Dinner

Mini Pizza Recipe

Mini pizza is a Turkish-style homemade flatbread topped with tomato sauce, melted cheese, peppers and mushrooms. Soft, pillowy dough with a crisp bottom, ready in under 2 hours.

The dough for these is softer and richer than Italian pizza dough because of the milk and oil. That’s what gives you a bread-like base that stays soft even after it cools, rather than going hard and chewy. I knead it until it’s smooth but still slightly tacky. If you add too much flour trying to get a firm ball, the base comes out dense and dry.

I press the dough out with oiled hands instead of a rolling pin. A rolling pin flattens all the air out and you lose the puffiness. Oiled fingers let you stretch and press the dough into shape while keeping the bubbles inside. The edges puff up in the oven and you get that soft, pillowy rim around a thin, sauced centre. Don’t go too thin in the middle or the toppings make it soggy.

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Mini Pizza Ingredients

For the Dough

500ml (18fl oz) lukewarm milk
250ml (9fl oz) lukewarm water
250ml (9fl oz) vegetable oil
2 heaped tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
21g (3/4oz) fresh yeast (or 1 sachet/7g dried yeast)
1kg (2lb 3oz) plain flour, approximately

For the Topping

4-5 tbsp tomato passata or pizza sauce
1 tsp dried oregano (optional, for the sauce)
200g (7oz) cheddar or mozzarella cheese, grated
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
100g (4oz) mushrooms, sliced
Any other toppings you like

How To Make Mini Pizza

Make the dough: Put the lukewarm milk, water, oil, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Stir until the yeast dissolves. Add the flour gradually, mixing as you go, until a soft dough forms that pulls away from the sides but still feels slightly tacky. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Let the dough rise: Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour until the dough doubles in size.
Shape the pizzas: Divide the dough into 15-17 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Place them on lined baking trays with space between each. Dip your hands in oil and press each ball flat, stretching it into a round disc about 12-15cm (5-6in) across. Leave the edges slightly thicker than the centre.
Add the toppings: Spread a spoonful of tomato sauce over each base, leaving a small border around the edge. Sprinkle with oregano if using. Cover generously with grated cheese, then scatter the diced peppers, sliced mushrooms and any other toppings you like.
Bake: Place in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6) on fan setting. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the bases are golden underneath, the edges are puffed and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve warm.

Recipe Tips

Use oiled hands to shape, not a rolling pin. A rolling pin pushes all the air out of the dough and you end up with a flat, dense base. Oiled fingers let you press and stretch while keeping the bubbles that make the edges soft and puffy.

Don’t overload the toppings. Too much sauce or too many vegetables release moisture and make the centre soggy before the base has time to crisp. A thin layer of sauce and a moderate scatter of toppings is the right balance.

Check the base, not just the top. Lift the edge of one pizza with a spatula after 12 minutes. If the underside is still pale, give it a few more minutes. Golden underneath means a crisp base that holds the toppings without going floppy.

Add the flour carefully. The exact amount depends on your flour and how you measure. Stop adding when the dough is soft and slightly tacky. If it feels dry or stiff, you’ve gone too far.

Make a double batch and freeze. These freeze well and reheat quickly, so it’s worth the effort to make the full recipe even if you only need a few for tonight.

What To Serve With Mini Pizza

A simple green salad with lemon dressing keeps the plate from feeling heavy. These are filling enough to serve as a main alongside a bowl of soup.

For a kids’ party or casual gathering, set out the toppings and let everyone build their own before baking. They work well as finger food cut into halves.

How To Store Mini Pizza

Fridge

Stack cooled pizzas with greaseproof paper between each layer in a sealed container. They keep for up to 3 days. The base softens but the flavour holds.

Reheat

Place on a baking tray and warm in the oven at 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) for 5-7 minutes until the cheese re-melts and the base crisps back up. Microwaving makes the dough chewy and the base goes soft.

Freeze

Freeze baked and cooled pizzas individually wrapped in clingfilm for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen in the oven at 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) for 10-12 minutes. No need to thaw first.

Mini Pizza Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 pizza): Calories: 380kcal, Protein: 10g, Fat: 18g, Carbohydrates: 45g, Sugar: 4g, Sodium: 520mg. Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

FAQs

Can I use strong bread flour instead of plain for this mini pizza dough?

Yes, bread flour gives a chewier texture with more stretch. Plain flour makes a softer, more bread-like base which is what this recipe is going for. Either works.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Yes, after kneading, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cold dough is easier to handle and develops more flavour. Take it out 30 minutes before shaping so it comes back to room temperature.

Why did my mini pizza bases come out hard?

Too much flour in the dough. The dough should feel soft and slightly sticky, not firm. Add flour gradually and stop as soon as it pulls away from the bowl.