Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like pizza on steroids. So fresh and SO GOOD.
Texture: The absolute best part. Combine the rich and chewy yet soft focaccia texture with gooey melted cheese and you’re in heaven.
Ease: Definitely not a quick weeknight recipe, but totally doable nonetheless.
Appearance: Absolutely positively mouthwatering.
Pros: Incredible pizza right out of your own kitchen.
Cons: Not an everyday meal.
Would I make this again? Absolutely yes.
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Best ever? That’s a pretty bold statement. I know.
Obviously taste is extremely subjective but I think that if you follow my blog we’re pretty much on the same page food wise, at least most of the time.
As someone who shares recipes for a living I’m always open to inspiration from everywhere I go and everything I taste. This Focaccia Pizza was inspired by an incredible slice of pizza al taglio that I ate at Pizzeria Bianco here in Phoenix (the restaurant is apparently one of Oprah’s favorites) and something I saw on the Food Network late one night. I’m sure glad all this inspiration hit at once because it helped to create seriously one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.
The moment I took it out of the oven and saw those blistered spots of fresh mozzarella, the simple and pure tomato sauce, the fresh basil, and of course, the ultra thick, chewy, and rich focaccia crust I knew it was going to be good. It’s quite an impressive sight. Luckily it tasted even better. If you make this recipe soon be sure to come back and let me know if it ranks as a favorite for you and your family too. It’ll be like a virtual pizza party!
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Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm (110-115°F) water
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (11.3 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
For the toppings:
- 1 (15 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced
- Fresh basil
- Pizza toppings
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and half the flour. Stir to combine. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and on low speed add in the remaining flour, salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Once the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and knead for 5 to 6 minutes, or until smooth and soft. If the dough is really sticky, add in another tablespoon or two of flour.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, at least 1 hour. OR place the dough in a large plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature. Proceed with the recipe.
- Coat a 9 by 13-inch pan with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Put the dough onto the pan and begin pressing it out with your fingertips to fit the size of the pan. Coax and stretch the dough to fit the entire pan, or just about. Spread your fingers to make little holes all the way through the dough.
- Cover the dough with plastic and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush the focaccia with the olive oil on the pan. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce over the dough. Reserve the remaining sauce for another use (it freezes pretty well). Top with the cheese and other desired toppings. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before cutting and serving.
I’ve been looking for a pizza dough recipe that would yield a fluffy and thick crust and decided to give this a try. It was absolutely delicious and I cannot recommend this focaccia pizza recipe enough! It’s going to be my new go-to when we want homemade pizza.
AMAZING recipe! We always struggle with homemade pizza, but not this time. Perfect combination of chewiness and crunch. Topped ours with spicy marinara, and wow! What a meal! This is going to be our new Friday night pizza. Thank you!
Do you have a specific 9×13” that you like for this? Thank you!
Hi Staci! This is Tessa’s favorite 9×13-inch pan for pretty much anything! It bakes so well, cleans beautifully, and because it’s a light color, it doesn’t burn or dry out the edges before the middle is done. Glass or ceramic should work just fine here, but they may take longer to bake – learn more about that here. Happy baking 🙂
I made this Focaccia Pizza for dinner tonight. It was my first time ever making pizza from scratch. Everyone loved it. So easy to make, the pizza tasted delicious and the crust was really good. My plan was to take a picture and post it, but everyone grabbed a slice before I had a chance. Next time.
Thank you for this amazing recipe! My family loves it. Perfect crunchy crust! We were tired of flat thin crusts and wanted to try something different. This is the best pizza we have ever had.
Wondering if you could freeze already cooked then just warm and serve??
Hi Marianne! We haven’t tried that, only freezing the dough prior to baking. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
This was delicious and easy to make! The crust was the perfect mix of a soft fluffy interior with a crisp bottom. My husband already asked if I can make it again tomorrow.
Yay! So glad to hear how much you both loved this recipe! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Wow I made this tonight and it came out great. Thanks for the recipe, video, and tips.
So glad to hear that!
Such a great recipe. My husband and son can’t wait for me to make it again. Very crispy buttery crust from the olive oil.
Hooray! So glad this recipe was a hit with the family.
I am about to make this dough. I have read on the internet some recipes say you can leave the dough in a covered bowl up to 18 hours. Can I do this with this recipe?
Just what I was looking for. Five Yums!
By the way, check out King Arthur Flour’s Blitz Focaccia recipe. Very similar to your recipe, they increased the yeast and flour and with only one rise, it’s totally doable for a weeknight dinner.
Have you ever tried pizza rosa at Palermo’s in LA? I was looking for a similar pizza recipe to it since I was craving it and don’t live in LA anymore and this looks like it could be it. My question is that the restaurant menu says that they use fresh tomatoes – do you know if there is a huge difference in using crushed canned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes?
https://slice.seriouseats.com/2012/05/daily-slice-pizza-rosa-los-angeles.html