You're Only Ever 20 Minutes Away From Leftover Puff Pastry Pizza

Puff pastry is a gift that keeps on giving. You buy it at the grocery store, conveniently prepped and ready to be popped into the oven, only to be transformed into a flaky, buttery triumph that can take on any form, satisfy any craving, and please any guest.

Whether you buy puff pastry to make a comforting chicken pot pie, a gooey baked brie, or a decadent dessert tart, you often don't need to use every roll or sheet of dough that comes in the pack you purchased. So back into the freezer it goes — potentially to be forgotten about forever.

But the beauty of puff pastry is that it can be used in a myriad of ways, both sweet and savory — it's the gift that keeps on giving, remember? So let's make sure this one-sheet-wonder doesn't ever get forgotten again. Next time you find yourself with leftover puff pastry, we've got one word for you: pizza.

Nowadays, you don't even need pizza dough to make pizza. You can craft a crust with anything from naan to tortillas to polenta, so why not try puff pastry crust? Once you make a puff pastry pizza, it may become your new favorite vehicle to transport that ideal sauce, cheese, and toppings.

Puff pastry makes for a unique and delicious pizza experience because it provides a crust that's stable enough to hold everything together but light enough to give you that delicate, flaky crunch with every bite. And making one couldn't be easier.

Just take your leftover sheet of puff pastry and use a rolling pin to roll it out on a floured surface (rectangle or circle shape, your choice) as if it were regular pizza dough. Place it on a pizza stone or baking sheet with parchment paper, build your pizza with your favorite fixings, and bake it at 425 F. The best part? It'll be perfectly crisp and golden brown in just 20 minutes.

When it comes to putting this masterpiece together, there's one important tip you'll want to keep in mind. Because puff pastry is very thin and buttery by nature, you'll need to be careful that the bottom or middle of the dough doesn't become too soft or soggy. There are two ways to combat this to ensure your crust is as crisp as can be.

The first is just being strategic about your pizza ingredients. If you're using heavier or liquid-heavy sauces like tomato sauce or a creamy white sauce or ingredients that contain a lot of moisture, like juicy tomatoes or fresh mozzarella, be sparing with them, so you don't overload the dough. For alternative options, try pesto or some garlicky, herby olive oil instead of sauce, and drier toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, goat cheese, caramelized onions, or olives will all work lovely.

If you want to use whatever ingredients your heart desires and avoid this issue entirely, you can always break up the baking process to give the puff pastry a head start and prevent sogginess. Bake the puff pastry on its own for 10 minutes first, then add your toppings and finish it off for another 10 minutes in the oven.