Basil Pesto Tomato Flatbread

Freshly sliced tomatoes and cheese are piled onto a quick and easy homemade flatbread with the best double parmesan basil pesto sauce. Baked to perfection and topped with fresh basil leaves and ground black pepper, this is a very scrumptiously delicious recipe!

Today, I spent some time in our backyard staking up my tomato plants. It has been just over a week since I planted them in our raised beds and they’re already growing tall enough to need some support. After I finished staking the tomato plants, I had to do the exact same thing to my cayenne pepper plants as well. It all reminded me of my Basil Pesto Tomato Flatbread.

I must confess, the photographs you see here are old. In fact, I took the photographs last summer. You might not know this, but John.e and I both retired a short while ago. He is 57 and I am 47. Now that I have more time on my hands, I tend to cook and bake more than I ever did. It leaves me with many tested and photographed recipes that may never be published. It is a matter of time. There is no point in sharing a tomato recipe at the end of tomato season! When that happens, I tend to save the photos and recipe for a later date.

With tomato growing season upon us, now is a great time to share a recipe like this! This flatbread has very few ingredients. Whenever I use a few ingredients, I want to be sure I am using the best I can find. The tomatoes were grown in my backyard. I highly recommend you use locally grown, summer fresh tomatoes if you plan to recreate this recipe at home. It makes a world of difference!

I’m very proud of this recipe! The flatbread is homemade and over the years, I have perfected the recipe and have used it quite often. The basil pesto is homemade as well. I love that it has double the amount of parmesan and lots of ground black pepper. I even grew the basil too! But, alas, I bought the cheese. That’s not a bad ratio if I do say so myself!

BASIL PESTO

A few years ago, I shared my recipe for Peppery Double Parmesan Basil Pesto with you. Back then, John.e was still working as a graphic designer. A colleague of his – Adam – grew a large amount of basil on his deck right in the city. He gave a bunch to us. The leaves were so tender and fresh, and they had a very consistent green colour. I grow my own basil now and I find it to be quite finicky! But, this basil was perfect!

I used Adam’s basil in one of the best ways I know how – uncooked! I think a herb as delicate as basil, doesn’t need anything but a good wash in some cold water. That’s why pesto is my go-to dish for fresh basil. It’s pureed with some other ingredients, never losing its beautiful green colour, flavour, or scent. In my basil pesto recipe, I did just what the title of the recipe suggests – I increased the amount of ground black pepper and the amount of parmesan too.

I also added some dried red chili flakes. The ground black pepper provides heat and warmth, while the dried red chili flakes provide heat and spice. I balanced that heat with the saltiness and creaminess of the parmesan, as well as a little bit of lemon juice. Delicious! It’s the only basil pesto I ever use!

HOMEMADE FLATBREAD

Flatbread is extremely easy to make at home! I have a go-to dough recipe that I use for all types of flatbread recipes. In fact, I used the same dough in my Wrapped Asparagus Spears recipe. It’s a completely versatile and adaptable dough.

There are several types of bread that can fall into the flatbread category. Some of them have yeast and some don’t. I tend to like a little bit of yeast in my flatbread dough. Not so much that it puffs up a lot, just enough so that it’s substantial enough.

If you’re not feeling up to making your own dough at home, you can certainly buy pre-made flatbread and still make a great-tasting Basil Pesto Tomato Flatbread. I have often purchased flatbread at the grocer and topped it with sauce, cheese, and our favourite toppings. It’s a great way to whip up dinner in a hurry. And, it’s a lot cheaper than pizza delivery!

