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This cottage cheese flatbread pizza has 51 g of protein per serving and takes 47 minutes start to finish. The protein comes from cottage cheese, eggs, chicken, mozzarella and pepperoni, not powder, so it tastes like real pizza.
The base is a no-yeast dough of blended cottage cheese, eggs and flour. There’s no rising and no proofing. You press it out on two sheet pans, bake it plain, then top it and bake again.
It’s a big serving, about 320 g, and a salty one. Cottage cheese, mozzarella and pepperoni all bring their own salt, so I leave it out of the dough.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 51 g protein per serving from whole foods, no powder
- No yeast, no kneading, no waiting for dough to rise
- Both pans bake at once, so dinner stays quick
- Leftovers reheat in the oven and the edges stay crisp
Ingredient Notes
- cottage cheese: I use 2% small curd, which is what the nutrition numbers are based on. Full-fat works and bakes a little richer, but fat-free tends to bake up drier.
- cooked chicken breast: Rotisserie breast meat is the fastest option. Leftover roasted or poached breast works the same, and you should weigh it after shredding.
- part-skim mozzarella: Shred a block of low-moisture mozzarella yourself if you can. Pre-shredded works too, but fresh mozzarella adds too much water to the base.
- pizza sauce: Use a thick pizza sauce or a marinara that’s been simmered down. Thin sauce soaks into the base and makes it soft.
- pepperoni: Standard sandwich-cut slices work best. They crisp at the edges and drip a little fat over the cheese.
Baked Chicken Pepperoni Cottage Cheese Flatbread Pizza
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 220 C / 425 F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pans with parchment.
- Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, 1 tbsp olive oil, oregano and garlic powder in a 1.5 L / 6-cup blender or food processor for 30 to 45 seconds, until smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl, add the flour and baking powder, and stir until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Rub the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over your hands and the top of the dough. Divide the dough between the two pans and press each portion into a rough 28 x 38 cm / 11 x 15 inch rectangle about 4 mm thick. Bake for 14 minutes, swapping the pans between racks after 7 minutes, until the surface is set and the edges are golden. Press the center: it should spring back with no wet shine. If it dents or looks glossy, bake 2 minutes more, because an underbaked base turns gummy under the sauce.
- Spread 75 g pizza sauce over each base, leaving a 2 cm border. Divide the mozzarella, chicken and red onion between the pans and lay the pepperoni on top. Bake for 10 minutes, swapping the pans after 5 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and browns in spots and the pepperoni edges curl.
- Rest the pizzas on the pans for 3 minutes so the cheese sets. Scatter with torn basil and red pepper flakes, then cut each flatbread in half to make 4 servings.
Notes
- Weigh the chicken, cheese and flour, because the 51 g protein figure depends on those amounts.
- Press-test the center of the plain base before topping. It should spring back.
- Skip added salt in the dough. The cottage cheese, mozzarella and pepperoni already carry it.
- Use both oven racks and swap the pans halfway through each bake.
Tips for Success
- Blend the cottage cheese for a full 30 to 45 seconds so the base bakes smooth with no curds showing through.
- Oil your hands and the top of the dough before pressing it out, since the dough sticks to dry fingers and spatulas.
- Swap the pans between racks halfway through both bakes so the top and bottom pans brown evenly.
- Weigh the chicken after shredding, because 200 g is where the 51 g protein figure comes from.
- Pat the shredded chicken with a paper towel before topping so it doesn’t release water onto the cheese.
Variations
- Swap the pepperoni for 60 g cooked, crumbled Italian sausage and add sliced pickled peppers for a spicier pizza.
- Replace the sauce with 100 g salsa verde and top with chicken, pepper jack and sliced jalapeños for a Tex-Mex version.
- Make a white pizza: skip the sauce, brush the base with garlic olive oil, and tuck 80 g chopped spinach under the cheese.
Storage and Reheating
Baked cottage cheese flatbread pizza keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Cool it completely, then store the slices in an airtight container with parchment between the layers.
Reheat slices on a sheet pan in a 200 C / 400 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottom is crisp and the cheese bubbles again. The microwave works if you’re in a hurry, but the base stays soft.
For the freezer, bake the plain bases through step 3 and cool them fully. I keep a couple wrapped in foil in the chest freezer in the garage for up to 2 months. Top them and bake straight from frozen at 220 C / 425 F for 12 to 14 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve each half flatbread hot after the 3-minute rest, one per person. A sharp arugula salad with lemon juice and olive oil sits well next to the mozzarella and pepperoni.
Put out grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes and a small bowl of warm pizza sauce for dipping the crust edges.
FAQ
Why is my cottage cheese flatbread soggy in the middle?
The base was pulled before it set. Bake the plain base for the full 14 minutes at 220 C / 425 F and press the center: it should spring back with no wet shine. If it still looks glossy, give it 2 more minutes before adding sauce, because wet dough under sauce and cheese won’t dry out later.
Can I use ricotta instead of cottage cheese in the flatbread dough?
Yes, swap in 450 g of ricotta and whisk it with the eggs instead of blending. Ricotta and cottage cheese both run around 11 g protein per 100 g, so the numbers barely move. The base comes out a little denser and less tangy, and since ricotta is already smooth you skip the blender.
Can I freeze cottage cheese flatbread pizza bases?
Yes, freeze the plain baked bases, not the finished pizza. Cool them completely, wrap each in parchment and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Top them straight from the freezer and bake at 220 C / 425 F for 12 to 14 minutes. A fully topped pizza gets watery when it thaws.
What goes well with cottage cheese flatbread pizza?
A sharp arugula salad with lemon and olive oil cuts through the mozzarella and pepperoni. Roasted broccoli or green beans also work if you cook them on a separate pan another night. I’d keep sides light, since one serving is already about 320 g of food.
Is cottage cheese flatbread pizza gluten free?
No, the base uses 280 g of all-purpose flour. A 1:1 gluten-free baking blend can replace it, but the dough can be stickier and the base more fragile, so wait out the full 3-minute rest before cutting. Check the label too, since protein per serving drops with some blends.
What’s the difference between this and a regular flatbread pizza?
The base here is a no-yeast cottage cheese dough, so there’s no rising time and it bakes in 14 minutes. It’s softer and a bit tangy, closer to a thick flatbread than a crisp crust. The base alone carries about 22 g protein per serving, which is why the whole thing reaches 51 g.
