This easy puff pastry pizza recipe is SO good and best of all: SO easy! There's no need to order pizza on a Friday night when you can make your own at home!
Featuring crispy layers of pastry, shredded mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings. What's not to love?
Every Friday night in our house is pizza night, and since there are no local places that deliver, we typically make homemade pizza. Yummy, right?
Well, while homemade pizza sounds fun (and definitely can be if you have the time), it's also laborious. Planning ahead, making the pizza dough, ensuring you have all the ingredients on hand, and finally cleaning up the big mess of flour can take quite a bit of time.
This puff pastry pizza has to be one of the easiest ways to make pizza! All you have to do is unfold a frozen puff pastry sheet (thawed, of course), blind bake, then top and bake again. It's all over and done within 20-25 minutes, and everyone loves the crispy results!
I mean, who doesn't love the buttery flakiness of a croissant - combined with all the savory deliciousness of pizza!?
Why You'll Love It:
- Easy. The hardest part of homemade pizza night is the dough. Using a frozen puff pastry sheet fixes that!
- Flaky texture. Picture this: buttery, crisp layers of pastry goodness topped with sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings.
- Quick. There's no need to prepare and roll out traditional pizza dough, so this recipe is ready in just a fraction of the time.
You Will Need:
- Puff pastry: You'll need a single frozen puff pastry sheet, which is about 10 x 10" once unfolded. Be sure to allow it to thaw before baking. You can put it in the fridge in the morning, and it should be thawed by evening. It will thaw fairly quickly at room temperature too, about 30-60 minutes.
- Pizza sauce: Use your favorite type (I like Mutti's tomato sauce with basil), or make some homemade pizza sauce in advance.
- Cheese: I recommend using mozzarella cheese that has been shredded from the block, as it tends to melt better. You could use pre-shredded mozzarella cheese (or a pizza blend) if that's what you have on hand.
- Egg: You will need 1 beaten egg for brushing on top of the pastry. I recommend using a pastry brush to get a nice, even layer.
- Toppings: Use the toppings of your choice! Pepperoni, olives, green pepper, red onion, spinach, bacon, etc.
- Check out the "flavor variations" section for tips on making different types of pizza (like Hawaiian, BBQ chicken, etc).
Topping Ideas
- Mini pepperoni
- Green bell pepper
- Black olives
- Mushrooms
- Sausage crumbles
- Artichokes
- Spinach
- Roasted red pepper
- Red onion
- Fresh basil leaves
- Pesto
- Bacon
- Pineapple
- Additional cheeses (goat cheese, parmesan cheese, etc)
How to Make Pizza with Puff Pastry
Before you get started make sure to preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC)!
- Prepare the pastry. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, then carefully unfold the thawed sheet of puff pastry. Use a sharp knife to score a ½" border around the edge.
- Egg wash. Crack an egg in a small bowl and whisk well. Brush the pastry from edge to edge with the beaten egg.
- Blind bake. Bake the pastry sheet (without sauce or toppings) for 10 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 425ºF (218ºC); it should be golden brown.
- This step prevents the sheets of puff pastry from becoming too loaded down with sauce and toppings that they become soggy and don't rise.
- Add the sauce. Remove the puff pastry from the oven. The middle may have puffed up quite a bit, but you can gently press it down (some cracking is okay). Spread the sauce in the center, avoiding the ½" margin around the edges.
- Then the cheese. Sprinkle on shredded mozzarella cheese (or the shredded cheese of your choice), again avoiding the ½" margin around the edges.
- Add the toppings. Arrange your favorite pizza toppings on top of the cheese. Pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, green pepper, crumbled bacon, spinach, artichokes, etc.
- Bake for another 10 minutes. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and a little bubbly.
- Allow the pizza to cool for 5 minutes before slicing (this prevents the cheese from sliding around).
For garnish: Add some fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, a drizzle of olive oil, or the garnish of your choice!
Storing Leftovers
Allow the pizza to cool, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer for the best results; these methods help to re-crisp the crust.
- Oven or toaster oven: Reheat at 350ºF (177ºC) until the cheese is melty and the crust is crisp.
- Air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 325ºF (163ºC) for at least 3 minutes. Add the pizza and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the pizza is hot.
Using Puff Pastry Blocks
In some areas, it can be difficult to find puff pastry sheets. If you only have access to puff pastry dough, place one block on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out using a rolling pin, until it is about 10 x 10" (25 x 25cm) and ¼" thick (6.3 mm).
Flavor Variations
Hawaiian: Top your pizza with cooked ham (or bacon), pineapple, and red onion (optional).
Canadian: Use a sweet pizza sauce (or stir in 2 teaspoons of sugar), then top with pepperoni, crumbled bacon, and mushrooms.
BBQ Chicken: Use ¼ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce in place of the pizza sauce, and use shredded cooked chicken, red onion, and cilantro for toppings.
Margherita: Swap the shredded cheese for fresh mozzarella (purchased as a ball) sliced into rounds (or use bocconcini) . Bake as directed, then top with fresh basil leaves before serving.
Garlic cheese puff pastry: Spread ¼ cup of softened garlic butter on a blind baked puff pastry sheet, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and bake.
More Puff Pastry Recipes:
- Puff pastry pizza bites - Maria's Mixing Bowl
- Mini chicken hand pies - Barley and Sage
- Tomato tartlets - The Heirloom Pantry
- Puff pastry cinnamon rolls - Tastes of Lizzy T
- Air fryer apple turnovers
More Easy Dinner Recipes
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Puff Pastry Pizza (Easy Dinner Idea!)
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed according to package directions (about 7.5oz/245g)
- 1 large egg beaten
- ¼ cup pizza sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese freshly shredded from a block is preferred
- Toppings of choice pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, green pepper, red onion, spinach etc.
- Fresh basil and red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Unfold. Place the puff pastry on the prepared pan, and carefully unfold the thawed pastry sheet.
- Score. Using a sharp knife, gently score a ½-inch border along the edges - be careful not to slice through the pastry.
- Egg wash. Beat an egg in a small bowl, and brush the surface of the puff pastry with the beaten egg using a pastry brush.
- Blind bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- The center of the puff pastry will have puffed up, use the back of a spoon or spatula to press it back down. It's okay if the pastry cracks and flakes a bit.
- Add sauce and toppings. Evenly spread pizza sauce over the pastry, leaving a margin around the edge. Sprinkle with cheese, then add the toppings of your choice.
- Final bake. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Slice and serve. Using a sharp knife, slice the puff pastry pizza into 6 pieces. Sprinkle with fresh basil and red pepper flakes (if desired). Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Pizza flavor options:
- Hawaiian: Top the pizza with pineapple chunks, cooked ham (or bacon), and red onion (optional).
- BBQ Chicken: Use BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce, and top with cooked chicken, red onion, and garnish with cilantro.
- Canadian: Use a sweet pizza sauce (or add sugar to yours), then top with bacon, pepperoni, and mushrooms.
- Garlic cheese: Use 4 tablespoons of softened garlic butter instead of pizza sauce.
- Margherita: Omit the shredded mozzarella and use bocconcini or fresh mozzarella slices instead. Top with fresh basil after it's out of the oven.
Nutrition
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