Need a quick lunch or a savory snack idea? Let me introduce Japanese Pizza Toast (ピザトースト). Yes, pizza toasts are all good, but this one starts with the sweet, soft, and non-like-the-other Japanese milk bread as the base. You get delicate crispy exterior, softest chewy insides, and with all the savory pizza toppings. Growing up, my brother and I loved pizza toast for our after-school snack! It’s undeniably the BEST KIND of childhood comfort food. Busy moms and dads can make it. Kids can make it. And 15 minutes is all it takes!
What is Pizza Toast?
Pizza toast (ピザトースト) is basically toast with your favorite pizza toppings! Instead of proper pizza dough, we use bread slices as a stand-in to imitate one of the most favorite foods in the world. You can say it’s a short-cut version to real pizza. Shortcut it is, but pizza toast is truly special on its own. Even a child can tell you that bread, cheese, and tomato sauce make some really yummy food. To make Japanese version of pizza toast, we use only Japanese milk bread, otherwise known as shokupan. The mildly sweet and pillowy soft texture of the milk bread makes it a great canvas for a fun variety of pizza toppings.
History of Japanese Pizza Toast
So, how did Japanese pizza toast come about? Pizza used to be a luxury food item in Japan and not everyone could afford it. In 1964, a coffee shop called Benishika (紅鹿舎, べにしか) in Tokyo took the idea to create a simpler version of pizza by using everyone’s favorite milk bread, resulting a new hot item that we call Japanese pizza toast today. Its popularity lives on until today, and you can find pizza toast being served as lunch or snack menu at coffee shops and bakeries all over Japan. Homemakers love making pizza toasts for their kids too since it is as quick and easy as comfort food gets!
How to Make Pizza Toast
Ingredients You’ll Need
Japanese milk bread (shokupan) – this can be store-bought or homemade. Pizza sauce – store-bought or homemade. See below. Mozzarella cheese – shredded or sliced. Onion – I used sweet onion. Green bell pepper Ham (sausage, salami, or bacon) – Pepperoni is not commonly used for Japanese pizza toast, but you could use it if that’s what you have. Cherry tomatoes
Other Pizza Toppings Ideas
Corn Mushrooms Olives
Overview: Cooking Steps
5 Tips to Make Delicious Pizza Toast
Make Homemade Pizza Sauce with Simple Ingredients
When I was growing up in the 80s in Japan, there was no “pizza sauce” in a squeezable bottle like we have these days. So our easy pizza toast was simply made with ketchup and my mom still uses ketchup when she makes pizza toast for my children when we visit Japan. I know, don’t cringe! Ketchup on toast is a thing in Japan. If it wasn’t quick and easy, I would skip the hassle of making my own homemade pizza sauce but this is really fuss-free. You can’t beat the flavors, so let me share my quick pizza sauce recipe. You will need:
Extra virgin olive oil Garlic Crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes) Ketchup (or use a few canned whole tomatoes) Salt Freshly ground black pepper Dried oregano (I sometimes add it if I feel fancy, but not necessary)
All you need to do is to cook the above ingredients in a frying pan (or saucepan) in that order until combined! If you’ve tried this pizza toast recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Japanese Milk Bread Recipe
You can purchase Japanese milk bread called Shokupan (食パン) in Japanese grocery stores or bakeries. You can also buy a similar milk bread in Chinese and Korean bakeries and supermarkets these days. But If you’re interested in making your own, I have a very detailed recipe and a tutorial video. I hope you give it a try! I also have a helpful post on how to purchase a Japanese shokupan loaf pan from Japan.
Delicious Recipes Using Japanese Milk Bread
Tamago Sando Katsu Sando Japanese Fruit Sandwich (Fruit Sando) Wanpaku Sandwich Crispy Chicken Sandwich 6 Japanese Twists on Avocado Toast
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