Go Back
–+ servings
A slice of toast topped with melted cheese, cherry tomatoes, onions, and green peppers on a decorative plate, served with a gold fork on a wicker tray lined with newspaper-style parchment.

Japanese Pizza Toast

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Chunky slices of Japanese milk bread topped with homemade pizza sauce, salty ham, fresh veggies, and melty mozzarella cheese. This Japanese Pizza Toast is the epitome of deliciousness and nostalgia! No wonder it makes a popular lunch and snack item among children and adults in Japan!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 3 slices

Ingredients

For the Quick Pizza Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 3 Tbsp ketchup (or 2 whole tomatoes, canned)
  • ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Pizza Toast

  • 3 slices shokupan (Japanese milk bread) (¾ inch, 1.5 cm thick per slice)
  • ⅛ sweet onion
  • ⅛ green bell pepper
  • 4 cherry tomatoes
  • 3 slices ham
  • 6 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese (or more, if you‘d like)

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    A top-down view of sandwich ingredients on a wooden surface: a loaf of bread, ham, green pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, ketchup, olive oil, a garlic clove, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

To Make the Quick Pizza Sauce

  • Heat a small frying pan (or saucepan) over medium-low. When the pan is warm but not hot, add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes), and 1 clove garlic. Sauté gently for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant but not burned.
    A two-panel image shows a frying pan on a stove with oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. In the second panel, a blue spatula stirs the ingredients as they cook.
  • Once fragrant, add 3 Tbsp ketchup. Stir and combine all the ingredients together until homogeneous.
    Two-panel image: Left, minced garlic and red pepper flakes are sautéing in oil in a pan while ketchup is being poured in. Right, a hand stirs the ketchup mixture with a blue spatula, blending the ingredients.
  • Add ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside to cool.
    Two side-by-side images show hands adding spices and salt into a pan of red tomato sauce cooking on a stovetop. The sauce is simmering in oil, and ingredients are being poured from small glass bowls.

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Using a bread knife, cut 3 slices shokupan (Japanese milk bread) ¾ inch (1.5 cm) thick, if you haven‘t already.
    A close-up of hands slicing a loaf of white bread on a wooden cutting board, shown from two different angles.
  • Using a sharp knife, thinly slice ⅛ sweet onion, ⅛ green bell pepper, and 4 cherry tomatoes into thirds (if possible). Then, cut 3 slices ham into thin, short strips.
    Four side-by-side images show hands slicing an onion, a green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and ham on a wooden cutting board.

To Make the Pizza Toast

  • If serving pizza toast to children, cut each slice in half (I like to cut diagonally). Place the two halves back together so they look like one slice, then add the toppings. Spread about 1 Tbsp of homemade pizza sauce on top. Sprinkle a little shredded mozzarella over the sauce—once melted, it helps keep the toppings in place.
    A three-step sequence shows: slicing white bread, spreading red jam on it, and sprinkling shredded cheese on top with hands, all on a light wooden surface.
  • Next, scatter some onion slices, green pepper slices, and ham strips. Finally, add a few tomato slices and top with the rest of the 6 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese.
    Three side-by-side images show hands preparing toast with tomato sauce, sliced onions, bell peppers, and halved tomatoes, then topping it with shredded cheese on a wooden surface.
  • 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.
    Nami's tip: I like to set a tray underneath the rack to catch any melted cheese. The bottom may not turn out as crisp, but it keeps the oven nice and clean.
    Two photos side by side: On the left, an uncooked French bread pizza with cheese, peppers, and pepperoni; on the right, the same pizza baked with melted cheese and browned toppings, both on a foil-lined oven rack.

To Serve

  • Serve hot immediately. Sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top, if you‘d like.
    A slice of toast topped with melted cheese, cherry tomatoes, onions, and green peppers on a decorative plate, served with a gold fork on a wicker tray lined with newspaper-style parchment.

To Store

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 769mg, Potassium: 241mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 426IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 214mg, Iron: 2mg
QR Code linking back to recipe