White Flatbread Pizza with Ham and Mushrooms
White Flatbread Pizza with Ham and Mushrooms, rich and tasty, can be made with any cooked flatbread, bought or homemade, thick or thin. Topped with a simple white sauce, garlicky mushrooms, ham, and cheese, these easy individual pizzas are quick to make and perfect for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
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WHAT IS FLATBREAD PIZZA?
The difference between a regular pizza and flatbread pizza is that while you add your toppings to uncooked dough for regular pizza, with the flatbread version you start with an already-cooked bread. This has the obvious advantage of being much quicker than traditional pizza which requires a yeasted dough and time for it to ferment. Flatbread pizzas also usually cook more quickly. And if you prefer a thinner base, they’ll tick that box too.
I first started making flatbread pizzas after developing my Quick No-Yeast Flatbreads. Having lots to use up, I added a few toppings to the cooked breads (initially just sliced tomatoes, cheese, plus a handful of spring onion or herbs) before popping in the oven or air fryer for around 10 minutes. Taking barely longer than cheese on toast, they’re the perfect quick hot lunch either on their own or with salad.
Since then, I’ve made flatbread pizzas with all sorts of toppings, and with bought as well as homemade flatbreads. Leftover sausages, roast veg, sauteed mushrooms and/or spinach, thinly sliced courgette, and even leftover homemade chicken kebab.
But the flatbread pizza recipe I’m sharing today is a little different, so I thought it deserved a blog post all its own. Delicious White Flatbread Pizza with Ham and Mushrooms.
WHITE FLATBREAD PIZZA WITH HAM AND MUSHROOMS
While I often include sliced tomatoes, and you can certainly add a smear of passata if you like, I’m not a fan of tomato sauce on pizza. That’s not as odd as it sounds if you know that in Italy so-called white pizza is pretty common. In some restaurants a whole section of the menu will be devoted to pizza without tomato sauce. Here in the UK, I’ve never had a problem asking a restaurant or takeaway to leave the tomato sauce off.
While you don’t have to add an alternative sauce to replace the tomato on a white pizza, I do sometimes include a little crème fraiche when I have it. But for my White Flatbread Pizza with Ham and Mushrooms I’ve gone for a white or bechamel sauce. It probably adds less than 10 minutes to the already quick process and brings another enjoyable element.
You’ll find a detailed recipe card at the end where I’ve given ingredient amounts and instructions to make a flatbread pizza to serve one. However, because it’s just as easy to make the white sauce for two, and it freezes well, I’ve doubled that. So, you can either increase the other ingredient amounts and make two pizzas or store the remaining for an even quicker white pizza another day.
INGREDIENTS
You can use almost any flatbread to make this delicious white pizza, bought or homemade, thick or thin. For the White Flatbread Pizza with Ham and Mushrooms you see in this post I used a bought thickish, Greek-style flatbread. But I’ve also successfully made it with my Quick (no-yeast) Flatbreads. My Yogurt Flatbreads would be good too. Or even a shop-bought naan.
For the white sauce you’ll need butter, plain flour, milk, salt and pepper. I like a little finely grated Parmesan in there, but you could leave out. If you haven’t made a white sauce before, just follow the instructions in the recipe card. Expect it to be pretty thick as it needs to be spreadable. Too thin and it will run off when the pizza’s bubbling hot.
The rest of the ingredients are olive oil plus a little more butter, cooked ham, grated cheese (e.g. mature Cheddar, gruyere, or mozzarella for milder taste), sliced mushrooms, chopped garlic, and dried oregano. I also like a few chilli or red pepper flakes and serve the flatbread with fresh basil leaves scattered over.
HOW TO MAKE WHITE FLATBREAD PIZZA WITH HAM AND MUSHROOMS
Because the flatbread pizza doesn’t take long to put together, start by preheating your oven to the temperature shown in the recipe card. Put in a baking tray, or pizza pan if you have one, to heat up as well. This will give the underside of your flatbread an immediate heat boost. Alternatively, if your air fryer is big enough, you can bake it in there.
Next, quickly sauté sliced mushrooms in a little butter and olive oil, seasoning with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. The mushrooms only need to be just cooked; add the chopped garlic after the first 2 – 3 minutes. While that’s happening, brush all around the outside edge of your flatbread with olive oil. This will give it a tasty crunch once baked.
