QUICK PESTO FLATBREAD
There’s nothing better! End of summer fantasies come from this delicious Pesto Flatbread, made from the season’s leftover fresh herbs (or jarred pesto anytime of year). My patio garden is the inspiration for this easy recipe for Pesto Flatbread using garlic and fresh herbs. Find that recipe below. If you want to make bread using dry herbs, try my Italian Herb Bread.
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Fresh Pesto Flavors in an Easy Pesto Flatbread Recipe
Potted Herbs. I grow basil in pots on my patio. Basil is a super easy herb to grow. To start, I sprinkle seeds in the dirt in the spring. Next, I place the pot in a warm and sunny spot. After, I water every couple of days. By end of summer, I was blessed with huge amounts of fresh basil! I use that homegrown basil and parsley to make fresh pesto. Finally, mix fresh pesto flatbread dough to make a delicious appetizer or flavorful base for flatbread pizzas.
Is Fresh Pesto Worth Making at Home?
Oh my, yes! Even if pesto can be store bought I highly recommend you make your own. The flavor is far superior to pre-made. If you must purchase, I recommend Mezzetta Pesto sauce, I use a number of their products in my bread and as toppings on pizza, try my Sourdough Italian Style Pizza!
Making Fresh Pesto is Easy (Remember, Garlic and Fresh Herbs, is There Anything Better?!?)
Fresh Pesto is a combination of basil, parsley, olive oil, garlic, parmesan and pignoli (pine) nuts. If preferred, substitute other nuts or just leave them out as I did in my Pesto. Instructions in full recipe card below. Any leftover pesto can be used in a variety of ways: pasta sauce, compound butter, drizzled on caprese salad, etc.
Fun Vignette about Living Abroad
If you read the About Me page you know I lived a significant time abroad. In Europe, you quickly realize that the grocery store products are different than home and written in the domestic language. That means, shopping which is normally so mundane, all of a sudden becomes an adventure!
Grocery Shopping in a Foreign Country
After my first move abroad to Warsaw, I made an adventurous trip to the grocery store. After all, I had to eat! I made a list and pulled out my Polish-English dictionary. This was before there were personal assistant devices, cell phones, or Google maps – I didn’t even have a computer! So, I found a grocery store in the visitor’s guide, I grabbed a map and plotted a route on the bus. Second, I created a shopping list. Third, I spent an hour in my dictionary translating the list to Polish. Last, I left my house. That meant, I walked the half mile to the kiosk, bought a bus ticket, and took the 30 minute ride to the grocery store. I timidly asked the driver to let me know when I needed to get off. Thankfully, he did, and I walked the rest of the way to the store based on a rudimentary understanding of his directions given in Polish.
There were so many memorable things about that trip, like needing a coin to unlock a grocery basket, a coin I did not have! During that shopping trip I learned to say Parsley (Pietruszka, which translates as “little Peter”) and searched high and low for eggs and milk. I just could not find them. This may seem obvious to you if you live somewhere other than America, but to me this was definitely not the norm! Where were the eggs and milk?? I did finally find them in a dry goods aisle (warm eggs and shelf-stable milk) – what a total surprise. In conclusion, I learned so much that day!
Sharing is Caring
Try this delicious and easy recipe for a super simple, delicious flatbread that is sure to impress your friends. Help me achieve my vision of Great Bread for All. Please rate the recipe below and share you results on social media and tag @christinasbreadbakes on FB, Instagram or Twitter. Happy baking, Bread Bakers!
Pesto Flat Bread
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Digital Metric Scale
- Electric Mixer with Dough Hook
- 4 Liter food container (or bowl)
- Cover for container (or plastic wrap)
- Large Sheet Pan 18 in X 13 in (460 mm X 330 mm)
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
Pesto
- 1½ T Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Water
- 1 T Parsley
- 1 T Basil
- 1 T Grated Parmesan
- 1 ea Garlic Clove
Dough
- 225 ml Water 100-110 F (37-43 C)
- 1 T Honey
- 4 grams Yeast
- 400 grams Bread Flour
- ½ tsp Sea Salt
- 50 grams Pesto (homemade or store bought)
Topping
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
For Serving (optional)
- 1 T Chopped Parsley and/or Basil
- 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
PESTO
- If making your own Pesto, scale all ingredients according to preceding recipe. Place all ingredients into a food processor (or using a stick blender), process all ingredients until blended. Should measure approximately 1/4 of a cup. If using store bought Pesto, measure out 1/4 of a cup.
BREAD
Scaling
- Using a digital scale, measure out all ingredients.
Mixing
- Mix water and honey until dissolved. Add yeast and set aside for 10 minutes or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together by hand the flour and the salt.
- Pour activated yeast into the flour and salt mix. Add pesto.
