06/08/2026
Here's a trivia for your next saved recipe: Japanese Pizza toast is a café classic introduced in the 1960s when pizza was considered a luxury in Japan. A coffee shop or kissaten in Tokyo called Benishika created an easier version using thick slices of Japanese milk bread for the pizza crust. Today, you’ll find pizza toast on the menu at cafes, bakeries, and homes across Japan.
Next stop: your home. Here's how to do it:
To Make the Quick Pizza Sauce
1. 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.
2. Once fragrant, add 3 Tbsp ketchup. Stir to combine all the ingredients together.
3. Add ⅛ tsp 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.
To Prepare the Bread and Toppings
1. Using a bread knife, cut 3 slices Japanese milk bread ¾ inch (1.5 cm) thick, if it's not already sliced.
2. 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.
To Make the Pizza Toast
1. Set the Japanese milk bread 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.
2. Spread about 1 Tbsp homemade pizza sauce on top of each slice and sprinkle with a small pinch of Cowhead Pizza Topping—once melted, it helps keep the toppings in place.
3. 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.
4. 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.
This recipe yields 3 slices. Happy cooking!
