Focaccia Pizza Recipe
This deep-dish focaccia pizza swaps classic crust for chewy focaccia, topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.
Ingredients
For the Biga:
- 2 ¼ cups bread flour
- 2/3 cup + 1 teaspoon filtered luke warm water
- 1/3 teaspoon active dry yeast
For the Dough:
- 2 ¼ cups bread flour
- 1 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon filtered luke warm water
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt + ½ teaspoon
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 10-15 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
For the Biga:
- Add the flour, water, and yeast to a large bowl. Using your hands, gently mix and fold everything together to combine. This should take you about 3 to 4 minutes. Throughout making the biga, the dough will start to become really shaggy.
- Bring the shaggy dough a bit more together to form a sort of loose ball, then transfer it over to a plastic container with a lid, or you can leave it in the bowl covered with plastic.
- It can sit at a room temperature of 72° or less for 8 to 24 hours. If you are over those temps, I recommend letting it sit at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, then placing it in the fridge for 24 hours and all the way up to 72 hours.
For the Dough:
- In a stand mixer with the hook attachment on low speed, add in the flour and 1 cup of the lukewarm water and mix to combine, about 2 to 3 minutes. Let it sit for 30 minutes to autolyse.
- Next, add in all of the biga, the remaining 1 teaspoon of active yeast, 2 teaspoons of coarse salt, and 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon of lukewarm water. Mix on low speed until combined and the biga is broken up, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Turn the speed to high and mix it until the dough cleans the bowl, which takes about 5 minutes. The dough should have good elasticity. See my notes about sticky dough.
- Brush a Lloyd pan, half sheet tray, or non-stick 13x9 metal pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Transfer the dough to the center of the pan. Cover with a towel and let it proof for 60 to 90 minutes or until it is doubled in size. It should spread across the pan, not rise up during this process.
- Next, using your finger tips, press down into and all across the dough while stretching it to each corner. Cover with a towel and let it proof for 60 to 90 minutes or until it is doubled in size. It should come to the lip of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (convection) or 450°F (no convection).
- Drizzle the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil all over the dough and again press your fingertips down into and all over the dough, creating dimples.
- Spread the tomato puree around evenly on the pizza, leaving a 1-inch crust around the outside. Next, evenly sprinkle the cheese and basil all across the top of the dough.
- Bake on the middle rack at 425°F convection for 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Enjoy.
Notes
Patience always pays off when it comes to homemade focaccia pizza. The longer the biga has to ferment, the more complex and delicious your pizza will be. Leaving the dough anywhere from 8 to 24 hours at room temperature, or even longer in the refrigerator, creates an incredible depth of flavor and gives the dough its signature open crumb. A rushed biga makes for flatter, less flavorful focaccia.
Sticky dough: Focaccia dough is naturally sticky when it’s properly hydrated, yielding a soft, airy interior. Even if it feels very sticky and hard to handle, resist adding more flour to the dough. Simply oil your hands when handling the dough to prevent them from sticking.
The perfect proof: In the first proof, your dough should spread across the pan rather than rise upward. In the second proof, it should double in size, reaching close to the lip of the pan, and look airy and bubbly. You’ll know it’s perfect when you press your fingertip into the dough and it slowly springs back.
Recommended baking pans: My go-to is a Lloyd pan (these are restaurant-quality, heavy-duty pans designed for Detroit-style pizza). A well-oiled half-sheet tray or a 13x9 non-stick metal pan also works. Avoid glass or ceramic dishes, as they don’t conduct heat as evenly.
More topping ideas: Top your focaccia pizza with pepperoni, caramelized onions, pineapple, anchovies, roasted red peppers, crumbled Italian sausage, or anything else you like. After it’s out of the oven, finish it with a dollop of pesto, burrata cheese, or a drizzle of hot honey to take things over the top.
Make-Ahead: The biga can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to mix the dough.
How to Store: Once baked and cooled, slice the focaccia pizza into squares and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How to Reheat: Reheat the pizza slices in a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the focaccia is crispy again.
Nutrition
Calories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 503mgPotassium: 177mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 168IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1mg