Zucchini, Mushroom & Tomato Herbed Ricotta Flatbread
This zucchini, mushroom & tomato herbed ricotta flatbread pizza uses my favorite flatbread dough recipe. It's topped with herbed garlic ricotta cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, and a little fresh basil to finish it off. It's a dinner recipe that the entire family loves!
Ingredients
Flatbread Dough
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water, between 100-110°F
- 2 cups bread flour, plus more for hands and surface
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 1 and ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 and ½ cups full-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoons salt, divided in half
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 and ½ cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 1 medium)
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- optional: crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil to top
- ½ cup marinara sauce
Instructions
- Make the Crust: Place the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Or, if you don't own a stand mixer, place in a large mixing bowl. Pour the warm water on top, whisk together gently, then cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be frothy after 5 minutes. If not, start over with new yeast— it can meat that the yeast is no longer active.
- If you don't own a mixer, you can do this step by hand. With the stand mixer on low speed, add the flour, olive oil, and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute as the mixture combines. The dough should be thick. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead it with your hands for about 2 minutes. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-2 Tablespoons more of flour. Place the dough in a greased bowl using 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and cover loosely. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Prepare the Toppings: Toss the cherry tomatoes with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Whisk the ricotta, dried basil, dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Set aside the sliced zucchini and mushrooms.
- Shape the Dough: Preheat the oven to 475°F. Punch down the dough to release the air. Divide the dough into two. On a lightly floured surface, beging shaping and stretching the dough until it is ¼ inch thick. You can use a rolling pin for this too, if you prefer. Don't worry too much about the shape of the dough. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
- Transfer the dough to a baking sheet or pizza stone. Prick a few holes into the dough with a fork. Brush each with the olive oil. Spread half of the marinara sauce and add half the ricotta cheese onto each, half the mozzarella cheese, then top with tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms.
- Bake the Flatbread: Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust and the toppings are browned to your liking— depending on your oven, you may need to rotate the pans half way through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with crushed red pepper, fresh basil, if desired. Slice and serve.
- Leftovers stay fresh for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The ricotta mixture can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator. The dough can be prepared through step 2, then after it has risen, cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To freeze, divide the dough in half, then wrap it in plastic wrap and store in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to using.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!