Easy Phyllo Dough Pizza (Crispy Pizza Dough) (2024)

This recipe will have you ditching classic pizza for a crispier homemade pizza made with phyllo dough! Layers of flaky phyllo topped with loads of bright vegetables, fresh herbs, and a little chicken make this easy phyllo dough pizza in minutes! Serve it for a light dinner or as a flatbread appetizer.

The last time you looked up, “What to make with phyllo dough,” you probably found some delicious answers including, of course, spanakopita and baklava! But, how about something new… like phyllo dough pizza?! Yes, I said pizza made with phyllo dough!

Layers of flaky phyllo (or filo) pastry make a special, “fancy”, pizza crust that is so light and crispy, you’ll fall in love! Brush your uncooked phyllo layers with olive oil, add a layer of cheese, and top with veggies, olives, and if you’ve got some leftover rotisserie chicken, shred some and scatter them on top.

Ingredients you’ll need for phyllo dough pizza

Here is what I used to make this phyllo pizza, feel free to change the toppings and use what you have on hand:

• Phyllo dough - You’ll need 12 sheets (12-inch by 17-inch) of thawed, room temperature phyllo pastry.
• Extra virgin olive oil- Good olive oil is key here to generously brush each sheet of phyllo dough to ensure it turns out flaky and crisp.cheese- I used some shredded mozzarella and feta cheese
• Vegetables - tomatoes, green bell peppers, and red onions
• Fresh parsley
• Optional meat- I used leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded.
• Crushed red pepper - A sprinkle of red pepper flakes or Aleppo-style pepper adds subtle heat, but you can leave it out.

How to make this phyllo pizza recipe

With just a little time and prep, you can have perfectly flaky phyllo dough pizza. Here’s how you make it (printer-friendly recipe below):

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and prepare your thawed phyllo sheets by laying them flat and covering them with a very lightly damp towel to keep the phyllo from drying out and breaking.
• Assemble the phyllo pizza crust. Brush a large baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil so the phyllo does not stick. Lay a few sheets of phyllo at a time and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Repeat until you have used about ½ of the phyllo dough. Sprinkle about ½ of the shredded mozzarella, then continue layering the rest of the sheets, brushing with olive oil as you have done before, until you have used up all the phyllo sheets.
  
  
• Add the pizza toppings. Brush the topmost layer of the phyllo crust with olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and feta cheese. Add the pizza toppings evenly (minus the parsley). If the tomatoes are very juicy, give them a quick pat with a paper towel to dry them a bit. Sprinkle the toppings with kosher salt and black pepper.

  

• Cut and bake the pizza. Carefully cut the phyllo dough pizza into 3-inch squares You should have about 12 squares
• Bake. Place the sheet pan on the middle rack of the heated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the phyllo is cooked through and crispy.
  

Tips for working with phyllo dough

• Thaw it overnight. Because phyllo dough is sold frozen, you'll need to thaw it for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• Bring the phyllo to room temperature. Remove it from the fridge about an hour before assembling the phyllo pizza to bring it closer to room temp. Phyllo sheets are much easier to handle when they’re at room temperature and not straight out of the cold fridge.
• Cover with a damp cloth. A common reason why so many are nervous to work with phyllo is how it tends to dry out and break. To help prevent this, lay the phyllo on a large tray and cover with a slightly damp towel while you work on layering and brushing one sheet at a time with olive oil. The little bit of moisture will help keep the phyllo pliable.

How to serve it

This veggies pizza with phyllo crust is the perfect appetizer for a little crowd; it makes 12 crispy pizza squares! But you can also serve it as a light dinner with a big salad to go along.

Leftovers and storage

Leftover phyllo dough pizza will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place it on a lightly oiled baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F until heated through.

More savory phyllo recipes

*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2014 and has recently been updated with new information and media of readers' benefit.