prior to using as a flatbread topping.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: 1/2 cup is a rough measurement. Use however much or little you like.