Focaccia-base sheet pizza
Focaccia Pizza (Sheet-Pan Pizza on a Focaccia Base)
A thick, airy sheet-pan pizza built on a focaccia dough — crisp-fried base, pillowy crumb, and a simple uncooked-sauce top.
- Total
- 11 hr
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Hydration
- 70%
- Skill
- beginner
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Use a 70% hydration focaccia dough (500 g flour, 350 g water, 10 g salt, 4 g yeast, olive oil), proof it in an oiled sheet pan, top with crushed tomatoes, olive oil, salt and mozzarella, and bake at 250°C/480°F for 15–18 minutes.
Why this works
A slightly lower hydration than plain focaccia (70%) keeps the base sturdy enough to hold toppings; the oiled pan fries the bottom crisp while the open crumb stays light; adding the tomato raw keeps it fresh and prevents a soggy top.
The schedule
~35m hands-on of 11h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 35m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 8h
- Bake · 17m
- Cool · 10m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Mix
Whisk flour and yeast; add water and 15 g oil, then salt. Mix to a shaggy, sticky dough with no dry flour.
Look for: Wetter and stickier than a hand-kneaded pizza dough, but firmer than plain focaccia.
- 2
Bulk ferment with folds
Do 2–3 stretch-and-folds over the first 90 minutes, then let rise until nearly doubled.
Look for: The dough should look bubbly and feel airy and extensible.
- 3
Pan and proof
Oil a 30×40 cm sheet pan well. Stretch the dough to the edges (rest and repeat if it fights back). Proof until puffy, ~1 hour.
Look for: It should relax to fill the pan and jiggle when nudged.
Avoid: Don’t tear the dough forcing it into corners — rest it and let gravity help.
- 4
Sauce and top
Season the crushed tomatoes with salt and a little oil. Dimple the dough lightly, spread the raw sauce, then the mozzarella, leaving a small border.
Look for: A thin, even layer of sauce — too much makes the base soggy.
- 5
Bake hot
Bake at 250°C/480°F for 15–18 minutes until the cheese blisters and the base is crisp and golden.
Look for: Lift a corner: the underside should be firm and browned, not pale.
- 6
Finish
Slide onto a rack, drizzle a little oil, add basil, and cool a few minutes before slicing.
Look for: Resting briefly lets the crumb set so slices hold together.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Airy and open, lighter than a thin-crust pizza.
- Crust: Crisp fried base; tender, tall edge.
- Height: About 2–3 cm tall.
- Color: Deep gold base, blistered cheese.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Soggy center | Too much sauce or under-baked | Use a thin sauce layer and bake until the base is firm. |
| Pale, floppy base | Oven not hot enough / not enough oil in the pan | Preheat fully to 250°C/480°F and oil the pan generously. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Best fresh. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days.
Reheating: Re-crisp in a 220°C/425°F oven 4–6 minutes; skip the microwave.
Contains wheat/gluten and (as written) dairy.
Tools & ingredients for this focaccia
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Core pantry
- Bread flour (opens Amazon) ↗ — High-protein bread flour or Italian “00” both work.
- Fine sea salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fine sea salt for the dough.
- Instant yeast (opens Amazon) ↗ — Instant (or active dry) yeast keeps for months.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (opens Amazon) ↗ — Use a good EVOO you like the taste of.
- Passata / crushed tomatoes (opens Amazon) ↗ — Good canned tomatoes beat mediocre fresh.
Required pan & tools
- Half-sheet pan (33×46 cm / 13×18 in) (opens Amazon) ↗ — The workhorse for thinner focaccia and focaccia pizza, with room for a crisp, wide base.
- Instant-read thermometer (opens Amazon) ↗ — Under-baking is the most common cause of a gummy focaccia; a thermometer removes the guesswork (~96°C finished).
- Baking steel (opens Amazon) ↗ — Stores and transfers intense heat for a crisper base — most useful for focaccia pizza.
- Pizza wheel / rocker (opens Amazon) ↗ — Clean, fast cuts through a topped focaccia pizza without dragging the cheese.
Fresh — buy local
- Cheese (opens Amazon) ↗ — Buy fresh from a good cheese counter or deli.
- Fresh herbs (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fresh is best; a windowsill pot works well.
You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.
Frequently asked
- Can I make focaccia from pizza dough instead?
- Yes — proof a standard pizza dough in a well-oiled pan, dimple, brine and bake like focaccia; the crumb will be a touch tighter.
- Why is my focaccia pizza soggy?
- Usually too much sauce or under-baking — go thin on the sauce and bake until the base is firm and browned.
Keep baking
In these collections
Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/focaccia-pizza · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
Editorial development version — technique follows standard Roman pan-pizza practice but has not yet completed physical bake-testing.