This homemade focaccia pizza recipe bakes up in a 9x13" baking dish on top of a baking steel for an extra-crispy bottom and is topped with my simple no-cook pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and deliciously crisp rows of pepperoni.
Whether you're looking for a hearty weeknight meal or a fun dinner party option, my focaccia pizza recipe is sure to impress. So grab your favorite apron and get ready to create a thick slab pizza that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
While there are plenty of iconic regional varieties of thick crust pizza out there, from Detroit style pies, grandma pizzas, Sicilian pizza (sfincione), and Chicago's deep dish pizzas, to name just a few, this is not an attempt at recreating any of them.
This recipe is simply how I make a slab-style pizza with focaccia dough. I tweaked my easy overnight focaccia recipe a bit to work better as a pizza base, but if you've made that recipe, you can make this one too!
Notes from Recipe Testing
When I set out to develop my version of focaccia pizza, I thought it would be as simple as adding pizza toppings to my focaccia recipe. Maybe three test batches, just to figure out the topping quantities and baking time. I went to pastry school after all; how hard could it be? Very, it turns out! (Don't worry, I've made this recipe very easy for you. But it took me about 7 focaccia pizzas to get here.)
Early in testing, the focaccia dough kept deflating under the toppings. Finally, I added one extra quick set of folds to strengthen the gluten structure of the dough. Problem solved, easy peasy!
The last change I made is the one I'm most excited about. It happened after I thought I was done testing — I was actually in the middle of shooting the photos you see here when I had an epiphany.
"What if," I wondered, "instead of dimpling the focaccia dough and then dolloping the sauce overtop, I spread the sauce on the dough and then dimple it?"
Surely there was a reason no other recipes do it this way, I thought. But I took a mid-photoshoot risk and spread the sauce on the smooth surface of the dough. Then I dimpled the dough, poking my fingers right through the sauce.
It was messy but the risk was worth it — it was my best focaccia pizza yet!
Dimpling the sauce deep into the focaccia dough marbles pizza flavor throughout every bite. It also prevents the sauce from pooling on the surface of the dough, creating soggy pockets where the cheese slides off. As far as focaccia pizzas go, it's a total game changer! I can't wait for you to give this a try.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make this focaccia pizza recipe! See recipe card (at the end of the blog post) for quantities.
🍕 How to Make Focaccia Pizza
As with all good pizza recipes, we start this focaccia pizza recipe by making the dough. The focaccia pizza dough has about 30 minutes of up-front work (with a few five-minute rests) and then a long rise for about 7-12 hours.
Make the dough in the morning before you leave for work, and it'll be ready and waiting for toppings when you get home. (Or see the recipe notes for how to prep it the night before).
I like using a dough whisk for this step — it's super efficient at mixing wet, sticky doughs.
Over the next 20 minutes, perform three sets of folds on the dough. This folding process builds strength and structure into the dough. It traps air inside the dough for those lovely focaccia bubbles, while also allowing it to support the weight of the sauce and toppings later on.
Focaccia Pizza Toppings & Assembly
Before adding any toppings make sure you preheat your oven. This preheating time gives you the perfect window for assembly and the final rise before baking.
Use a very light touch with the spoon; you don't want to deflate the dough. It's okay if your sauce application is a little splotchy. Since focaccia pizza doesn't have a sauce-free, clean outer crust, make sure you get the sauce all the way to the edges.
In these photos I know it looks like I didn't spread the sauce all the way to the edges of the pan like I told you to do, but I actually ended up using my fingers in the dimpling step to do that and just didn't get a photo of it.
Make sure the cheese and pepperoni go all the way to the edges of the pan, too.
Why I cook my focaccia pizza on a baking steel
To get an extra-crispy bottom on my focaccia pizza, I bake it in the pan on top of a preheated baking steel or pizza stone in the middle of my oven. The heat of a baking steel is necessary for getting a crispy bottom on this focaccia pizza. Without the hot baking steel under the pan, the cheese and sauce on top of the dough insulate the dough too much for the bottom to crisp up.
Basically, the high heat of the baking steel cooks the pizza dough from the bottom while the heat of the oven browns the cheese and cooks the pizza from the top.
Carefully slide the whole pizza out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. Increasing air flow around the focaccia pizza will prevent the bottom from steaming in the pan and getting soggy.
The best way to slice focaccia pizza btw? Kitchen shears! This comes straight from King Arthur Baking, so it's not just me being wacky and goofy. It's a tip endorsed by the experts!
Practical Tips and Recipe Notes
- To keep track of what set of folds you're on, place 3 small snack items like M&Ms, crackers, pretzels, Skittles, etc. next to the mixing bowl. Eat one each time you do a set of folds.
- Soggy bottom? Heat a bare non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the slices in the pan and let them crisp up that way for about 5-6 minutes or until suitably browned on the bottom.
- I use the Original Baking Steel to make all of my pizzas (note: I bought my Baking Steel with my own money but love it so much I became part of their affiliate program; use code TPK10 for 10% off!). A pizza stone will also work if that's all you've got, but it may take slightly longer to cook.
