Flatbread Breakfast Pizza with Italian Sausage

This Flatbread Breakfast Pizza is made with sun-dried tomato pesto, Italian sausage, mozzarella, Parmesan, and eggs on a crisp flatbread base. Use homemade flatbread, naan, or store-bought flatbread for an easy breakfast, brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner in about 30 minutes.

Remember those days when you would wake up and eat cold pizza, straight from the fridge - while standing up? And you kinda liked it, but you also kinda felt bad about it? My Flatbread Breakfast Pizza is a quick and delicious breakfast that will cure you of the shame of the cold pizza blues.

Full disclosure: when I met The Boy (my husband) all he had in his fridge was beer, a pot of beans with a spoon still in it, and pizza. A couple of pizzas. He would wake up, crack open a beer (if it was after 12 - he wasn't an animal), and eat a cold slice of pizza while standing at the kitchen sink (so he didn't need a plate). I swear, I saved that man from himself.

This flatbread breakfast pizza is quick, flexible, and easier than making pizza dough from scratch. The pesto acts as the sauce, the sausage makes it filling, and the egg turns it into breakfast. I used to make this with homemade naan, but my two ingredient flatbread makes things easier, and store-bought is another great choice. Both are simple, sturdy, and perfect for a fast breakfast pizza.

❤️ What you'll love about this recipe

• Quick - This flatbread breakfast pizza is ready in about 30 minutes, including the time it takes to cook the sausage.
• Flexible - Use homemade flatbread, naan, pita, or store-bought flatbread depending on what kind of morning you are having.
• Flavorful - Sun-dried tomato pesto, Italian sausage, Parmesan, mozzarella, basil, and parsley give it big Italian breakfast pizza energy.
• Brunch friendly - Everyone gets their own flatbread, which makes this perfect for a lazy brunch or a build-your-own breakfast pizza situation for the whole family.
• Simple - No pizza dough, no rising time, no complicated sauce. Use your favorite toppings.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The photo below shows what you need to make this flatbread breakfast pizza. I am going to go over the major ingredients and the easiest ways to swap them if needed.

• Flatbread - I love this recipe with my two ingredient flatbread, but you can also use homemade naan, store-bought naan, pita, or any sturdy flatbread. If your flatbread is very thin, watch it closely so the edges do not over-brown before the egg is cooked.
• Sun-dried tomato pesto - A small jar of sun-dried tomato pesto gives you instant sauce with a lot of flavor. Basil pesto, marinara, pizza sauce, or even a thin layer of ricotta or mascarpone can also work, but sun-dried tomato pesto gives this pizza its Italian flavor.
• Italian sausage - Use mild or hot Italian sausage, removed from the casings, cooked, and crumbled. If you only have regular breakfast sausage, crush a small amount of fennel seeds and stir them in with a little Italian seasoning to push it in a more Italian direction.
• Cheeses - In honor of the boy being Italian-American, these breakfast pizzas have an Italian vibe, I'm using mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, or any cheese you prefer will work. I like to grate my cheese in a food chopper or food processor because it gives it a more crumbly texture that I prefer for topping pizzas.
• Eggs - One egg per flatbread is all you need. Make a little well in the cheese so the egg has somewhere to sit and does not immediately go on a side quest across the pan. If you prefer, you can scramble eggs and add them on top after the cheese has melted.
• Fresh herbs - Fresh parsley and torn basil finish the pizzas with color and freshness. Dried Italian seasoning works too, especially if your herb drawer has seen better days.

Variations

Once you have the flatbread, pesto, cheese, and egg situation handled, you can take this breakfast pizza in a few different directions.

• Prosciutto breakfast pizza - Skip the sausage and add torn prosciutto after baking so it stays delicate and salty instead of drying out in the oven.
• Vegetarian breakfast pizza - Leave off the sausage and add roasted red peppers, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, or caramelized onions.
• Southern breakfast pizza - For a country breakfast version, spread a thin layer of country gravy on the flatbread, then top with cooked breakfast sausage, cheddar jack cheese, and an egg.

Short Recipe Video

Step-by-Step Instructions

This is a very simple recipe, and the process photos will walk you through the whole thing. You are basically spreading, sprinkling, egging, and baking. Nobody needs to overthink pizza.

Start by preheating your oven to 425°F and lining a couple of large sheet pans with parchment paper or aluminum foil that has been spritzed lightly with nonstick spray.

Step 1: Lay two flatbreads on a prepared pan and spread the surface of each with sun-dried tomato pesto.

Step 2: Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan over the surface of each flatbread, making a small indentation, or well, in the center. Crack one egg into each indentation.

Step 3: Top each pizza with cooked Italian sausage. 

Step 4: Bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, the edges are crisp, and the egg is cooked to your liking.

Step 4: Grate more Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and torn basil, or finish with a little dried Italian seasoning.

Finish: Let the pizzas cool for a minute or two so the cheese settles, then slice and serve. Add more Parmesan, crushed red pepper, hot honey, or a handful of arugula if you are feeling fancy but still want breakfast pizza.

Cynthia's Hot Tips

• Make a well - Make a real indentation in the cheese before adding the egg so it stays in place while the pizza bakes.
• Sausage - Cook and crumble the Italian sausage before it goes on the pizza so it is browned, flavorful, and fully cooked.
• Cheese - Pulse the mozzarella and Parmesan in a food chopper or food processor for a crumbly texture that spreads evenly over the flatbread.
• Multiple trays - If you are baking more than one sheet pan at a time, rotate the pans and swap racks halfway through baking so the flatbread pizzas cook evenly.

FAQ's