- Turn mixer on to Level 1 (Low) and mix for 2-3 minutes until a rough dough is achieved.
- Turn mixer on to Level 2 and mix for 5-6 minutes until a smooth dough is formed.
- Remove from bowl and knead on work surface for 30 seconds to form a smooth dough ball.
Bulk Fermentation (first rise)
- Place dough ball in to a lightly greased container or bowl. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap.
- Set aside to rise for 1½ hours.
Folding (sometimes called punching)
- When doubled in size, gently dump dough onto work surface.
Divide
- Cut dough in half.
- Rest for 10 minutes before trying to shape.
Pre-Shaping or Rounding
- With fingers and hands, stretch and press half the dough into a 14 in. x 6 in. rectangular shape (35 cm x 15 cm). Repeat with the second half of the dough.Note: When dough is pressed out, it will be bumpy and inconsistently flat, this is okay, it will give you a lovely finished product that will hold an olive oil drizzle.
- Coat parchment paper with spray oil.
- Lay pressed dough side by side on parchment paper.
- Cover with sprayed plastic wrap.
Makeup and Panning
- Insert an empty sheet pan upside down into oven.
- Preheat oven at 475 F (245 C degrees, gas mark 9) for 30 minutes with sheet pan in the oven.
Proofing (second rise)
- Allow the shaped dough to rise for 20-30 minutes; just long enough to get some air incorporated but not too high. Note: If dough puffed up so high that it lost its bumpy shape, not to worry! Simply use your fingers, gently push dough down in random pattern to partially deflate in areas and move to next step.
Baking
- Remove plastic wrap.
- Using spray olive oil or a pastry brush gently spray/brush ½ teaspoon of olive oil over each piece of flat dough.
- Sprinkle each half with ½ tsp course sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Slide a flat pan or cutting board under the parchment paper.
- Slide parchment paper onto pre-heated pan in the oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Note: Should be golden brown on the top and dark brown on the bottom.
Cooling
- Remove from parchment and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle each half with 1 T olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 T chopped fresh herbs.
- Slice each half into 12 diagonal slices.
- Serve immediately.
Storing
- This is best eaten warm directly from the oven. Hint: However, try storing uncut, baked bread in the freezer, remove, wrap in aluminum foil, reheat at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, drizzle, sprinkle with fresh herbs, slice and serve.
This pesto flatbread is so incredible! I can’t believe that I made it, it tasted like it came straight from a bakery!
Hi Katie – I am glad you were successful with this recipe, keep baking!
This flat bread recipe is so simple and turned out delicious! Love the topping too!
Thanks, Andrea, I am glad you found it delicious.
love the idea of using pesto with this bread! such a great idea
Hi Tianna – It’s a great way to use up pesto, even if it’s a jar of unused store bought pesto, the results are still yummy. Enjoy!
So delicious and flavorful
Thanks, Jess.
I love that you have used fresh herbs. Fresh pesto makes all the difference. I am loving the flavors in this flatbread. We are pesto and bread lovers and would love to try this with soup.
Hi Radha – This would be a perfect addition to a soup dinner, and it’s easy to make, too!
This was delicious and an excellent way to use fresh herbs!
Thanks, April, I am glad you enjoyed it!
Hah! No need to give me storing information, because this bread would be GONE in a day around here. Thank you for the clear instructions. I have not had much luck growing basil for some reason, but I’ll try your method this year.
Hi Lorinda – I agree, fresh homemade bread does not last long in our house either! Good luck growing some basil next year. I use dried herbs too in my bread, like my Rosemary Potato Bread, in a soon-to-be-published post before Thanksgiving. Stay tuned.
Lovely recipe – thank you!! I normally only use my pesto with pasta, but I will certainly give your flatbread recipe a go. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am so happy you will try this recipe, Gunnar! Pesto is a wonderful ingredient in it’s own right, have fun making this tasty bread.
I have already made this twice, and I know it will be in regular rotation at our house. Love the addition of pesto!
Hello Debra! Thank you for taking the time to rate my recipe. I am so happy to know you will be making this bread over and over!
This bread looks beautiful and delicious. Thank you for the wonderful recipes and lovely pictures!
You are welcome, Karin! I truly enjoy putting these recipes together, taking pictures of the process, and then sharing them with my readers!
This bread looks so good! I love the way you explain the recipe, they look so easy to make. 👏😁
Thank you Francy, I do attempt to make all my recipes super easy to follow so my readers can successfully experience fresh bread in their very own homes!
This looks absolutely delicious, and I love the little story at the end! Grocery shopping in other countries is really interesting and I love doing it! Wow, I probably wouldn’t be brave enough to go on my own same as you did! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
You’re welcome, Kathleen. I share my recipes and stories in hope that others might be inspired to get out of their comfort zones (in baking and in life)!