Japanese Pizza Toast

Steps

1. Gather all the ingredients.

2. Heat a small frying pan or saucepan on medium low. When the pan is warm (not hot), add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes), and 1 clove garlic (minced or crushed). Sauté gently for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant but not burned.

3. Once fragrant, add 3 Tbsp ketchup. Stir to combine all the ingredients together.

4. Add ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste and stir to combine. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside to cool.

5. Using a bread knife, cut 3 slices shokupan (Japanese milk bread) ¾ inch (1.5 cm) thick, if it's not already sliced.

6. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice ⅛ sweet onion and ⅛ green bell pepper. Cut the 4 cherry tomatoes into three slices each (if possible). Then, cut 3 slices ham into thin, short strips.

7. Set the shokupan slices on your work surface. Leave whole or cut in half (I like to cut diagonally) if serving to children. Place the two halves back together so they look like one slice.Next, spread about 1 Tbsp homemade pizza sauce on top of each slice and sprinkle with a small pinch of shredded mozzarella cheese—once melted, it helps keep the toppings in place.

8. Next, scatter some onion slices, green pepper slices, and ham strips. Finally, add the tomato slices and sprinkle all over with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese, about 2 Tbsp per pizza toast.

9. Adjust the toaster oven rack to the middle position. Place the pizza toast directly on the rack, making sure the toppings don’t hang over the edges. Toast on High setting (450ºF or 230ºC) until the edges start to brown and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.Nami's Tip: I set a tray underneath the rack to catch any melted cheese. The bottom may not crisp as well, but it keeps the oven clean.

10. Serve hot immediately. Sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top, if you‘d like.

11. Wrap leftover pizza toast (cooked or uncooked) tightly in plastic. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in the toaster oven straight from frozen or after thawing.