This is the perfect recipe to impress when you don't have much time to prepare dinner; it also works great as a party appetizer!
But first, are you familiar with Jacques Pepin? He is a French chef, author, culinary educator, and television personality. Currently, 88 years young, he was the personal chef of French President Charles de Gaulle and a longtime friend of American chef, Julia Child, who is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (50th-anniversary edition now available!) Sadly, Julia left us in 2004, but together, these two were quite the cooking duo! In one of their videos, Jacque mentions the importance of nutrition to which Julia responds, "Who cares about nutrition as long as it tastes good!" Fun and educational, they each bring their masterful culinary gift to the kitchen. The best part about Jacques is that he wastes nothing, which is why this recipe (although not French cooking) reminds me of him. All you need to do is make the crust, and then go on a scavenger hunt in your refrigerator and pantry to create your very own masterpiece!
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water
3 tbsp. olive oil
cornmeal for dusting
This flatbread pizza dough takes less than 5 minutes to make!
Instructions:
1.Preheat oven to 550 degrees.
2. Put the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until well-mixed.
3. Add water and olive oil and pulse until a dough ball forms (about a minute).
4. Transfer the dough ball onto a lightly floured surface and knead for another minute, or until the surface of the dough is smooth.
5. Divide the dough into two equal balls.
6. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a long oval (thinner is better).
7. Dust 2 baking sheets or pizza stones with cornmeal
and place a flatbread crust on each.
8. Poke the surface of each crust all over with a fork (this makes it crispy)
9. Bake the crusts for 10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown
10. Top with desired toppings and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Now - here's the fun part!
Look around, what do you have? Jacques always looks for things to "use up."
To start, you can use pizza sauce from a jar, a white sauce like a cheesy Alfredo, or even pesto. I once used barbeque sauce with some leftover chicken and mozzarella, for a Barbeque Chicken Flatbread. The possibilities are endless! Try a white sauce topped with spinach, feta, and fresh sliced tomatoes. Try toppings like dates, olives, or other fresh vegetables with any variety of cheeses. The picture that I posted here features a red sauce topped with prosciutto, arugula, and shaved parmesan. Be creative, but don't go crazy with the toppings; this is a thin flatbread crust, and it's not going to hold three pounds of cheese or a mountain of meat!
Quick note: Did you know that in Italy, they call arugula "rocket"?
(Playing in the kitchen can be fun and educational!)
For more flatbread fun: https://amzn.to/3UT5b80
Gotta go - now I'm hungry. Enjoy!
Published by Jennifer Tipton / This post may contain affiliate links.
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