💭 Have More Pizza Questions?
I've rounded up answers to common baking and pizza questions and how-to guides, including:
- Ingredient swaps and FAQs
- How to hand stretch pizza dough
- When to put fresh basil on pizza
- Ingredients I use (salt, flour, yeast, etc.)
- Step-by-step guides for pizza and baking techniques
See my baking techniques & troubleshooting guide and ingredient swaps and FAQs for more!
📖 Recipe
Thick and Crispy Focaccia Pizza with Pepperoni
Recipe Notes
- Low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella cheese that you grate by hand is the best melty cheese for focaccia pizza. If you can't or don't want to grate cheese by hand, pre-shredded is fine. It will brown faster than the hand-shredded stuff. Just make sure it's low-moisture AND whole milk for the best melt!
- Freeze the Mozzarella: If the mozzarella cheese is too soft to grate, pop it in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then try again.
- My favorite finishing cheese for pizzas is Locatelli's Pecorino Romano, but any finely grated pecorino or parmesan cheese will do.
- Wrap any leftover focaccia pizza slices in foil and store them in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Reheat on a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed throughout.
- If you don't have a baking steel or pizza stone: Invert a sturdy sheet pan on the middle rack of your oven. It doesn't work quite as well as a true baking steel, but is better than using nothing at all.
Ingredients
- 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 your kitchen is hot, 90°F if your kitchen is cold)
- 40 grams extra virgin olive oil (or regular olive oil)
Pizza Sauce
- 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)
Pizza Toppings
- 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
- Prepare the pan. Spray a 9x13" high-sided baking pan with non-stick spray, making sure to get the sides too. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil in the center, and tilt the pan to spread the oil out.
- Mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Pour the warm water and olive oil directly into the center. Mix with a dough whisk until a messy, cohesive, sticky dough forms. Gather the dough in a rough ball at the bottom of the bowl. Cover and rest 5 minutes.
- First set of folds. With damp hands, grab the top edge of the dough and stretch and fold it down over itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until all the edges have been folded over the center of the dough. Cover and rest 5 minutes.
- Second set of folds. With damp hands, repeat the stretching and folding process all the way around the bowl. Cover and rest 10 minutes this time
- Third and final set of folds. Repeat the stretching folding process all the way around the dough. The dough will be much stronger and smoother. On the final fold, flip the dough over so the seam side is facing down and the smooth side is facing up.
- Slide the dough out of the bowl and into the oiled baking pan. Cover the pan and rest 7-10 hours at room temperature.
Pizza Sauce & Toppings
- Combine tomato sauce, basil, oregano, salt, and finely minced garlic clove in a bowl and whisk well.
- Grate the mozzarella cheese on the large holes of a box grater. Store in the fridge if not using immediately.
Focaccia Pizza Assembly
- 30 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 450°F with a baking steel on the middle or lower third rack. The focaccia dough will have relaxed and filled out the pan and look bubbly and jiggle slightly if you shake the pan. If it hasn't filled out the pan, that's okay; you can use the dimpling step to push it into all the corners.
- Sauce and dimpling. Use the back of a spoon to gently dollop and spread the pizza sauce across the surface of the focaccia all the way to the edges of the pan. Coat your fingers lightly with olive oil and poke your fingers through the dough straight down until they hit the bottom of the pan. Repeat this all over the dough.
- Cheese and toppings. Top the focaccia pizza with a layer of grated mozzarella cheese, then arrange the pepperoni slices in alternating offset rows of 2 and 3 slices with the pepperoni slices reaching the edges of the pan. Finish with a dusting of finely pecorino romano cheese. Let the focaccia pizza rest for about 10-15 minutes before baking.
- Bake. Slide the pan directly onto the preheated baking steel and bake for 23-25 minutes until the cheese is crispy and browned on top. If it's browning unevenly, rotate the pan after 17 minutes and bake a few minutes more. Garnish immediately with ribbons of fresh basil.
- Slice and serve. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove to a cooling rack so the bottom doesn't get soggy (this part is awkward no matter what, just do your best to slide it out! Cut with scissors to serve.
Chris says
Great recipe! Am I halfing the salt in the dough recipe as well if I don’t have that brand?
Thanks
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Yes!
Edit: Wait, I just double checked how I wrote the recipe and no, the salt should be the same in the dough regardless of brand as long as you're weighing it. If you're measuring by volume, then you cut it in half.
Kim says
Maybe a silly question but can you use other toppings like sausage, olives mushrooms etc. or would they mess with the hydration of the dough?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
You can absolutely use other toppings! They're not getting mixed into the dough so you'll be just fine!
Chris says
👍
Lisa says
Amazing!!!! Love this pizza!
Megan S says
Delicious and easy to follow, as always! I wanted a thinner crust, so I baked on a cookie sheet and let the dough spread out more - turned out perfect! I also used store bought sauce, since we had some. I grabbed it straight from the fridge, but next time, I’ll take it out earlier so it isn’t quite so cold on the dough.
