This focaccia pizza features a golden, olive oil–kissed crust that’s built for bold toppings and second helpings. It’s topped with tart apple, briny olives, toasted walnuts, and balsamic glaze to create a layered, savory-sweet finish that delivers sweet, salty, and crunchy all in one bite.
Can you use focaccia bread for pizza? Yes—and it’s one of the easiest ways to get crisp edges and a soft, chewy center without fussing over traditional pizza dough. Focaccia’s slightly thicker structure holds toppings beautifully while still baking up golden and airy. If you love the texture of focaccia but want the flexibility of pizza night, this is where the two meet.
This version leans into contrast: thin slices of tart green apple, sharp red onion, salty oil-cured olives, toasted walnuts, and creamy vegan cheese, all finished with a glossy balsamic glaze. It’s sweet, briny, crunchy, and rich—creating a focaccia pizza that feels balanced and keeps you going back for another bite.
Can You Use Focaccia Bread for Pizza?
What makes focaccia work as a pizza crust comes down to structure. Focaccia dough is baked in a well-oiled pan, creating golden edges while the interior stays soft and airy, sturdy enough to support toppings without folding or tearing.
Unlike traditional pizza dough, which is stretched thin and baked quickly at high heat, focaccia is thicker and more substantial. That extra height gives you room to layer flavor without overwhelming the base. When baked properly, it holds apples, olives, cheese, and glaze without becoming heavy. The olive oil in the pan adds richness while helping the bottom brown deeply.
The result is a focaccia bread pizza that feels rustic and satisfying—less blistered than classic Neapolitan-style crust, but generous and built for bold toppings.
Why You’ll Love This Focaccia Pizza
This focaccia pizza is easy enough for weeknights, special enough for weekends, and perfect for a crowd, two (or just you).
- Layered, intentional flavor. Tart green apple, sharp red onion, salty olives, toasted walnuts, and balsamic glaze create contrast that feels cohesive and balanced.
- Designed to support generous toppings. This focaccia pizza recipe gives you enough structure to layer generously without buckling the base.
- Weeknight and weekend-friendly recipe. This recipe requires no stand mixer and no advance shaping skills. Just mix, knead briefly, allow to rise, press into a well-oiled pan, and bake.
- Flexible beyond this version. Once you understand how focaccia works as pizza crust, you can swap toppings based on what’s in your fridge.
Key Ingredients
This focaccia pizza starts with a simple dough made with active dry yeast, warm water, all-purpose flour, and olive oil. The yeast creates lift and chew, while olive oil enriches the crumb and helps the bottom fry gently against the pan as it bakes. That contact with hot oil is what gives you those crisp, golden edges without drying out the center. It’s a simple base, but brings enough structure to support the toppings with ease.
From there, the flavor here works because of contrast.
- Green apple: Brings acidity and a bit of snap. As it bakes, the sugars lightly concentrate while the tartness remains, keeping the richness of the crust and cheese in check.
- Oil-cured olives: This brings on a deep umami with a pop of salt. They work here because they add a concentrated, briny element that pulls everything together.
- Toasted walnuts: Adds texture and a subtle bitterness. A quick toast amplifies their nutty aroma, which rounds out the sweeter elements.
- Balsamic glaze: Contributes both sweetness and acidity. Reduced until syrupy, it clings to the surface instead of soaking in, so you get that brightness and tang in every bite.
- Vegan cheese shreds: Melts into the apples and onions, adding creaminess and a different layer of texture.
The result? A focaccia pizza that works because each topping adds acid against fat, crunch against chew, sweet against salt—all anchored by a dough built to hold its shape.
More Pizza Topping Ideas
Once you see how focaccia works as pizza crust, you can swap in other toppings and flavor combinations. Check out our vegan pizza toppings guide for more ideas!
How to Make Focaccia Pizza (Step by Step)
This focaccia pizza dough is mixed to be sturdy enough for toppings while still baking up soft and airy. Baked at 425°F, it develops golden edges and a structured base that won’t collapse under apples, olives, and glaze. For full recipe details and measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Bloom the yeast. Whisk the active dry yeast with warm water (and sugar, if using) and let it sit until foamy. This ensures the dough rises properly and develops that soft chew. Check out our guide on testing yeast to confirm that your yeast is good.
