Japanese Pizza Toast

Why not try Japanese Pizza Toast for breakfast or as a quick snack? Easy to make, crispy, flavorful, and colorful, this dish is inspired by pizza but has a uniquely Japanese twist.

Japanese Pizza Toast is a dish made by spreading ketchup or pizza sauce on a slice of Japanese milk bread known as shokupan, topping it with ingredients such as ham or sausage, green bell peppers, onions, and cheese, and then toasting it.

While pizza toast can be found in various forms around the world, the Japanese version has its own unique history rooted in Japan's traditional coffee shops. It is said to have originated in 1964 at a coffee shop called Benishika. The owner came up with the idea of putting toppings, commonly found in Japanese homes, on a slice of shokupan and toasting it as an easier alternative to making pizza dough from scratch, which was much more time-consuming.

Today, this dish has become a popular choice for a Western-style breakfast or light meal in Japan and is a classic menu item at traditional coffee shops. Since it is incredibly easy to make, it is perfect for those times when you want something delicious without much effort. Give it a try and enjoy a taste of this nostalgic Japanese café classic at home.

There are a few classic toppings traditionally used on Japanese pizza toast:

• Ham or sausage
• Green bell peppers
• Onions

All of these, or just some of them, are thinly sliced before being added. With just a handful of ingredients, you can achieve a beautiful balance of savory depth, richness, slight bitterness, and fresh green notes, so other toppings are not commonly used. In other words, these are the traditional go-to toppings for Japanese pizza toast.

As a little tip, slicing the green bell peppers into rings rather than thin strips makes the toast look more appealing. Also, if you are making this toast for breakfast, it's a good idea to slice the toppings the night before and have them ready to go. That way, all you have to do is put them on the bread, making breakfast much easier, even on busy mornings.

One of the appeals of this dish lies in the bread itself.

Shokupan is one of the most common types of bread in Japan. When eaten on its own, it has a soft, fluffy, almost marshmallow-like texture, but when toasted, it develops a toasty flavor while retaining its light, airy texture.

A standard loaf is 4.92 inches (12.5 cm) square, and pre-sliced loaves are available in packs of 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, or 12 slices. The thickness varies depending on the number of slices:

• 4 slices: 1.23 inches (3.1 cm)
• 5 slices: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
• 6 slices: ⅘ inch (2 cm)
• 8 slices: ⅗ inch (1.5 cm)
• 10 slices: ½ inch (1.2 cm)
• 12 slices: ⅖ inch (1 cm)

For toast, choose a loaf sliced into 4 to 6 slices. Loaves sliced into 8 or more slices are generally used for sandwiches. If you are using an unsliced loaf, cut it into slices about 1 inch (2-3 cm) thick.

You can use other types of bread and still enjoy a similar flavor, but for Japanese pizza toast, shokupan is an essential part of the experience. If you can find shokupan in your area, I highly recommend giving it a try. Its light, airy texture makes this dish especially delicious.

When making Japanese pizza toast at home, ketchup is almost always used as the base sauce. However, if you are looking for a more complex flavor like the kind you'd find at a traditional Japanese coffee shop, you might want to try making your own sauce.

Simply adding a small amount of Worcestershire sauce and olive oil to ketchup can give it extra richness and depth. You can also enhance the flavor by adding sautéed onions with a little salt and butter.

The recipe calls for ketchup, but feel free to use either ketchup or pizza sauce, depending on whether you want to keep things simple or go for a more flavorful sauce.

Equipment

Ingredients

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Instructions

🕒 Total: 12 mins mins

Step 1
Cut off the stem of the green bell pepper, remove the seeds and pith, and slice it into thin rings. Thinly slice the onion. Slice the sausage diagonally into pieces about ¼ inch (5-6 mm) thick.

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Step 2
Spread ketchup over one side of each slice of shokupan, then evenly distribute the green pepper, onion, and sausage over the top. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over everything.

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Step 3
Line the toaster oven tray with aluminum foil to catch any melted cheese. Arrange the shokupan on the tray and toast in the toaster oven until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 7-8 minutes at 425℉ (220℃).

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How to store

To prevent the toast from drying out, wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap and store them in a zip-top bag. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 day or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.