Making flatbread on the grill is more art than science. When you get the char just right, nothing beats the crunchy, chewy texture of grilled flatbread.
If you don’t have a pizza oven, grilling is the best way to create restaurant quality flatbread. If you are looking for a way to enjoy fresh seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, corn, zucchini) then this pizza has your name on it.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Simple ingredients like goat cheese (tangy – adds fat), pesto (tangy – adds acidity), corn (adds sweetness), tomato (juicy and umami), and arugula (fresh and peppery) are flavor affinities.
- Grilling gives this flatbread a satisfying crunchy texture and a slight char on the bottom.
- A pumpkin seed pesto adds moisture and has a bright tangy flavor that works perfectly with summer vegetables.
- A master flatbread dough is a versatile base for sauces, cheese, chili oil, or seasonal produce.
- Make the dough ahead for spontaneous and fun weeknight dinners.
- Sour cream gives the dough a sourdough quality but without hours of proofing – I’m not exaggerating when I tell you this is the most flavorful yeast-based dough I’ve ever worked with.
FAQ
My crust is burned on the bottom Take heart and try again. Lower the heat on your grill and remove it as soon as it’s done.
My crust isn’t cooked on top Make the flatbread even thinner and keep the lid closed so the heat can travel to the top of the pizza.
How long will flatbread keep? Refrigerated flatbread must be used in less than 24 hours, but you can freeze it for months. Then defrost as you need it.
How do you make flatbread pizza crispy? High heat is the best way to get a crispy flatbread, which is why this flatbread is grilled, resulting in an incredibly crunchy crust.
Why is my flatbread tough? If you leave the flatbread dough in the fridge too long, the yeast will continue to feed on the starches. Past a certain point, it will over-proof. This is when the dough doesn’t rise as nicely during cooking, resulting in a tough, unpleasant texture. You can almost always tell when this happens because the dough will have a slightly alcoholic aroma.
What does flatbread taste like? It’s very similar to pizza and has a nutty, yeasty, tangy flavor that tastes especially magical with a slight char.
How to Make Homemade Flatbread
This is my master flatbread recipe for tender, chewy flatbreads – you can slather them with pumpkin seed pesto or just a drizzle of olive oil.
Mix the flours, salt, yeast, and warm water to form a shaggy dough.
Add sour cream.
Knead for 5 minutes on medium speed.
Cover the smooth dough and refrigerate for 45 minutes or portion and freeze.
Dust a pizza peel with rice flour or all-purpose flour and press into a small thin pizza.
Slather with pumpkin seed pesto sauce.
Add fresh summer vegetables like corn, tomato, or zucchini. Crumble plain goat cheese on top.
Pro Grilling Tips for Perfect Flatbread
Preheat the grill and clean the grates. You want a hot grill but the bottom of the flatbread will burn quickly if it’s too hot. Make the crust as thin as possible to ensure an even cook. Close the lid and check it every 2 minutes. Don’t feel too discouraged if you burn your first one.
Top the flatbread with fresh greens like arugula, red pepper flakes, and salt. Slice and enjoy that first satisfying crunch and the best tasting flatbread of your life.
More Summer Vegetable Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and rating!
Grilled Summer Flatbread
Ingredients
Flatbread
- 3 cups warm filtered water 105° – 110°F
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting (or rice flour)
- 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp kosher salt or 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream full fat
Summer Pizza Ingredients
- 1 recipe pumpkin seed pesto
- 2 tomatoes sliced
- 2 cobs corn kernels only
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 1 handful arugula
- red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
Make the Flatbread Dough
- Add warm water and yeast to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. You could do this by hand in a large bowl too. Add the flours and salt and mix to form a shaggy dough. Let sit for 20 minutes. Mix in the sour cream and knead on medium-high speed for 5 minutes to form a stretchy dough.
- Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes. Flatbread dough is easier to handle when cold.
Grill the Flatbread Pizzas
- Preheat the grill. You will need a very hot grill with clean grates.
- Lightly flour a pizza peel and pinch off a small piece of dough. Flatten (thinner is better) with the palm of your hand. Smear with pesto sauce and add corn, tomato, and goat cheese.
- Carefully and slowly slide the flatbread onto the grill and immediately lower the heat to medium. Close the lid and check on the crust every 2 minutes. You want a slight char on the bottom. The crust should have a hard feel when tapped and hollow sound.
- Slide a spatula under the crust and remove from the grill. Top with arugula, salt and red pepper flakes if you wish. Slice and serve hot.
Notes
Pro Flatbread Grilling Tips:
You need to strike a balance between a thin crust and a moderate heat so that the bottom doesn’t burn before the top portion can cook. Aim for small flatbreads with fewer toppings until you get the hang of it. I like to generously dust a pizza peel or large grilling spatula to easily spread the pizza onto the grill.Summer Vegetable Variations:
Try any summer vegetable on this flatbread. Zucchini, Mexican squash, zucchini blossoms, bell peppersAncho Chile Oil Flatbread:
To simplify things, you could just brush the flatbread with an infused chili oil.Do Ahead:
Make the dough, cover and chill for up to 24 hours.Freeze:
Store left-over dough in a sealed bag in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Defrost and use as soon as thawed.Nutrition
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you!
