Matzo Pizza Recipe

Two rules make this quick pizza a smashing success.

Squares of matzo pizza on a white surface.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Why It Works

  • Melt a layer of cheese on the matzo before adding sauce for more structure integrity.
  • Finish the pizza on stovetop for an extra-crisp, greasy-on-the-bottom Domino's appeal.

We've explored any number of PLO's,* and now we're looking at matzo pizza. It's one of those ideas that seems great on paper, but doesn't quite pan out in reality. What you're hoping will happen is that your pizza will come out tasting something like a fresh, homemade version of a Domino's Thin Crust pizza. What really happens is that by the time your cheese is done melting, the sauce has soaked into your thin matzo base, and you end up folding the flaccid objects in half, hovering over the garbage can as you shamefully shovel them into your mouth, all the while hoping that your spouse or officemate don't walk in at the precise moment that the matzo loses all pretense of structural integrity and sheds its fillings over your shirt.**

*That'd be Pizza-Like Objects.
**That's ok, it hadn't been washed recently anyway.

So how do you prevent this sort of blowout? Simple really. There are only two rules.

First: do not oversauce your matzo. Matzo and cats have one thing in common: they fear liquid. Use only a sparing amount of sauce. Better yet, just use rough chunks of drained canned tomatoes and apply in spots like you would for a grilled pizza.

Second: melt a thin layer of structural cheese onto your matzo before applying your sauce. Just like with french bread pizza, this cheese will form a moisture barrier, helping to keep your matzo firm and crisp under even the fiercest of topping onslaughts.

For an extra-crisp, greasy-on-the-bottom Domino's appeal, finish off the pizzas stovetop in a bit of olive oil.

The pizzas are thin and have a tendency to cool down far faster than you'd like them to, so make sure to eat up fast. I have a feeling this won't be a problem.

March 2013

Recipe Details

Matzo Pizza Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups whole canned tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)

  • 2 whole matzos, split in half to form 4 pieces, roughly 4- by 8-inches each

  • 3 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

  • Toppings, as desired

  • Kosher salt

  • 1/2 ounce grated parmesan cheese

  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • Fresh basil leaves

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Place tomatoes in a fine-mesh strainer and break apart with your fingers into rough 1/2-inch chunks. Toss in strainer over sink to drain all excess liquid.

  2. Place matzos on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread half of mozzarella evenly over matzos, then transfer to oven. Bake until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and add tomatoes to matzos, distributing in small dollops. Top with remaining mozzarella and other toppings as desired. Season with kosher salt. Return to oven and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes.

  3. Remove pizza from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Using a wide, stiff spatula, carefully remove 2 pizzas from baking sheet and add to skillet. Cook, swirling and rotating occasionally, until crisp and well-browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Repeat with remaining pizzas. Serve immediately, drizzled with extra olive oil and sprinkled with fresh basil if desired.

Special Equipment

Pizza stone

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
189 Calories
11g Fat
16g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 189
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 279mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 8mg 42%
Calcium 146mg 11%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 186mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)