Focaccia Pizza

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Soft, golden focaccia meets gooey cheese and toppings in this irresistible Focaccia Pizza. A homemade bread base that doubles as a pizza crust — the best of both worlds!

Prep Time10

Rising15

Course: Pizza

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Focaccia Pizza

Servings: slices or more

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

Equipment

Ingredients

For the focaccia dough

4 cups (500g) white bread flour or all-purpose flour
2 ¼ tsp rapid rise yeast (7g / 1 sachet)
2 tsp sea salt (12g)
1 ⅔ cups (400ml) water tepid
1 tbsp honey see note 1 if using sugar
6 tbsp virgin olive oil or as needed (divided)

For the toppings

14 oz (400g) low-moisture mozzarella cut into small cubes
1 cup (230g) marinara sauce
4 oz (115g) pepperoni slices or as much as you like
7 oz (200g) fior di latte mozarella torn into small pieces
pinch sea salt flakes
pinch red pepper flakes

To serve

1 tbsp hot honey (optional)
fresh basil to garnish

Instructions

Prepare the dough

Place the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl or a large pyrex container (you need to allow plenty of space for the dough to rise).
4 cups (500g) white bread flour, 2 ¼ tsp rapid rise yeast, 2 tsp sea salt
Add the water, olive oil and honey and stir to combine until you have a shaggy dough.
1 ⅔ cups (400ml) water, 1 tbsp honey, 6 tbsp virgin olive oil
Leave the dough for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb some of the water. Do a series of stretches and folds lift the edge of the dough with oiled hands or a dough whisk and fold over towards the middle.
Repeat, turning the bowl until you have done a series of four folds. Drizzle the dough with olive oil, cover and transfer to the fridge for 12-24 hours – the dough will become very bubbly and will rise to more than double its original size (see note 2 if you want to skip the slow rise).

Prepare the focaccia pizza base

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and leave it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan (or a Detroit style pan) with parchment paper and brush the paper and sides of the pan with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Add the dough to middle of the prepared pan, drizzle with oil and start dimpling with your fingertips so it starts to expand in all directions. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave the dough to relax for 30 – 40 minutes or until it fills the whole pan (you can repeat the dimpling process once or twice, as needed).

Add half of the cheese

Scatter half of the cubed cheese over the top of the focaccia, gently pressing it in with your fingers. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough to rise once again for at least an hour (and up to four, depending on ambient temperature) until it the dough rises significantly in the pan and envelops the cheese.
14 oz (400g) low-moisture mozzarella

Add the toppings and bake

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes. Just before baking, dollop marinara sauce over the base (don't spread it, we don't want to deflate the dough).
1 cup (230g) marinara sauce
Add the pepperoni slices and remaining cheese, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan 180° halfway through and keeping an eye on those toppings.
4 oz (115g) pepperoni slices, 7 oz (200g) fior di latte mozarella, pinch sea salt flakes, pinch red pepper flakes
If the toppings are getting too dark and the base still needs further cooking, cover the pizza loosely with foil and bake for 5 minutes longer or until the underside is golden brown (lift the edge with an offset spatula to check). The internal temperature should be 210°F (99°C) at the center checked with an instant-read thermometer.

Serve and enjoy!

Transfer the pan pizza to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife then slip a spatula under the paper to lift and slide the pizza onto a cutting board. Cut into slices and serve immediately – maybe with a drizzle of hot honey if you are feeling extra!
1 tbsp hot honey, fresh basil

Video

Notes

Note 1: If using sugar instead of honey, stir it in with the flour, salt and yeast.
Note 2: If you want focaccia pizza in a hurry, let the dough rise at room temperature for 90-120 minutes or until doubled. Shape and use as per recipe method.

Leftovers and Storage

Fridge: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to restore crispness (avoid the microwave!).
Freezer: Wrap slices individually in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake or air fry from frozen until hot and bubbly.

Recipe Notes

Using a stand mixer: Focaccia is a high hydration dough making it very sticky and hard to knead by hand. Add the flour, yeast and salt to the bowl of a hand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir to combine and add the wet ingredients. Mix for 30 seconds or so until a shaggy dough forms. Let the dough rest for a few minutes and beat for 60 seconds or until the dough becomes elastic and supple. Drizzle with olive oil and transfer to the fridge to rise.
Make sure your dough container has enough space to allow for the dough to double or even triple as it rises. If your container is too small the dough will likely bubble over and try to escape!

Nutrition