Description
This Thick & Crispy Focaccia Pizza recipe combines the airy, tender qualities of focaccia bread with the rich flavors of classic pizza toppings. Featuring a fluffy, olive oil-enriched dough topped with a savory tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and pecorino romano, this pizza delivers a perfect balance of crispness and chewiness. Ideal for a satisfying homemade meal that impresses with both texture and taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 450 grams all-purpose flour
- 11 grams sugar
- 8 grams diamond crystal kosher salt
- 2 grams instant yeast (⅔ teaspoon)
- 364 grams warm water (75°F if kitchen is hot, 90°F if kitchen is cold)
- 40 grams extra virgin olive oil (or regular olive oil)
Pizza Sauce & Toppings
- 6 ounces unsalted tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (use half as much of any other brand)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 garlic clove (finely grated)
- 6 ounces low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 22 slices pepperoni
- 2 tablespoons pecorino romano (Locatelli preferred, parmesan will also work)
- 4 leaves fresh basil
Instructions
- Make the Focaccia Pizza Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Pour in the warm water and olive oil in the center. Mix using a dough whisk until a sticky, cohesive dough forms. Gather the dough into a rough ball at the bottom of the bowl. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
- First Set of Folds: With damp hands, stretch and fold one corner of the dough over itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until all edges have been folded toward the center. Cover and rest for another 5 minutes.
- Second Set of Folds: Repeat the stretching and folding process around the dough with damp hands. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Third and Final Set of Folds: Perform the stretching and folding process once again around the dough. This time, flip the dough over so the seam is on the bottom and the smooth side faces up.
- Transfer Dough to Pan: Slide the prepared dough out of the bowl onto a 9×13″ high-sided baking pan coated with non-stick spray and oiled with 1 tablespoon of olive oil spread around. Cover the pan and let the dough rest at room temperature for 7-10 hours until it has risen and filled the pan with bubbles visible.
- Prepare Pizza Sauce: In a bowl, combine tomato sauce, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and finely grated garlic. Whisk until well blended.
- Grate Cheese: Grate the mozzarella cheese using the large holes of a box grater and keep refrigerated if not used immediately.
- Preheat Oven: About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450°F with a baking steel placed on the middle or lower third rack.
- Sauc and Dimple Dough: Use the back of a spoon to spread the prepared pizza sauce evenly on the focaccia dough reaching the pan edges. Lightly oil your fingers with olive oil and gently poke your fingers straight down into the dough to create dimples all over.
- Add Cheese and Toppings: Evenly spread grated mozzarella over the sauced dough. Arrange the 22 pepperoni slices in offset alternating rows of 2 and 3 slices, extending to the pan edges. Sprinkle with pecorino romano cheese. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Bake: Place the pan directly on the preheated baking steel and bake for 23-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and crispy. Rotate the pan after 17 minutes for even browning if needed. Remove from oven and immediately garnish with fresh basil ribbons.
- Slice and Serve: Allow the focaccia pizza to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Carefully remove the pizza to a cooling rack to avoid sogginess on the bottom. Cut into pieces using scissors and serve hot.
Notes
- Use a warm water temperature adjusted according to your kitchen temperature for optimal yeast activation.
- Damp hands prevent sticking when folding the dough.
- Resting times during folding help develop gluten strength and texture.
- A high-sided pan ensures the focaccia dough can rise thick and tall.
- The dimpling step is essential for keeping the dough from rising unevenly and helps sauce adhesion.
- Preheating with a baking steel ensures a crisp and well-baked crust bottom.
- Cutting with scissors allows for easier serving without compressing the airy crust.
- You can substitute pecorino romano with parmesan if Locatelli is unavailable.
- If you prefer, omit pepperoni to make it vegetarian.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 7-10 hours resting time)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8th of pizza)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 3 grams
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 16 grams
- Saturated Fat: 6 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 42 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Protein: 14 grams
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
Keywords: focaccia pizza, thick crust pizza, crispy pizza, homemade pizza, Italian pizza, easy focaccia dough, pepperoni pizza
