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This Focaccia Pizza au Four is the kind of recipe that makes pizza night feel a little more special. The dough bakes up light, golden, and crisp on the edges, giving you that perfect base for whatever toppings you love. It’s fun to make, easy to share, and always a hit around the table—whether you keep it classic or mix it up with something new.
Why This Focaccia Pizza Works Every Time
The beauty of this Focaccia Pizza au Four is in the balance—it’s simple enough for a weeknight, but feels impressive when you bring it to the table. The focaccia-style base gives you that light, airy bite with just the right crispness, while the toppings can go classic or creative depending on your mood.
And if you’re into baking at home as much as I am, you’ll also love my Easy Homemade Focaccia for the ultimate bread side, or my Easiest No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread when you’re craving that fresh-from-the-oven loaf.
The Must-Haves Behind This Focaccia Pizza
It doesn’t take much to turn focaccia into a show-stopping pizza—just a handful of good-quality basics that make all the difference.
- Strong flour – gives the dough structure and that airy crumb with a chewy bite.
- Olive oil – keeps the dough tender and adds that signature Italian flavor.
- Yeast – the magic that brings the dough to life and makes it rise.
- Mozzarella – melty, stretchy, and the perfect base cheese for pizza night.
- Pesto or tomato sauce – two classic flavors that completely change the vibe of each pizza.
Note: Find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the Recipe Card.
How To Make Focaccia Pizza
Quick, clear, and straight to the point—here’s the flow from dough to golden pizza.
- Make the dough. Dissolve the yeast in water, mix in the flour and salt, then knead with olive oil until smooth.
- First rise. Cover and let rest, performing stretch-and-folds as it develops. Let rise until doubled in size.
- Divide and shape. Split the dough into two portions. Roll each one on semolina flour, place on greased trays, and let rise again.
- Precook bases.
Bake the bases briefly on the bottom rack until lightly set.
- Tomato pizza. Brush base with olive oil, spread tomato sauce, and top with cheeses and pepperoni.
- Pesto pizza. Brush base with olive oil, spread basil pesto, and top with cheeses, cherry tomatoes, and mortadella.
- Finish baking.
Return pizzas to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
- Enjoy!
Slice, serve, and share while hot.
Want to see how it all comes together? Check out the video in See It In Action for the full step-by-step.
If you enjoy homemade pizza as much as I do, there are plenty more ways to mix things up. For something bright and fresh, my Smoked Salmon and Avocado Pizza layers a herb cream cheese base with smoked salmon, avocado and peppery arugula. When I want a quick, low‑carb fix, I swap crust for mushroom caps and make 10‑minute Portobello Pizzas that deliver all the cheesy flavour of a classic slice without the guilt. For appetisers, I can’t resist Mini Caprese Deep Dish Pizzas—Caprese salad meets deep‑dish in bite‑size form with generous fillings. And if I’m feeding a crowd, my Cheesy Pizza Pull Apart Bread is pure comfort: a golden loaf crosshatched and stuffed with mozzarella, garlic butter, and herbs that disappear within minutes.
FAQs
Yes, but the texture won’t be quite the same. Focaccia has more hydration, which gives it that airy, fluffy crumb and golden crust.
Absolutely! That’s exactly what we’re doing here—it bakes up soft inside, crisp on the edges, and perfect for any toppings you love.
Focaccia dough is wetter, proofed longer, and usually brushed with olive oil before baking. Pizza dough is drier, stretched thinner, and baked hotter for a crispier finish.
Use a well-oiled pan and bake on the lower oven rack. The olive oil helps the bottom turn beautifully golden and crisp.
Yes! You can prepare the dough in advance and refrigerate it overnight. Just bring it back to room temperature before baking.
See It In Action: Step-By-Step
Focaccia Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 3½ cups type 0 flour at least 12% protein
- 2½ cups water
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 1½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- semolina flour for dustin
Tomato Base Pizza Toppings
- 2 tbsp olive oil for brushing dough
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella
- ½ cup emmental
- ¼ cup provolone
- 35 slices pepperoni
Pesto Base Toppings
- 2 tbsp olive oil for brushing dough
- 1 cup basil pesto
- 2 cups mozzarella
- ½ cup emmental
- ¼ cup provolone
- 15 cherry tomatoes halved
- 12 slices mortadella
Instructions
- Using only ¾ of the water, mix in the yeast until dissolved. Add the flour and mix until the dough starts to come together.
- Add salt with the remaining water, then knead. Gradually drizzle in olive oil and knead until smooth.
- Cover and let rest. Every 15 minutes, perform stretch-and-folds. Let rise until doubled in volume
- Divide dough into 2 equal portions (about 660 g each). Roll each portion on semolina flour and place onto greased trays. Let rise again until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 480°F (250°C). Bake bases on the bottom rack for 6–7 minutes.
For the Tomato Base Pizza
- Brush dough with olive oil, spread with tomato sauce, and top with mozzarella, Emmental, provolone, and pepperoni.
For the Pesto Base Pizza
- Brush dough with olive oil, spread with basil pesto, and top with mozzarella, Emmental, provolone, cherry tomatoes, and mortadella.
Baking
- Return topped pizzas to the middle of the oven. Bake for another 6 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and golden.
Notes
- Hydration is key: The dough should feel slightly sticky but elastic — that’s what gives focaccia its signature airy crumb and crisp crust.
- Don’t skip the rest: Each rise builds structure and flavor, so be patient and let the dough double properly.
- Precook for perfection: Prebaking the bases helps lock in that golden crunch and prevents soggy centers once you add toppings.
- Toppings tip: Both versions bake beautifully, but switch it up — try prosciutto on the pesto or roasted veggies on the tomato base.
- Storage magic: Leftovers? Reheat slices in a hot oven for 3–4 minutes to bring back that just-baked crispness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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