Lemon Parmesan Spring Flatbread with Ricotta and Peas

This versatile spring flatbread features lots of delightful seasonal favorites, a lemon parmesan crust, and eggs on top.

I think I'm still in denial that it's springtime. I'm still waiting to wake up and see that which should not be mentioned falling from the sky. And the weatherman laughing at me as I get my winter boots back out of the closet. SOB. It's actually been feeling more like summer here in Boston, which has me happier than you can even imagine. 80 degrees!! My heaven. While we were in the depths of our horrendous winter, I promised myself and everyone around me that I wouldn't complain about the heat AT ALL this summer. And I won't. Now I'm promising you, too. I've actually been on three different trips in as many weeks and am craving some home time where I can just sit on my deck and warm myself with the sun. My deck that isn't currently covered in anything white (just a little yellow... pollen) and that is about to have a whole new set of furniture delivered to it. Spring... Summer... omg. Happiness!

This recipe was a failure waiting to happen. I wanted to make a springlike flatbread and wrote up a whole grand recipe filled with asparagus, goat cheese, and prosciutto. When I went to make the flatbread, I realized I was going to have a few roadblocks… I ate all my asparagus and goat cheese the Saturday night before (oops?) and my prosciutto was covered with a not-so-appetizing layer of mold (that’s what I get for buying an 18-pound package of it at Wegman’s). OK, so all I was really working with was some flatbread dough and eggs at this point. But it turns out that’s all I really needed! I subbed the asparagus for peas, the goat cheese for ricotta, and the prosciutto for spicy capicola.

I almost always have at least 14 lemons in my fridge at all times and would probably break into a cold sweat if I ever ran out of parmesan cheese. So, my original idea for the flatbread's dough was saved. Making fun flatbread doughs is one of my favorite hobbies; it can transform a pizza so much. And once you have the basic recipe down, you can really do anything with it. This one is a Lemon Parmesan Dough.

LEMON PARMESAN SPRING FLATBREAD WITH RICOTTA AND PEAS RECIPE

To whip up the lemon parmesan flatbread dough, gently stir together ¾ Tbsp yeast and 1 ½ cup water in a large bowl and let rest for 2 minutes. Stir in ¾ Tbsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp honey, ⅛ cup extra-virgin olive oil, and 1 tsp lemon zest into the mixture. With a wooden spoon, mix 3 cups flour into the mixture. If dough is dry, add more water, 1 Tbsp at a time. Then, gently knead ¼ cup parmesan cheese into the dough. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm spot for about 2 hours. Dough should rise during this time. You can either use it right away or wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

When you're ready to whip your spring flatbread up, pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a pizza stone or foil-covered pan in oven while it's heating.

While oven is heating, roll dough into a large thin round on a floured surface. This dough recipe makes enough for 2 large rounds. If you want to use both, make sure you double the toppings in the recipe.

Once hot, remove the pizza stone or foil-covered pan from oven, sprinkle flour over it, and place the dough round on top.

In a small bowl, whisk together minced garlic clove and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Brush over dough's surface.

Sprinkle ¾ cup peas, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 3 slices chopped capicola (you can also use prosciutto or salami), and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese on top of dough.

Bake flatbread for 9-12 minutes at 450 degrees, until edges of dough are nice and crispy.

Because everyone knows that flatbread is always better when topped with eggs, I couldn't resist. Sometimes I crack my eggs right on the pizza and let it bake, but I really wanted these eggs to be cooked perfectly, so I fried them up separately while the flatbread was cooking.

Heat a frying pan lightly coated in oil over medium-low heat and fry 3 eggs. Remove flatbread from oven.

Top flatbread with fried eggs, slice, and serve.

I'm actually pretty thrilled that I messed up so royally on the ingredients because I'm not sure this could have turned out any better. I used to despise ricotta cheese, but I'm really not sure what was wrong with me.

Now, I want ricotta on every single pizza I eat. Honestly, ricotta wins over goat cheese on this one. The ricotta paired with the lemony flatbread crust? This is my new favorite thing ever.

I suppose we could argue about the asparagus versus peas here. And while I do agree that asparagus would have brought this flatbread to a totally different level, I also just loved that I put peas on pizza. Say what you will about peas, I think they're so springy and awesome. Even when they come right out of your freezer.

I love prosciutto more than most things in life, but spicy capicola? Let's just say I wouldn't want to see those two in a boxing ring. Things would get scary. And I think spicy capicola may just have a that little extra pep needed to win the fight.

Eggs weren't in my original spring flatbread plan either, but were a fabulous last-minute addition. Eggs should be in every plan.

And this spring flatbread should be on every menu. You could even get away with serving it for brunch. And when I say "get away with," I mean, make your friends very happy brunch guests.

I hope you had time to get out and enjoy the weather this weekend! I hope this is a sign of a very long and joyous spring and summer!

What's your favorite springy ingredient?

If you love this spring flatbread, be sure to check out my Fig, Prosciutto, and Ricotta Flatbread or my Sausage, Grape, and Gorgonzola Flatbread. I also really want to try this Green Vegetable Pesto Garden Party Pizza from Modern Crumb.

📖 Recipe

Lemon Parmesan Spring Flatbread with Ricotta and Peas

This versatile spring flatbread features lots of delightful seasonal favorites, a lemon parmesan crust, and eggs on top.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon Dough, Spring Flatbread, Spring Pizza

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Dough Rise Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 32 minutes

Makes: 1 large flatbread

Author: Sues

Ingredients

• ½ batch Lemon Parmesan Flatbread Dough (recipe below)
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ¾ cup peas
• 1 cup crumbled ricotta cheese
• 3 slices spicy capicola, diced (you can also use salami or prosciutto)
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 large eggs

Lemon Parmesan Flatbread Dough

• ¾ Tbsp rapid rise granulated yeast
• 1½ cup lukewarm water
• ¾ Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ⅛ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
• 3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pizza stone or foil-covered pan in oven while it's heating
• On a floured surface, roll dough out into a large round.
• Remove pizza stone or foil-covered pan from oven, sprinkle flour over, and place dough round on top.
• In a small bowl, whisk together minced garlic and olive oil. Brush over dough surface.
• Sprinkle peas, ricotta cheese, capicola, and parmesan on top of dough.
• Bake for 9-12 minutes at 450 degrees, until edges of dough are crispy.
• While flatbread is cooking, heat a frying pan lightly coated in oil over medium-low heat and fry 3 eggs.
• Top flatbreads with fried eggs, slice, and serve.

Lemon Parmesan Flatbread Dough

• Mix yeast and water in a large bowl and let rest for 2 minutes.
• Stir salt, sugar, honey, extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon zest into the mixture.
• With a wooden spoon, mix the flour into the mixture. If dough is dry, add more water, 1 T at a time.
• Gently knead parmesan cheese into the dough.
• Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let rest in a warm spot for about 2 hours. Dough should rise during this time.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Recipe makes enough for two large flatbreads.

Notes

• Leftover flatbread dough will stay fresh in your fridge when tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for about a week.

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