Flatbread Caprese is simple and fun to make
Last week I cooked meals for a couple of different friends. Lucky for me, both specified what sounded good to them, so it made it quite simple. One friend wanted flatbread. I have to admit, I’ve made pizza from scratch so many times but hadn’t made actual flatbread. I went searching on Epicurious and found this simple, fun-to-make recipe and tweaked it a bit, as I usually do.
This dough was delightfully simple to make and took only 10 minutes to rise, which is great for quick cooking. I happen to be a serious pizza lover, so anything resembling a pizza is always a good idea. I didn’t eat any of this flatbread, but it took some restraint because it looked delicious.
If I’d had more time when I whipped up this flatbread, I would have used pesto instead of olive oil underneath the cheese. I like pesto on about anything. The sky’s the limit on toppings of flatbreads, just like it is with pizza. You can get creative and make caramelized onion, fig and goat cheese or stick to more traditional toppings like pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms. The original recipe called to just bake the flatbread first and add the toppings after baking. I personally think there’s nothing better than melted cheese, so I did it that way with shredded mozzarella melted instead of mini mozzarella balls cold on top.
Raw arugula is such a fun way to add your salad right on top of your flatbread. I personally think arugula is one of the best greens around – its peppery flavor is much more interesting than most greens. It’s usually the baby version you get, so it’s small pieces that don’t need to be chopped or torn, making it an easy to prep, too.
Flatbread, just like pizza, is a fun thing to make with kids. They love the hands-on, tactile experience of playing with the dough, and it’s such fun to have a little person help you. Some of my favorite cooking classes I taught were the ones I taught to kids. Their excitement is just pretty hard to beat.
Adriene Rathbun is an enthusiastic Wichita cook who offers cooking classes through her business, Social. Reach her at socialcookingclasses.com or ar@adrienerathbun.com.
Flatbread Caprese with Arugula
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more as needed
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (105 – 110 degrees F)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ - 2 cups grated mozzarella
½ pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Fresh arugula, to top
Combine the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Stir in the water until it forms a rough dough.
Sprinkle some flour on a counter or cutting board. Turn the dough out onto the board and sprinkle a bit more flour on top. Knead until the dough becomes a smooth ball, 3 to 4 minutes, adding more flour as needed. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Roll the dough into a 9x17-inch rectangle and transfer it to the prepared pan. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and cheese and top with tomato halves. Bake 18-20 minutes, until crust is golden and crisp.
Top with fresh basil leaves and arugula and drizzle with olive oil before cutting and serving.