This recipe will work perfectly with focaccia, even though it’s a very thick type of flatbread. Naan bread works very well! Roti will work well too, especially if you’re looking for unleavened bread. But, trust me, Dear Reader, my recipe for homemade flatbread is so easy, there’s really no reason to buy it premade at all!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Here is a list of ingredients you will need to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

FOR THE FLATBREAD:

• Active Dry Yeast – Do not confuse this with Instant Yeast. Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water before using, while instant yeast can be mixed right into dry ingredients.
• Olive Oil
• Sugar – This might seem odd, but the sugar makes for a tastier dough, plus, it gives the yeast something to feed on which promotes proofing.
• Flour – I only ever used all-purpose unbleached flour in my dough. I have not experimented with other flour options at this point.
• Warm Water – The water should be as close to 110 degrees as possible. Too hot and you will kill the yeast; too cold and it won’t activate properly.
• Salt

TO MAKE THE BASIL PESTO:

• Fresh basil leaves
• Parmesan Cheese – This adds saltiness and creaminess to the pesto.
• Garlic
• Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is so much better than the bottled type here!
• Pine Nuts – Toast the pine nuts first for even more flavour.
• Olive Oil
• Ground Black Pepper
• Dried Red Chili Flakes – Optional.

TOPPINGS

• Tomatoes – Use a variety of tomatoes for texture and colour.
• Bocconcini – I’m using mini bocconcini, but you can use the larger size if that’s all you can find. Leave them whole or quarter them.
• Fresh Basil Leaves

HOW TO MAKE A BASIL PESTO TOMATO FLATBREAD

LET’S MAKE THE DOUGH FIRST!

Let’s start with preparing the dough. If you have purchased dough from the grocer, follow the instructions on the package. Otherwise, make the dough from scratch by following these simple instructions.

Fill a mixing bowl with hot tap water. This will temper the bowl which is important to yeast activation and growth. Measure out 3/4 cup of water that’s 110 degrees F. Pour the water out of the bowl. Place one teaspoon of sugar into the bottom of the bowl and pour over the 3/4 cup of water. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water and let sit for two minutes.

Next, whisk in the olive oil. Add the flour, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir the flour into the water and oil. Use your hand to knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside to rise. (Be sure to keep away from drafts or an open window.)

IT’S TIME TO PREPARE THE BASIL PESTO

Place a skillet on a burner over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and shake the skillet so that the pine nuts are in a single layer. Keep the pine nuts moving so that they don’t burn. As soon as you can smell the woodiness, and see the pine nuts turn a golden brown, remove them from the skillet immediately to a cool glass dinner plate. Try to keep them in a single layer so that they can cool down.

Next, add the basil, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and all of the basil is finely pureed. Add the cooled nuts and pulse until they are incorporated. Next, add the ground black pepper, dried red chili flakes, and parmesan cheese. Pulse 3 or 4 times until mixed through. Do not over-pulse, you want there to be little specks of pine nuts and parmesan throughout the pesto. Set the pesto aside.

LET’S ASSEMBLE THE FLATBREAD!

Once the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F, and lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Using only half of the dough per sheet pan, place the dough onto the pan and use a rolling pin to roll it out into an oblong or rectangular shape.

Top both of the flatbreads with half of the basil pesto. Spread it out leaving about a half inch around the perimeter. Next, top each flatbread with sliced tomatoes. Tuck in the bocconcini balls and sprinkle over the ground black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh parmesan.

PINE NUTS

I use pine nuts often in my recipes, so I will buy a large bag at Costco. The bag costs about $40, but it will last a long time. Pay attention to the expiry date before you purchase and buy one that expires in a year or two from now.

Once you open the package of pine nuts, avoid placing your hand in the bag. Carefully pour out the amount you need. To keep the pine nuts fresh and from spoiling, the less contamination the better! Seal the bag and keep the bag in your fridge. It will last for months! If you want to use a substitute, I would recommend slivered almonds, chopped hazelnuts, or even macadamia. The taste might be slightly different, but you want to mimic the texture of the pine nuts.

ARE YOU A LOVER OF EVERYTHING PESTO?

Lord Byron’s Kitchen has a few pesto recipes that you should take a look at if you love pesto as much as we do.  In addition to the classics – Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and Roasted Red Pepper Pesto – I’ve also got some new and interesting pesto options.  I’d like to say that this one or that one is my favourite, but I can’t pick and choose.  I love them all!