Protein-topped sheet-pan focaccia
Peri-Peri Chicken Focaccia (Mozambican / South African-Inspired)
Bird's-eye chili heat, garlic, lemon and smoked paprika from the Portuguese-African peri-peri tradition, over pre-cooked chicken on an airy focaccia.
- Total
- 4.3 hr
- Hands-on
- 35 min
- Hydration
- 80%
- Skill
- intermediate
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Toss pre-cooked shredded chicken in peri-peri sauce, scatter it over a dimpled focaccia, and bake at 230°C/450°F for 20–24 minutes, finishing with extra sauce and lemon after baking.
Why this works
Raw chicken will not cook through in a focaccia bake, so it is pre-cooked and only warmed through on top; peri-peri is acidic and spicy, so brushing extra on after baking keeps its brightness; the open crumb catches the chili oil.
The schedule
~45m hands-on of 4.3h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 45m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 1h
- Bake · 22m
- Cool · 10m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Mix the dough
Whisk flour and yeast. Add water and 40 g oil, then salt. Mix to a shaggy, very sticky dough.
Look for: Wet and sticky, pulling off the bowl in strands.
- 2
Bulk ferment with folds
Do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds over 90 minutes, then rise until doubled and bubbly.
Look for: Domed, bubble-dotted surface that jiggles when nudged.
- 3
Toss the chicken
Toss the pre-cooked shredded chicken with 60 g peri-peri sauce so every piece is coated. Keep the sliced red onion separate.
Look for: The chicken should be glossy and red-orange, well coated but not swimming in sauce.
Avoid: Use fully cooked chicken — a focaccia bake will not cook raw chicken through safely.
- 4
Pan and proof
Oil the sheet pan. Stretch the dough to the edges, resting if it resists. Proof until puffy, about 1 hour.
Look for: The dough relaxes to fill the pan and springs back slowly.
- 5
Dimple and top
Dimple the dough with oiled fingers. Scatter the peri-peri chicken and red onion evenly over the surface.
Look for: Chicken sits on top of the dough with gaps of bare, dimpled dough showing between.
- 6
Bake
Bake at 230°C/450°F for 20–24 minutes until the edges are deep gold, the base is crisp, and the chicken edges are sticky and caramelized.
Look for: Golden crust; the chicken and onion tips lightly charred and lacquered.
- 7
After baking
Cool a few minutes, then drizzle 2 tbsp fresh peri-peri and a squeeze of lemon over the top and scatter with chopped herbs.
Look for: The finishing sauce stays bright and tangy — it is not baked, so the acidity cuts the richness.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Airy and open under the chicken.
- Crust: Crisp oil-fried base; sticky, lacquered chicken edges.
- Height: About 3 cm tall.
- Color: Deep gold crust; charred chicken and onion tips.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, stringy chicken | Over-baked, or chicken added with too little sauce | Coat the chicken well and pull the bake as soon as the base is crisp. |
| Flat, dull heat | All the peri-peri baked away | Reserve some sauce to add fresh after baking for brightness. |
| Soggy patch under the chicken | Chicken too wet with sauce | Toss the chicken so it is coated, not dripping. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Best fresh. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days (contains cooked chicken).
Freezing: Freezing is not recommended once topped with chicken; freeze plain focaccia instead.
Reheating: Re-crisp in a 200°C/400°F oven 6–8 minutes until the chicken is piping hot throughout.
Contains wheat/gluten. Check your peri-peri sauce label for allergens.
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.
Fresh — buy local
- Meat / seafood (opens Amazon) ↗ — From a butcher or deli; pre-cook before topping.
- Peri-peri sauce (opens Amazon) ↗ — A common item; buy fresh or from your pantry.
- Onions (opens Amazon) ↗ — A kitchen staple; buy fresh.
- 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
- What is peri-peri?
- Peri-peri (piri-piri) is a sauce built on African bird's-eye chilies with garlic, lemon and often smoked paprika, developed in the Portuguese-African kitchen of Mozambique and southern Africa.
- Can I use raw chicken?
- No — raw chicken will not cook through reliably during a focaccia bake. Cook it fully first, then top and warm it on the bread.
Keep baking
In these collections
Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/peri-peri-chicken-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.