I caught my fiancé taking a pic of the leftovers cuz he wanted a reminder of how good it was 😂
Steve H. says
This recipe works out to be a hydration level of 80%. How in the world do you stretch a dough that wet and sticky? And will the dough completely fill the pan on its own? Thanks.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Stretching the dough works just like I explained in the blog post and recipe! The first set of stretches you might see a little tearing but after that it's pretty easy to stretch. You can watch the video if you want to see how the dough handles. And yes, the dough will fill the pan on its own.
Steve H. says
Thanks for the prompt reply. Somehow I overlooked the video. Seems easy enough. I have another question, though. When I make a Sicilian pie, I put the sauce on before the rise, so not to deflate the dough by being heavy-handed with the sauce if applied later. Would that work with this dough? Thanks.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
It'll work! I would worry about the sauce absorbing into the dough during the long rise time though — you'll have to play around with it and see how it goes! You may find you want to apply more sauce after the rise too.
Karin says
Do you use all the tomato sauce?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Yep!
Josephine says
This is the best pizza. One of my family favorite recipes.
Amanda says
I just have to echo everyone. This is such a great recipe to follow! I used my scale and dough whisk for the first time and this was a foolproof way to test them out! We have a Proof setting on our oven and that worked out well for the dough to hang out while at work all day. We used a baking stone and baked for 24 min. Love the tip to cut with kitchen shears! Thank you- my kids asked if I could make it again tomorrow!!!
Rachel says
This was easy and delicious! Incredibly fluffy without being too much bread for a pizza. My whole family of six approved.
Angela says
This is the perfect pizza! I add the seasoning to the dough too! Soo good. It’s in our weekly rotation for dinner.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
So glad you're enjoying it Angela!! Love the idea of adding the seasonings to the dough too. Genius move!
Katy says
Hello! When I made the dough it rose and fell within 4 hours - baked at 7. My kitchen is about 70-71°f usually. Should I plan to bake it before it falls next time? I still baked it and it was delicious even with a crispy bottom without a baking steel (that's on my Christmas list now!). It just didn't "behave" as I expected it to, if you know what I mean.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Always best to bake it before it falls! If you want to let it rise at room temp for a few hours and then pop it in the fridge once it mostly fills out the pan to slow it down so the timing is right you can always do that too.
Madison says
Hi! I want to make this recipe for a football watch party, so I need to have it done by 1 o'clock. Am I able to let it rise for longer than 12 hours or less than 7?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Put it somewhere warmer to speed it up, put it in the fridge to slow it down!
rita schubert says
Fantastic recipe
Kim Lund says
10/10 on this recipe. It turned out so great, thanks!
Serena says
It turned out perfect! For the Americans, I would highly recommend getting a scale. You cannot easily convert grams to oz.
I didn’t have a dough whisk so I used a wonky whisk I had on hand. I was a little worried at first but I resisted the urge to over mix. Whew.
I also didn’t have a 9x13 pan or baking steel. Used a large ast iron skillet
I didn’t use a tomato based sauce because I woke up thinking other things. I used a base of ricotta and fresh herbs, asparagus, shallots, spinach and Kalamata olives. Th technique was what mattered and it turned out so wonderful,
Jenn says
This was amazingly good, the dough was very soft and very easy to prepare. I will not be buying focaccia at the bakery anymore. If I spread it out on a cookie sheet for a thinner dough how long would you recommend to bake it?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
So glad you liked it! Honestly I’d do the same amount of time for a thinner version, maybe check it 5 minutes earlier to see if it’s browning too much, but it should be fine!
Luke says
This turned out really good!
We have a pizza stone, so I let the oven heat for ~45 minutes to make sure it was good and hot.
I do think this could take more sauce and still rise nicely, we had some sauce for dipping.
Used a 9x9 pan, removed about 1/3C of the dough before the rise in the pan and it fit nicely.
PS- don’t forget the salt like I did, it is noticeable, lol
Monica O says
This recipe is SO good! I made the dough the night before, and kept it in the fridge overnight, took it out this morning to rise, and it turned out perfect! I already love my Baking Steel, and it was so convenient that this recipe made use of it. The crust is so nice and crispy on the bottom, and the focaccia so airy and fluffy. Definitely making this again and again!
Monica O says
We make this every Friday for pizza night now, and still absolutely love it!
Jenn T says
I made this in a 11 x 17 sheet pan it was excellent. The no cook sauce was delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Cassie says
Made for dinner tonight and it turned out awesome. Added cooked ground sausage under the cheese. Will definitely make again.
Elena says
I've made this recipe a handful of times, and it is a hit every time! Even my husband, who isn't a fan of bread, really enjoys this recipe 🙂 And my toddler loves helping me make this pizza.
The recipe is easy to follow and very beginner-friendly. Rebecca's recipe writing style is the best. I'm excited for the book!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I'm so glad to hear you all enjoy it!! Happy baking!