Peaches ain’t no cure for heartbreak. But they help.
For those of you who are looking for super fast recipe ideas, here you go. And if you’re craving something fresh and homemade that features delicious seasonal ingredients, something to get your mind off whatever’s weighing you down and bringing those dreaded worry lines to your forehead, this is it.
The first time I made these flatbread pitas, I was over the moon about how quickly they come together.
It’s true that preparing this appetizer involves making dough from scratch. But people, there never was a faster one. If you’re hungry and in a hurry, this dish is sure to satisfy. But it’s also a great option when you want to take a few minutes to slow down, tune in to your senses, and breathe.
First, take a peach, and hold it in your hands.
Consider that peach, the weight of it, with its fuzzy gold and crimson skin, with its dimpled crevice pointing to a core.
Take that peach when it’s good and ripe, soft enough to give when you push, sweet enough to smell from arm’s length.
Slice it, bite it, and taste its flesh. Let the juice drip down your fingers, from wrist to elbow, and ground yourself in this moment, the wonder of it, the rightness of it.
Smell some fresh basil. Breathe deeply. Maybe this is basil that’s growing in the pot on your front porch, so big and tall and strong it takes your breath away when you see it out your dining room window, with leaves bowing in the breeze.
Snip off a few handfuls of leaves, the licorice smell coating your fingers as you do. Take them to the cutting board and chop them fine, releasing their oils into the wood grain and sending you miles and years away from your kitchen, to summers in your grandma’s backyard and al fresco dinners enjoyed with loved ones.
Make a quick dough, one with no yeast and no proofing and just 15 minutes of mixing time, tops.
Start by combining flour and chopped basil, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center, add oil and water, and stir it slowly with a long wooden spoon. Watch as these ingredients come together. This, too, is a form of meditation.
Form the dough into a ball, knead it right in the bowl, and split the dough into thirds.
Look at those pieces of dough, resting in the bowl while you gather dishes and bring them to the sink. Consider this miracle world you live in, this incredible place of privilege and this life without want, where all of the ingredients you need to make everything from cakes to breads to quick doughs are always available at the store every day, prepared by other hands for you to buy, to keep in your kitchen for whenever you might need them.
Roll the dough out, one-third at a time, on the brown parchment paper you keep in the bottom drawer, in your little galley kitchen with white cabinets and laminate counters and a permanent stain in the sink.
Look out the over-the-sink window that you prayed for, back when you and your soon-to-be-husband thought you’d never find a place to rent.
See the grass growing longer in the yard he mows every two weeks. You’ve never mowed the lawn because he does it for you, just like he fills the car up with gas and takes out the trash every Wednesday morning, before the truck lumbers down the street.
Pull the freshly baked flatbreads out of the oven one by one, and set them on the counter to cool. Top them with sweet and creamy fresh ricotta, fresh basil, and juicy peach slices. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Drizzle them with honey. Cut them like pizzas.
Tell your husband he was right to say, “Let’s get three bags of peaches,” the way he did on Saturday morning, when the two of you knew you’d lost the house, and talked about what to do next, and you’d told him you were feeling numb.
“We didn’t get the house, but we can get peaches!” he’d laughed, sitting beside you on the sofa, looking at the brighter side, reminding you that everything you ever needed was already right here.
Trust in that feeling. Go to the farmers market with someone you love. Soak in the sunshine. Take some time to live in the moment, in your kitchen, to allow yourself to experience gratitude, relax, and fill your senses with all of the deliciousness that this time in your life has to offer.
Don’t forget to make this recipe your own. If you want a true cracker flatbread crust, you could slightly decrease the quantity of flour and let the dough bake for a few extra minutes. For a softer, pita-like crust, follow the recipe as it’s written here.
Sit down, savor every mouthful, and enjoy.
Print
Quick and Easy Peach, Basil & Ricotta Flatbreads
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 flatbreads 1x
Description
The most flavorful peach, basil, and ricotta flatbreads are a quick and easy homemade appetizer. Plus, no waiting for the dough to rise.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 cups einkorn flour (or alternate flour)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the Toppings:
- 10 ounces ricotta
- 1/3 cup lightly packed basil leaves
- 2 peaches, sliced into thin half-moons
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Honey, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a baking stone, stick it in the oven as it preheats, on the middle rack. If you don’t, just put in a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, combine einkorn flour, chopped basil, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the water and olive oil. Stir the flour into the center with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
- Once it comes together, knead the dough a few times right in the bowl, to create a round ball.