Tip: so you can slide the pizza onto the hot baking tray, I recommend you place the flatbread on a small board before adding the toppings.
Spread half the white sauce over your flatbread, leaving the oiled edge bare. Now lay the cooked mushrooms over the sauce, including any cooking juices from the pan. Follow with the ham, then the grated cheese.
If you like, sprinkle some black pepper and/or chilli flakes over the cheese.
When you’re ready to cook, pick up the board and let the pizza slide off straight onto the hot baking tray. Depending on how thick your flatbread is, and how crispy and melting you like it, this white flatbread pizza should take 8 – 12 minutes to bake. If you’re using an air fryer then it may take a few minutes less.
To serve, I transfer to a plate, cut the pizza into four, and sprinkle over fresh basil leaves.
Now, doesn’t that look like a proper pizza?
WHITE FLATBREAD PIZZA: TASTY & FAST
I’m sure there’s some purists out there who’ll say that flatbread pizzas aren’t really pizzas at all. But I don’t mind.
When you want something hot, tasty, and fast, I think a ready cooked flatbread topped with a few tasty goodies makes an excellent substitute.
And if you have a little more time to make a quick white sauce and sauté a few garlicky mushrooms, you’ve the potential for something so good but still dead easy.
If you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please so leave a comment and rating.
White Flatbread Pizza with Ham and Mushrooms
Made with any cooked flatbread, bought or homemade, this easy individual pizza is topped with a simple white sauce, garlicky mushrooms, ham, and cheese.
The recipe makes enough white sauce for 2 small pizzas, but the remaining half will keep for 2 days in the fridge or can be frozen. Alternatively, double the rest of the ingredients and make 2 pizzas.
It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 flatbread (see Recipe Notes)
- olive oil
- 30 g ham (roughly chopped or torn)
- 40 g grated cheese (e.g. Cheddar, gruyere, Mozzarella)
- chilli/red pepper flakes (optional)
- A few basil leaves, torn if large (optional)
For the white sauce
- 20 g butter
- 20 g plain flour
- 120 ml milk
- 10 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)
- salt and black pepper
For the mushrooms
- 10 g butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 50 g mushrooms, sliced medium (weight after preparation)
- 1 large pinch dried oregano
- salt and black pepper
- 1 large clove garlic (finely chopped)
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 220°C /200° Fan /Gas 7 /425° F with a shelf positioned above the middle and a baking tray/pizza pan on it.
Tip: can also be cooked in an air fryer if large enough.
-
Make the white sauce
Put the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
When the butter's melted, take off the heat and whisk in the flour until combined with no lumps. Put back on the heat and keep briskly whisking. Cook for 2 minutes then take off the heat again.
Gradually add the milk, whisking all the time, to create a smooth sauce. Put back on the heat and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, whisking, until thick and with no raw flour taste. Note: don't worry that it's too thick: this white sauce is meant to be spreadable.
Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan if using and season with a little salt and pepper.
Set aside.
-
Cook the mushrooms
Put the 10 g of butter plus 1 tsp of olive oil in a small frying pan and heat to medium.
Put in the sliced mushrooms and season with the oregano plus a little salt and black pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms are just cooked, adding the chopped garlic after 2 - 3 minutes.
Take off the heat and set aside.
-
Put the flatbread on a board (this will make it easier to transfer to the preheated tray) and brush a little olive oil all around the outside edge.
Spread one half of the white sauce over the flatbread, leaving the oiled edge bare.
Tip: the remaining sauce can be stored in the fridge for 2 days or frozen.
Lay the cooked mushrooms over the sauce, including any cooking juices from the pan.
Lay the pieces of ham over the mushrooms.
Scatter the cheese over the mushrooms, grind over some black pepper plus the optional chilli/red pepper flakes if using.
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Take the preheated baking tray/pizza pan out of the oven, slide the flatbread off its board and onto it.
Bake for 8 - 12 minutes or until the flatbread is crispy and the cheese melted.
Tip: it's likely to take a few minutes less in an air fryer.
Cut into quarters and serve straight away with basil leaves sprinkled over.
Recipe Notes
Flatbreads. Almost any cooked flatbread can be used in this recipe, either bought or homemade. The thinner the flatbread, the crispier the pizza will be and the quicker it's likely to be ready to eat.
Both the yeast-free homemade flatbreads below are ideal: make and cook as per the recipes before adding the flatbread pizza topping.
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