Easy Focaccia Bread Pizza with Pesto

Name: Focaccia Pizza
Prep time: 900 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 940 min
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups Warm Water; 2 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast; 1 tsp Granulated Sugar; 1 1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt; 2 tbsp Olive Oil ((additional for the pan and your hands for pressing the dough)); 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning; 4 3/4 cups Bread Flour; 12 oz Pizza Sauce; 3-4 tbsp Pesto ((optional but recommended)); 2 cups Mozzarella ((shredded)); 1 cup Parmesan ((shredded)); 2 tsp Italian Seasoning; 1-2 tsp Garlic Powder; Pepperoni ((as much as you'd like))

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This easy Focaccia bread pizza recipe is like the best of both worlds—fluffy, golden focaccia loaded up with all your favorite pizza toppings! It’s super easy to make – just bake it up, slather on some sauce, pile on the cheese, and let the oven work its magic. Crispy edges, melty goodness, and pure pizza perfection!

For more pizza recipes, make my olive pizza and mushroom and pepperoni pizza!

up close photo of focaccia bread pizza topped with cheese and pepperoni.

I don’t make homemade pizza very often, but as of late, my son has developed a pizza obsession. We’re in that picky toddler phase where when he finds something he likes, it’s all he wants.

The tricky part is that he only eats the cheese, sauce, and pepperoni and leaves the crust. So me, as a home baker, set out to make a pizza recipe where he’d eat the WHOLE slice and not just the cheese and sauce.

This focaccia recipe is actually from my cookbook, Bake Until Golden Brown, and is reminiscent of a detroit-style pizza, but with a thicker, more flavorful crust. What’s lovely about this focaccia pizza recipe is that you can add just about anything you want – experiment with different toppings, seasonings, sauces etc. It’s VERY forgiving and super easy to make.

Also, you’ll be glad to know that you don’t even need a stand mixer to make this recipe. No dough hook, no kneading – no fuss, no muss. Just a simple recipe that you can customize to add any of your favorite pizza toppings, cheeses, sauces etc.

Pizza night is about to be EPIC with this easy focaccia pizza. Please let me know what you think in the comment, enjoy!

Focaccia Pizza Ingredients

overhead photo of focaccia pizza topped with basil.

(full recipe and list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)

Bread flour is ideal for focaccia because its higher protein content (12-14%) creates a stronger gluten structure, resulting in a chewy texture and better rise. This helps develop the airy pockets and crisp crust that make focaccia so delicious. You can use all purpose flour, but bread flour will yield the best results.
Extra Virgin Olive oil enhances focaccia’s flavor, keeps the crumb moist, and helps create a golden, crispy crust.
Active dry yeast ferments the dough, producing carbon dioxide that helps focaccia rise and develop its light, airy texture.
I used a store bought pizza sauce from Whole Foods. I like to keep it simple but you can also use a homemade marinara sauce or even arrabiata sauce. If you prefer a meaty sauce, use my short rib bolognese – it’s SO decadent (just be sure to cut the recipe in half)
The classic pepperoni is my favorite thing to add on top of the pizza base. In addition and for a pop of extra flavor, I like to add pesto – totally optional but SO so good.

Variations

The possibilities are endless but here are some fun ways to spice things up!

For a little heat, top with red pepper flakes or hot sauce on top.
Get creative with your favorite toppings – you can use bell peppers, sliced red onions, green onions, cherry tomatoes, burrata, dollops of ricotta cheese, etc. Have fun with it!
Make it buffalo style and top the focaccia pizza dough with buffalo chicken dip.
Gluten Free version - use your favorite 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour.
Vegan version - omit the cheese or use your fave dairy free cheese and or vegan pepperoni!

How to make Focaccia Pizza

focaccia dough mixed together in a bowl.

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together lukewarm water, active dry yeast, and sugar. Let stand to allow the yeast mixture to become bubbly and frothy. Add kosher salt, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and bread flour to the yeast mixture. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix together until a sticky dough forms. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest until dough is very bubbly and risen, 1 hour.

stretching the dough to strengthen the gluten strands.

Step 2: Punch down the focaccia dough. Stretch one side of dough upward and fold over to the opposite side. Repeat the folding 4 times, rotating the bowl between each time. Cover the dough again and let it rest for 30 minutes.

folding the dough into a boule so that the air bubbles can stay trapped in the dough.

Step 3: Repeat the folding process 3 times. After the final fold, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Punch down the dough again. Repeat the folding process one last time. Cover dough and let dough rest in the fridge to cold ferment for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.

focaccia dough in a rectangular baking pan.

Step 4: Remove dough from the refrigerator and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil all over the paper and edges of the pan. Place the dough into the pan. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rest at room temperature (preferably a warm place) for 2 hours.

Bake!

tomato sauce, pesto, cheese, and pepperoni on top of the focaccia dough.

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200 C). Cover your hands in olive oil and press your fingertips into dough to create dimples or indentations at 1-inch intervals. Pour pizza sauce and pesto on top of the dough and gently dimple into the dough with your fingers. This creates pockets on sauce in the every bite! Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheeses, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and pepperoni on top.

Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.

Tips for a Great Focaccia

Don’t be afraid to load up on the cheese! Extra cheese is always a good thing, but really is key to getting that epic cheese pull here!

Be Generous with the olive oil – Coat the pan and drizzle on top for a crispy, golden crust.

Let the dough ferment in the fridge – this slows the yeast activity, allowing the dough to develop deeper flavor and a better texture. When you get those rave reviews, it’ll all be worth it!

Avoid baking with glass pans – for one, they can shatter and secondly, they take a long time to heat up and then hold onto the heat causing the bread to have a burnt bottom and be overcooked/burnt. I speak from experience, trust me on this one.

Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients - I’m not saying this for my health, it truly makes a difference. If you must use a measuring cup, be sure to fluff your flour and spoon it into the cup as opposed to scooping the flour straight out of the bag.

a slice of focaccia pizza on a baking sheet with basil on top.

Recipe FAQs

Are focaccia and regular pizza dough the same?

No, focaccia and regular pizza dough are not the same. Focaccia dough contains more yeast and olive oil, resulting in a thicker, fluffier, and more bread-like texture, whereas pizza dough has less yeast and is stretched thin for a crispier crust. Additionally, focaccia is typically baked with olive oil and simple toppings like herbs and salt, while pizza dough is designed to hold sauce, cheese, and various toppings.

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?

Yes, you can substitute instant yeast for active dry yeast in focaccia dough. Since instant yeast doesn’t need to be dissolved in water first, you can mix it directly with the dry ingredients. If using instant yeast, use 2 tsp of yeast as opposed to 1 tbsp as instant is a bit stronger than active dry.

How do you reheat focaccia pizza?

To reheat focaccia pizza, place it in a 375°F (190°C) oven for about 8-10 minutes to restore its crispiness while keeping the inside soft. Avoid microwaving, it can make the bread chewy and soggy. To prevent the cheese from drying out, sprinkle an additional layer of cheese to get that classic cheese pull.

What toppings are best for focaccia?

The beauty of focaccia is that you can add whatever you’d like – hence this pizza focaccia recipe. The base recipe is focaccia