Move over avocado toast; there is a new toast in town, pizza toast. Pizza toast has been a popular after-school snack for years. It’s a simple snack that kids love. But elevating pizza toast to something special takes some creativity and quality ingredients.
When you don’t have time to make homemade pizza or you just want a little pizza snack, pizza toast is the answer. We want to share how to take homemade pizza toast from a satisfying snack to an elegant meal.
Pizza is basically three components a base, sauce, and toppings. You can make it gluten-free, keto, vegan, or vegetarian. There are so many ways to make pizza toast that everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions, can enjoy a tasty slice of pizza toast.
Consider the Bread
Ok, the first thing to consider when making pizza toast is the base. Of course, in a pinch, you just grab a slice of sandwich bread and start there, but why not make it something better? The best bread for pizza toast is a thick slice of your favorite crusty bread.
We like to use sourdough, but any thick bread will work. This isn’t a full blow sourdough pizza dough, though. You can go with whole wheat or bread with seeds and nuts; it really is just a matter of preference. But the ideal type of bread will be thick enough to hold the topping and sauce.
These are some great choices for pizza toast.
- Baguette
- English muffins
- French bread
If you like a little more flavor in your toast, try a loaf of bread with Kalamata olives, jalapeños, or sun-dried tomatoes baked right in. Most bakeries will have a selection of breads with savory flavors. Or, if you like to make your own bread, you can use a basic crusty white bread recipe and add your own favorite add-ins.
This is our favorite no-knead crusty white bread recipe, and we make it savory with add-ins. You can also make it sweet by adding in cranberries and walnuts but ummm, probably not needed for homemade pizza toast.
No Knead Crusty White Bread
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups of warm water between 105-110ºF
You will need a Dutch oven for this. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you should consider getting one. They are versatile, and we use ours for all kinds of things, from soup to bread to braising meats.
Yes, they can be pricey, but it’s worth it. Sometimes you can find used ones at thrift stores, FB Marketplace or Craigslist.
Start by mixing all the ingredients together and covering the bowl with plastic wrap for 12-18 hours. Yes, this is a long time, and we usually make it at night and then bake it in the morning. After it has risen, lay the dough ball on a floured surface and pull the ends together to make a ball cover, and let sit for another twenty minutes.
Preheat your oven to 450ºF with your covered Dutch oven inside. After twenty minutes, remove your hot Dutch oven and place the dough on parchment paper, and place it in the Dutch oven. Bake covered for thirty minutes, then remove the lid and finish baking for another fifteen minutes. Remove and let cool for thirty minutes before slicing.
Slice with a serrated bread knife and use to make homemade pizza toast. If you want to add things to the dough, mix them in after it has risen. We like to add herbs and spices like Italian seasoning or rosemary, especially if we are making it specifically for homemade pizza toast.
If you want to use it for other things, just keep the add-ins out and stick with the basic white bread,
Find Quality Cheese
You have great homemade bread for a homemade pizza toast. Now, what about the cheese? You can go with a classic low-moisture mozzarella. Or make it interesting with another Italian cheese like Asiago or Fontina.
We recently tried Cougar Gold which is a sharp white cheddar with the texture of Parmesano Reggiano. Since the pizza toast is a small item, choose a bold cheese. Or even go with a mix of cheeses.
Sauce it Up
For a classic homemade pizza toast, we like to stick to a basic marinara. Since the bread isn’t as dense as a pizza crust, you will want to use a thicker sauce and layer it on lightly to avoid soggy bread.
If you like pesto, you can use a traditional bright green pesto, or even a sun-dried tomato pesto would add a nice nuanced flavor to your homemade pizza toast.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Toast
Ok, so you have all of your components your base, cheese, and sauce. So before you get started, you want to toast your bread.
Toasting your bread before topping it is the best way to firm it up enough to withstand all the goodies you are going to top it with. Use a toaster oven or the broil setting on your oven to make sure both sides are lightly toasted.
No spread on your sauce, but keep it thin. You want it covered but don’t drown your bread. Now here is where it gets tricky cheese, then toppings, or toppings, then cheese? We like to add a sprinkle of cheese to set a base, then add toppings, then a bit more cheese to hold everything in place.
Pop back in the toaster oven or regular oven for about five minutes at 400ºF until the cheese has melted.
Topping Ideas for Homemade Pizza Toast
When we made this as a kid for an after-school or lunch snack, we kept it simple, pizza sauce, whatever cheese was in the refrigerator, and ham or bologna or whatever meat we could dig out of the crisper. But as adults, we like to elevate this simple dish with more sophisticated toppings. Here are some ideas:
- Caramelized onions with mushrooms and blue cheese
- Pepperoni and peppers
- Blue cheese and bacon
- Goat cheese, prosciutto, and arugula
- Cream cheese, smoked salmon, and red onion
- Pesto, cherry tomatoes, and Feta
Serving Ideas for Homemade Pizza Toast
Serve with a side salad to make it a meal. Or cut in strips to make it a finger food appetizer and serve with dipping sauce. Or just shove the whole thing into your mouth.
However, if you prefer your homemade pizza toast, we are pretty sure it tastes best watching your favorite old TV show and drinking your favorite soda.
Pro Tips
- Always grate your own cheese.
- Use broil to get a crispier top.
- Get creative and customize your homemade pizza toast.
- Just use your hands to eat it!
What’s your favorite way to make homemade pizza toast?
