Sesame Crusted Focaccia Pizza
MAKES
one 9 x 13 inch / 23 x 33 cm pizza
TAKES
Prep time: 14 hours 5 minutes (includes rise times)
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total: 14 hours 45 minutes (includes rise time)
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
If you haven’t ever used fluffy focaccia dough as the base of a pizza, you’re seriously missing out. It’s incredible: light and fluffy - a dreamy base for any toppings you like. A pizza place I love lines their pizza pans with sesame seeds, which makes a delicious, toasty, fragrant “crust” on the base - and the first time I adopted this for a focaccia pizza, I was hooked.
INGREDIENTS
Focaccia
570 g / 4 ¾ cups bread flour (see Note)
12 g / 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
7 g / 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
452 g / 2 cups warm water (around 110°F / 45°C)
60 g / ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
21 g / 1 tablespoon honey
Finishing
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
150 g / ½ cup white sesame seeds
300 g / 1 ¼ cups tomato sauce
285 g / 10 ounces low moisture shredded mozzarella cheese
113 g / 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces
other pizza toppings, such as pepperoni, mushrooms, garlic, basil, as needed
Make This Recipe With Me:
METHOD
1. Twelve to 48 hours before you want to bake the focaccia, make the dough: In a large bowl, stir the flour, salt, and yeast together. Add the water, olive oil, and honey and mix until thoroughly combined, 1 to 2 minutes. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Using a dough scraper or damp hands, gently reach under the dough, folding the bottom portion of it over onto the top. Repeat this process 4 to 5 times, working your way around the bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 48 hours.
3. When ready to make the focaccia, bring the dough to room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Grease a 9 x 13 inch / 23 x 33 cm baking pan generously with olive oil, and use your hands or a pastry brush to coat the whole interior well. Sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly over the base, and partially up the sides of the pan.
5. Add the dough to the pan and gently turn it over so both sides are lightly oiled. Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it nearly doubles in size and almost fills the pan, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Use your fingertips to gently stipple the dough - this will even out the thickness of the dough, spread it out over the base of the pan, and add texture to the surface. Cover and let rest while you preheat the oven.
7. Preheat the oven to 450°F / 235°C with an oven rack in the center.
8. Drizzle more olive oil over the surface of the loaf, then dollop the tomato sauce evenly over the surface, and spread into an even layer over the entire surface.
9. Add the shredded mozzarella evenly over the surface, and sprinkle the fresh mozzarella over the surface. If using any other toppings, add them on the surface.
10. Transfer to the oven and bake until the focaccia is deeply golden brown, and the cheese is bubbly and melted, 28-32 minutes.
11. Cool the focaccia in the pan for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a cutting board. Cut into 8 slices, and serve immediately.
NOTES:
I prefer to use bread flour in my focaccia, however - this recipe is flexible enough that you can use all purpose flour if it’s all you have on hand, and it will still work!
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
