A Brief Guide to Flatbread Pizza

If you've ever been to a pizza place and seen 'flatbread pizza' on the menu, you may have wondered what that is. Is it a regular pizza? Is it its own thing entirely?

Flatbread pizza is, in fact, its own thing entirely. While it shares some similarities with regular pizza, flatbread pizza has a long history tracing back to ancient civilizations. Its popularity has only increased since then, thanks to its delicious flavor. In this blog post, we'll dive into the origins and history of flatbread pizza so that you can better appreciate this unique dish. 

What is flatbread pizza?

The difference between traditional and flatbread pizza is in the dough. Traditional pizzas are made from dough containing yeast, while flatbread pizza dough does not contain yeast. Instead, it's made with a type of bread known as 'quick bread'- because it does not require time to rise. The dough is simply mixed, rolled out very thin, covered in the desired topping, and then baked until the dough is crispy and the cheese is melted.

The Ancient Origins of Flatbread

Flatbreads are believed to have originated in the Middle East somewhere between 10,000 and 5,000 BCE. They were popular among the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, who used them to scoop up food or as an accompaniment to other dishes. They were often topped with herbs and olive oil and sometimes served with wine. Fast-forward a few thousand years, and you'll find that flatbreads are popular worldwide. In India, they are called naan; in Tunisia- fricassee; in Sweden-tunnbröd; and in Persia, they are called lavash. 

The first recorded instance of flatbread being used as a vessel for toppings dates back to the 1st century C.E. Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian, naturalist, and philosopher, wrote about soldiers in Pompeii topping their bread with cheese and dates before going into battle. This early version of pizza was known as "libum." 

The History of Flatbread Pizza

The flatbread pizza as we know it today first appeared in Naples in the 18th century. After tomatoes arrived in Europe via the New world, poor people would top their flatbreads with tomato sauce (which they called "salsa"), cheese, anchovies, and other inexpensive toppings. These pizzas became so popular that they also started appearing in upper-class homes. By 1861, there were over 200 pizzerias in Naples alone! 

In 1889 pizza made its way to America when Filippo Milone opened America's first pizzeria-called Lombardi's- in New York City's Little Italy neighborhood. Flatbread pizza gained popularity across the United States in the mid-20th century, thanks partly to Italian immigrants who brought their culinary traditions. These days, you can find flatbread pizzas on menus at restaurants all across the country.