This delicious cheddar, pancetta and apple flatbread is one of my favourite flavour combinations. Enjoy this one and more, with this easy flatbread dough recipe, too!
I am presently in the midst of a little flatbread obsession. Not so much that I need an intervention, but enough that when I walk in to the room with yet another flatbread creation, I’m pretty sure eyebrows are being raised. What can I say? This Aged Cheddar, Pancetta, Apple and Arugula version was so delicious, I just had to share it.
The combination of flavours here is nothing short of perfection. The nutty aged cheddar, with the salty pancetta, the sweet apples and the fresh and slightly peppery arugula comes together into one of the nicest bites I’ve had in a while. I can’t get enough of it!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Flatbread – I’ve included my favourite, easy flatbread recipe here, but you could certainly start with a store-bought flatbread instead.
Cheddar – For this one, I started with a lovely aged cheddar with honey that’s made right here in Ontario. You don’t need to use a cheddar with honey, but find a nice, white, crumbly, aged cheddar for this one.
Pancetta – the pre-cut pancetta cubes are perfect for this recipe, but if you can only find rounds (usually the deli counter has pancetta that can slice into thick rounds), you can cube it yourself. Alternately, you can just cube up some regular bacon.
Apple – I used Lady Alice apples, but any red-skinned apple would work here.
Recipe tips!
- This flatbread would also be great using pears instead of the apples. A little drizzle of honey on top after baking and before the arugula would also be a nice touch (maybe a little sticky on the fingers, but … whatever).
- I love to bake up a bunch of flatbreads and freeze them. That way a delicious flatbread treat is always at hand. Experiment with different toppings to find your favourite!
Making ahead, storing and freezing
These flatbreads are best enjoyed freshly baked. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat lightly on a baking sheet in a 350F oven.
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Get the Recipe: Cheddar, Pancetta and Apple Flatbread
Ingredients
Flatbread Dough: (makes four 5×14-inch flatbreads or start with store-bought flatbread)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 Tablespoon dry active or instant yeast
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Toppings: (for one 5×14-inch flatbread – increase as necessary)
- 1 cup grated or crumbled aged white cheddar
- 1/4 cup cooked pancetta or bacon, diced
- 1/4 – 1/3 large apple, cored and very thinly sliced (no need to peel)
- 1 handful fresh baby arugula
Instructions
- For the homemade flatbread dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. In a two-cup glass measure, combine warm water, yeast and honey. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
- Add proofed yeast mixture and olive oil to bowl with flour and salt. Stir into a smooth dough, adding a few more tablespoons of flour, if necessary to make a smooth, moist (but not sticky) dough. Place into a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 400° F. with racks in upper third and lower third of oven. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove risen dough to a well-floured surface. Cut dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Your flatbread can be any size or shape. If making oblong ones, just be sure they aren’t longer than the length of your baking sheet, so it doesn’t hang over the edge. Somewhere around 5-inches wide to 14-inches long works well. Place two flatbreads side-by-side onto each baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes to rest.
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, then switch baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. *If you have some large bubbles, poke them several times with the point of a sharp knife. Bake another 5-7 minutes, until firm and starting to turn golden in spots. *Don’t over-brown if you intend to re-bake flatbreads with toppings later on, to avoid over-browning when you bake the second time with toppings.
- Remove flatbreads to a cooling rack to cool. (If making cheddar-apple flatbreads immediately, leave oven on and set to 400° and keep baking sheets with parchment handy to re-use)
- Once flatbread have cooled a bit, top with cheddar and cooked pancetta/bacon. A little freshly ground black pepper, is nice here. Arrange thinly sliced apples overtop. Return to parchment-lined baking sheet and pop back in to the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden and apples have softened. Allow to cool slightly, then top with fresh arugula. Cut into triangles for serving.
Notes
More flatbread recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I froze 3 flatbreads for serving tomorrow. Do I thaw before heating, or bake frozen and for how long?
Hi Jan, are the flatbreads baked already, before freezing? Assuming so, thaw on the counter (still wrapped) for 30-45 minutes, then pop into the oven. The timing depends on what you are topping them with. As they are already baked, they really just need to be in the oven long enough to warm/melt cheese. These apple cheddar ones are 7-10 minutes at 400F.
Can I use store bought flatbread? If so what kind and how many?
Hi Marlene and yes, you could start with store-bought flatbread. Not sure where you are, so don’t know if what you have available is what I have available. President’s Choice here in Canada makes the long, oval shaped ones. You can make as many as you like by simply increasing the topping. As written, the topping amount would top 1 large flatbread.