Sicilian-style Pizza (Focaccia Pizza)

Updated at: Sun, 27 Oct 2024 17:14:46 GMT

Step 1

Mix the base focaccia dough - you can use my ‘Overnight Focaccia’, ‘Same-Day Focaccia’ or ‘The Best Sourdough Focaccia’. Follow the recipe up until it has fully proofed in the bowl and then carry on with the recipe here.

Step 2

Prepare a 13x18 baking tray by lining it with nonstick parchment paper and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (at least 3 tablespoons).

Step 3

Tip the fully proofed dough into the tray and then oil your fingers and gently spread the dough out a bit (don’t pull it all the way to the edges yet). Cover the tray with another large inverted tray or some oiled parchment paper and leave the dough to proof/spread in tray for about 1 hour (or 1.5 hours if you’ve used one of the overnight method doughs).

Step 4

While the dough is proofing, prepare your pizza sauce. You can of course use any pizza sauce you’d like here. This simple recipe for cooked pizza sauce takes only 15 minutes and the result is delicious.

Step 5

In a medium frying pan or saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add in the garlic and simmer over a low heat for 1-2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, stir to combine with the oil and bring to a simmer. Add in the flaky sea salt and a pinch of granulated sugar and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes and then stir in the julienned basil. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes and then set aside until it’s time to assemble the pizza.

Step 6

Once the dough has proofed for 1 hour, preheat your oven to 220C/430F and move the oven rack to the lowest position (this helps to crisp up the base). If you have a pizza setting on your oven, opt to use that as it directs heat to the bottom of the oven.

Step 7

Oil your fingers using some of the extra virgin olive oil from the tray and slide your hands under the dough and pull each side out towards the edges of the tray. Try and create an even layer of dough. You may notice the dough will want to pull back into the centre of the tray and if that’s the case, stretch it as far as it will go, leave it to rest for 5 minutes (to relax the gluten) and then try stretching it to the edges of the tray once more.

Step 8

Once the dough is in an even layer, drizzle it with more extra virgin olive oil and then dimple it thoroughly whilst pushing the dough to the edges of the tray to ensure it covers the entire surface area.

Step 9

Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the top of the bread is just starting to brown in places on top and starting to go brown on the bottom too.

Step 10

Remove from the oven and then spread the pizza sauce into an even layer - be sure to spread it over every part of the bread, even the edges. Scatter over the grated mozzarella cheese, grate over a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, scatter over 2.5 Tablespoons of julienned basil, sprinkle on the oregano and drizzle some more extra virgin olive oil on top. If you’d like to customise with your own toppings, feel free to do so!

Step 11

Return the focaccia pizza to the oven for an additional 10-14 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown (check to make sure it’s crispy at the bottom too). If the bottom needs more time to get crispy, place the tray directly onto the bottom of the oven for a few minutes, that should help to toast it up.

Step 12

Remove from the oven and garnish with more fresh julienned basil and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan. Hot honey, chilli oil, garlic oil or chilli flakes would be great drizzled on at the end too.

Step 13

Transfer to a cooling rack to ensure the base of the pizza stays crispy and then slice and enjoy!

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