- Split the dough up into three pieces of equal size. Roll each one out individually on a piece of parchment paper to a thickness of about ¼ inch and a diameter of about 8 inches if round, or into an oblong shape. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake each round of dough one at a time for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Top each with about ⅓ of the ricotta, and spread it to coat the surface. Top with basil leaves and peaches. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the top, and drizzle with honey to taste.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutritional information below includes 1/8 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 tbsp honey. Adjust to taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Flatbreads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Appetizers
Keywords: summer, stone fruit, peach, honey, basil, flatbread
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Chop Basil, Slice Peaches, and Measure Remaining Ingredients
Chop enough basil leaves until you have 1 1/2 tablespoons total.
Remove the pits from 2 peaches and slice each half into thin half-moons.
Measure all of the remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.
Preheat your oven to 450˚F. If you happen to have a baking stone, place it in the oven on the middle rack while it is preheating. If you don’t have a baking stone, you can use a baking sheet instead.
Step 2 – Make Dough
Add einkorn flour, chopped basil, baking powder, and salt for the dough to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add the water and olive oil to the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the center and continue to stir until a dough forms.
Once it comes together, knead the dough a few times in the bowl with your hands. Form the dough into a round ball. It should be smooth, not sticky or wet. Adjust by adding a touch more flour if you need to.
Be careful not to over-knead – this isn’t a yeasted dough, so it doesn’t require much working, and will become tough if you knead it too much
Split the dough into three equal pieces, using a bench scraper or a chef’s knife. Use a rolling pin to roll out one piece at a time on a piece of parchment paper. If it’s a bit tacky, you can dust the paper and your rolling pin lightly with flour.
Aim for about a ¼-inch thickness by about 8 inches in diameter for round flatbreads, or you can choose to roll them out into an oblong shape of the same thickness instead.
Brush the shaped dough with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Step 3 – Bake
Add one round to the preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a cooling rack.
Give your pizza stone or baking sheet a few minutes to heat back up again, and then add the next round of portioned dough. You want to bake these one at a time, and be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake.
The first time I made these, I went a little over the recommended time and got a crunchy cracker crust. Today, I baked them for slightly under 10 minutes and got more of a pita consistency. However long you decide to leave them in is up to you.
Step 4 – Finish and Serve
Spread each flatbread with 1/3 of the ricotta, coating them evenly.
Top with basil leaves and peaches, evenly distributing these between the three flatbreads.
Sprinkle the flatbreads with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper all over. Drizzle with honey to taste.
The flatbreads can be sliced easily with a pizza cutter when they have a more doughy, soft consistency. If yours are more of a cracker type, beware: there will be many (delicious) crumbs.
Can I Change Up the Ingredients?
This recipe is specifically designed for using einkorn flour, but you can use whole wheat flour if that’s all you have around the house.
If you choose this option, be sure to start with just 1/4 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, so you can adjust the texture as needed. If it’s too dry, add water and olive oil one tablespoonful at a time, until the mixture comes together to form a smooth dough that isn’t too wet and sticky to roll out.
You could also experiment with regular all-purpose flour or a gluten-free baking blend if that’s what you prefer. Start with a smaller quantity of water for these, since less liquid is required for baking with refined flours versus whole grains.
Is a different type of stone fruit calling your name this week? Want to stir a little lemon zest into the ricotta, toss some finely chopped rosemary into the dough, or throw a little arugula on top?
Go for it! Once you have the basics down, this is a fabulous recipe to adjust as you wish, based on what’s in season and available from your garden or at your local market.
Want to try even more flatbread and pizza dough recipes? Get some inspiration from these Foodal favorites:
- Gluten-Free Pizza with Zucchini and Caramelized Onions
- Homemade Whole Wheat Flatbread with Salad and Hot Bacon Honey Mustard Dressing
- Grilled Flatbread Pizza
What’s your favorite type of fresh fruit? Does spending time in the kitchen help you to relax and unwind? Share your stories in the comments below, and be sure to rate this recipe after you’ve tried it yourself to let other readers know how much you enjoyed it!
Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on August 18, 2013. Last updated: September 16, 2023 at 17:09 pm. With additional writing and editing by Meghan Yager and Allison Sidhu.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
Beautiful. God’s timing is always perfect! I don’t know if I can look at peaches now without remembering the Who.
: ) He is good.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t get the house. My Mum always says that everything happens for a reason. She even said it after I lost my job and I got so cranky and couldn’t understand what sort of reason there was behind me being unemployed. Now, I am in a different job, and I’m on a better wage, my office is closer to home, and I am learning so much. Mum was right (don’t worry I’ve told her). I hope that the next house that comes along is truly meant to be your home. Good luck in the search, and just remember the blessings of where you are right now.
Yes, you’re right, Amy, and there are many blessings right where I am. May I have the eyes to see them!
I love this post, Shanna! So sorry to hear you all didn’t get the house. We went through a similar experience a few months ago, and it became clear how the Lord protected us by us not getting the house. We heard Tim Keller speak in Dallas a few years ago, and he said, “God doesn’t always give us what we want, but He does give us what we would want if we knew everything He knew.” Praying that you two continue to find peace in Him through this heartbreak!
