Make Easier And Cheaper Pizzas At Home With This Simple Swap

Craving a homemade pizza but haven't got the time or energy to make the dough from scratch? Simply sub it for inexpensive, store-bought pita bread! It's the perfect shape, features almost all of the same ingredients, and eliminates the messy work of making and rolling out your own bases. The best thing about a New York-style pie is the incredible combination of the crispy crust and gooey cheese; it's this textural contrast that lends a quality pizza such a filling mouthfeel and satisfying character. 

To recreate this at home, simply bake your un-topped pita in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes so it can get a head start and begin to crisp up as detailed in this recipe for chicken marinara pita pizzas. If you place your sauce and cheese directly over a cold pita bread and bake it all in one session, the base will become soggy as it soaks up the marinara sauce. While crisping up your pita does add another step to the process, you can get on with shredding your cheese or prepping your pepperoni in the meantime. 

To make a super-crispy crust, brush an egg white wash on both sides of your pita before baking it. This will help the bread develop some crunch and create a protective sheen on the surface, preventing it from soaking up the sauce too readily. For some extra flavor, sprinkle some garlic powder, paprika, or chili flakes over the egg-washed crust before baking.

The awesome thing about using pita bread to make quick pizzas at home is that it gives each member of the family the opportunity to assemble their own personal pie without making a floury mess on the counter, or wasting ingredients unnecessarily. Simply grab whatever needs using up from the fridge, lay it all out on the worktop, and everybody can get to work whipping up a truly customized pizza, preventing any squabbles over who gets to select the toppings. The children can stick to sauce and mozzarella while the adults can drizzle some garlic infused olive oil on top, add briny toppings like capers and olives, or try some innovative pairings — grape and ricotta pita pizza anyone?

There are several other breads that can double as a pizza base when you're in a pinch. For instance, lavash bread is the secret to an easy homemade pizza because it's even thinner than pita; you can get away with topping it and putting the whole lot under the broiler for a few minutes instead of pre-baking it first, which will save you even more time. Tortillas can also work at a push but be mindful that they tend to burn quickly in the oven and become overly crisp. If you adore a deep dish or Sicilian style pizza, use a store-bought focaccia that has a thicker base and plenty of flavorful olive oil running through it.