Make these Mediterranean-style Pizza Toasts when you want crispy bread, melty mozzarella, mildly spicy tomato sauce, and fresh vegetables in a quick 20-minute dinner.
Homemade Pizza Toasts skip the pizza dough and start with slices of sourdough topped with arrabbiata sauce, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, and basil. The toast stays crisp under the melted cheese and fresh toppings. If you prefer making pizza with a homemade crust, make my Homemade Margherita Pizza.
Quick Look: Pizza Toasts
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍕 Servings: 4 pizza toasts
- 🍞 Base: Sourdough or another hard-crusted bread
- 🍅 Sauce: Arrabbiata, marinara, or Pomodoro sauce
- 🧀 Cheese: Fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella
- 🫒 Toppings: Cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, basil, with optional red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and Parmesan
- 🥖 Texture: Crisp, golden toast with melted cheese and fresh vegetables
- 🍳 Cooking Method: Griddle-toasted, then baked
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- Why This Recipe Works: Toasting the bread on both sides before adding the sauce and toppings helps keep the base crisp. The final 5-minute bake melts the mozzarella without a long oven time. For another sourdough-based meal with tomatoes and fresh cheese, see my Burrata Toast.
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Ingredients
Sourdough bread – 4 slices. Choose thick slices with a firm crust that can hold the sauce, mozzarella, and vegetables. Sourdough crisps well on the griddle and doesn’t soften as quickly once topped.
Arrabbiata sauce – ⅔ cup. Use a thick arrabbiata sauce for mild heat without adding too much moisture to the toast. For less heat, use marinara or Pomodoro Sauce.
Fresh mozzarella – 4 slices, quartered. Fresh mozzarella gives you soft, creamy melted cheese rather than a heavier layer of shredded cheese. Pat it dry first if it’s packed in liquid, since wet mozzarella can make the bread soggy.
Cherry or grape tomatoes – 1 cup, halved. Look for ripe, firm tomatoes rather than very soft ones. They’ll still be juicy after baking but are less likely to leave a lot of liquid on the toast.
Kalamata olives – ¼ cup, optional. Kalamata olives bring a salty, briny bite to the tomato topping. Cutting them in half makes it easier to get a little olive across each toast instead of having several pieces in one spot.
Fresh basil. Crush a few leaves with the garlic for the sauce, then slice extra basil for the tomato topping. Crushing the basil brings more of its aroma into the sauce, and the sliced leaves are better for scattering over the tomatoes.
Lemon zest – zest of 1 lemon, optional. Lemon zest adds a fresh citrus flavor that works well with the tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella. Use only the yellow part of the peel since the white pith can taste bitter.
How to Make Pizza Toasts
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Prepare the pizza sauce: Crush the garlic and a pinch of salt with a mortar and pestle until you have a paste. Add the basil leaves and crush again. Add the arrabbiata sauce and black pepper, then mix well. Set aside. PIC. 1
- Prepare the tomato topping: Combine the tomatoes, olives, sliced basil, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. PIC. 2
- Toast the bread: Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until very hot. Drizzle both sides of the bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Toast for 2–3 minutes per side, or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer the toasted bread to a large baking sheet. PIC. 3
- Assemble the pizza toasts: Spread 2–3 tablespoons of sauce over each toast, depending on the size of the bread. Top each with 4 pieces of fresh mozzarella, followed by the tomato topping.
- Bake and serve: Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella melts. Remove from the oven. Finish with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. Serve right away. PIC. 4
FAQ About Pizza Toasts
Yes. Assemble the pizza toasts as directed, then cook them in the air fryer until the mozzarella melts. Check them early since cooking time can vary by air fryer model.
Reheat them in the oven or air fryer until the cheese is warm and the bread is crisp again. The microwave will warm them too, but the bread may turn soft.
A green salad, soup, or roasted vegetables makes an easy side. You can also serve the pizza toasts on their own for a light lunch or snack.
Use a thick sauce and avoid adding extra liquid from the tomato topping. Pat fresh mozzarella dry before adding it, too. Too much moisture can make the pizza toasts soggy.
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Pizza Toasts
Equipment
- 1 griddle
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 mortar and pestle
- 1 large baking sheet
- 1 spoon
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread or any other hard-crusted bread of your choice. For low-carb pizza toasts, use low-carb bread. For a gluten-free pizza toast, use gluten-free bread.
Pizza Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 large fresh basil leaves, plus extra for the topping and garnish
- ⅔ cup arrabbiata sauce, marinara sauce, or Pomodoro sauce
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella – quartered (or about 1 cup shredded mozzarella, if preferred)
Topping
- 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes – red or different colors
- ¼ cup halved Kalamata olives – optional, or other olives of your choice
- a pinch of red pepper flakes – optional; skip if you don't enjoy spicy foods
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for toasting the bread
- zest of 1 lemon – optional
- grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top – optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Prepare the pizza sauce: Crush the garlic and a pinch of salt with a mortar and pestle until you have a paste. Add the basil leaves and crush again. Add the arrabbiata sauce and black pepper, then mix well. Set aside.
- Prepare the tomato topping: Combine the tomatoes, olives, sliced basil, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon zest in a medium bowl.
- Toast the bread: Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until very hot. Drizzle both sides of the bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Toast for 2–3 minutes per side, or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer the toasted bread to a large baking sheet.
- Assemble the pizza toasts: Spread 2–3 tablespoons of sauce over each toast, depending on the size of the bread. Top each with 4 pieces of fresh mozzarella, followed by the tomato topping.
- Bake and serve: Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella melts. Remove from the oven. Finish with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. Serve right away.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Storage and Make-Ahead
Make ahead: Prepare the sauce and toppings up to 2 days ahead and store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Toast the bread and assemble the pizza toasts right before baking to keep the bread crisp. Refrigerator: Pizza toasts are best eaten right away. Refrigerating assembled pizza toasts can make the bread soggy, even with a thin layer of sauce.Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
I loved the crispy bread with the warm sauce, melted cheese, and tomatoes on top.
So tasty, budget friendly and healthy quick week dinner indeed!