I’m a big believer that it will all turn out okay in the end. I know that’s not much comfort when you’re going through such a stressful situation but I hope in a few weeks/months, you will be able to look back at this time and realise that everything happens for a reason.
Great writing here, Shanna! I love the way you so vividly described the peaches and the basil and their smell and look and the experience of eating and cooking with them. I’m so sorry that you all lost the house… I hope you are feeling less numb today. Have a wonderful Monday 🙂
I’m so sorry you didn’t get the house. I know that can be absolutely heart breaking. I admire you though for already being able to have such a positive outlook in the midst of it. Blessings abound all the time if we look for them (even though that is so hard to do sometimes).
They do indeed! Very true.
I was looking for a recipe to use all of my peaches and basil, and stumbled upon your page. I came for the recipe, but stayed for the writing style.
I’m making your recipe this week, and I couldn’t be more excited. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Katie! Second-person writing gets me, too.
This made my lip wobble. But I love your bold grasp of something beautiful and delicious and right even when things are bad.
I miss you a lot sometimes, like when you leave comments like this one. I could use a good Joanna chat sometime soon.
So sorry to hear about the house, Shanna. It sounds like that one wan’t meant to be, but I’m sure another house that’s absolutely perfect for you two will come along soon. I can’t wait to read all about it.
Another fantastic recipe, too.
Thanks, Katie! We’re going to take it one day at a time, but if we have a house someday, that’d be amazing. : )
I totally how it feels when it comes to a dream house. But I believe sooner or later, you’ll get your dream and ideal house. Sorry to hear what happened. Love this recipe, definitely to die for!
Thanks, Linda! We feel more encouraged every day. : )
Thank you for this wonderful story! I too love your writing style.
May I ask, do you peel the peaches? I don’t mind the skin at all but I am not sure if that’s just me.
Again, thank you.
Lori, I didn’t peel the peaches — there’s a lot of nutritional goodness in the skins. : ) It doesn’t hurt the flatbreads at all, so feel free to just rinse and slice!
It is remarkably beautiful how God can take a broken individual and, through her, outpour such beautiful wisdom. Thank you for sharing this beautiful post – it makes me want to eat peaches, but it also makes me want to give God a big hug right now. ^_^
I want to share something with both of you. Hopefully it will uplift and encourage:
Three years ago, my family was looking for a house. We went through house after house, and let me tell you, I fell in LOVE with so many houses. After many heartbreaks, we had just about given up, when the realtor called my mom. “I found the PERFECT house for you,” was all she said. We were all quite skeptical, especially after pulling in the driveway. The outside looked so awkward, different from any of the other houses. But as we stepped in the house, a spark of hope lit our hearts. After each room we visited, our smiles grew even wider. As we left that day, we left it to the Lord, thinking that maybe we would get better luck next year. Oh man, I’ll never forget the day I came home from school and my mom was practically giggling as she told me “we got it! We got the house!”
True story. Three years later, here I sit, in the room I fell in love with, in the house I fell in love with, and with God who provides. And I have faith that in His time, He will provide the right home for you too, just like he did for us.
Many hugs sent your way!
~ Natalyn
Hi Natalyn, Thanks for sharing your story. It’s so encouraging when we tell each other about the things we’ve already walked through and the blessings that have come in the midst of them. So happy for your family and thankful for your words.
Oh Shanna – so sorry to hear this. Hang in – He’s surely got bigger and better plans in store for you both.
Thanks, Jess. We are encouraged. : ) One peach at a time, ha. Truly though our hearts are full.
“But we can get peaches!” Sounds like a new watercolor project for you. 😉
GREAT IDEA! I think I might have to do that tonight… : )
I love everything about this post.
Beth! It’s so fun seeing your name come up here. I hear we have several mutual friends. : ) Thanks for stopping by!
My favorite post yet. What an incredible thought: “Peaches ain’t no cure for heartbreak…” I needed to hear that!
Me too, Katie.
That was one of the most beautiful posts you have ever written (to me 😉
Lovely, poignant, and rich with character.
Aw, thanks, Sue! I was just thinking about you this morning and missing you. Wish we could share some peaches together today!
Shanna, three bags of peaches is always a good idea. This looks glorious (and one of the singular simple joys of summer is biting into a perfectly ripe peach). This reminds me of Li-Young Lee’s beautiful poem, “From Blossoms.”
“O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days”
That is gorgeous.
Shanna, I’m sorry that the plans for the house didn’t work out but I’m not sorry that I finally had a quiet evening to sit with your words. This post is inspired and captures so much about why I love food. When you taste something so good it makes you stop, close your eyes, and allow every part of your body to enjoy it – that’s when you know that you are loved by a creator who cares enough about us to dot our days with something as sweet as a perfect peach.
Thanks for writing.