Step 2: Mix and knead briefly. Stir the yeast mixture into the flour and olive oil until a soft dough forms. Knead for just a couple of minutes—you’re looking for slightly smooth and elastic here.
Step 3: First rise. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. An oven with the light on, the top of the refrigerator, or any draft-free corner of the kitchen works well.
Step 4: Press into the pan. Transfer the dough to a well-oiled pan or cast-iron skillet. Gently press it out to the edges and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Dimple the surface with your fingertips to create little pockets for olive oil.
Step 5: Add toppings. Layer the apples first, followed by red onion, vegan cheese, and olives. Brush the exposed edges with olive oil for extra browning.
Step 6: Bake at 425°F. Bake until the edges are golden and the bottom is lightly crisp. Sprinkle on the toasted walnuts and thyme in the last few minutes to prevent burning.
Step 7: Finish with balsamic glaze. Drizzle lightly over the top once it comes out of the oven. Let it rest briefly before slicing so the structure sets.
FAQs
The difference between focaccia and pizza comes down to thickness, hydration, and baking method. Focaccia is typically thicker, baked in a well-oiled pan, and has a soft, airy interior with crisp edges. Traditional pizza dough is stretched thinner and baked at higher heat for a blistered crust. Focaccia works well as pizza crust when you want more structure and a heartier bite.
Focaccia dough and pizza dough use similar ingredients—flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil—but they’re handled differently. Focaccia dough is typically higher in hydration, baked in oil, and allowed to rise into a thicker base. Pizza dough is stretched thin and baked quickly at high heat. For this focaccia pizza, the dough is mixed on the firmer side compared to traditional high-hydration focaccia so it can support toppings while still baking up soft and airy.
Focaccia pizza is best the day it’s baked. The edges are crisp and the center stays tender when fresh, but the texture softens once reheated. If possible, plan to bake it close to serving for the best result.
More Pizza & Focaccia Recipes
- Focaccia Pizza with Fresh Mâche
- Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza
- Quinoa Pizza Crust
- Crispy Cauliflower Crust Pizza
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Focaccia Pizza with Apple, Olives & Balsamic Glaze
This focaccia pizza starts with a golden, olive-oil-kissed crust that’s crisp at the edges and soft and airy in the center. It’s topped with thin green apple, salty oil-cured olives, toasted walnuts, and a glossy drizzle of balsamic that pulls everything into balance. It delivers a little sweetness, a little brine, and a little crunch.
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the focaccia pizza dough
- 1 package of active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- Olive oil
For the balsamic glaze
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
For the toppings
- Olive oil, for brushing
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- one green apple, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Vegan cheese shreds
- 10 oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped
- Handful of chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
Make the focaccia pizza dough
- Combine yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Add warm water and let sit 10–15 minutes until foamy.
- Place flour in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and stir until the dough comes together, adding water one tablespoon at a time if needed. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1–2 minutes. Form into a ball.
- Place in an oiled bowl, coat the top lightly with oil, and cover. Let rise until doubled in size, about 45–60 minutes.
- Punch down, knead briefly, and shape on a baking sheet.
Make the balsamic glaze
- Combine the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 6–10 minutes, or until reduced by about half and lightly syrupy — it should coat the back of a spoon but still flow.
- Remove from the heat and let cool; it will continue to thicken as it stands.
Assemble and bake
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Dimple the surface with your fingertips.
- Top evenly with apple, red onion, vegan cheese, and olives. Brush exposed edges lightly with olive oil.
- Bake 10 minutes, until edges begin turning golden.
- Remove from oven, add walnuts and thyme, and bake 2–3 minutes more.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve immediately.
Notes
- This focaccia pizza is best eaten fresh, when the edges are crisp and the center is still tender. It doesn’t reheat particularly well, so plan to bake it when you can enjoy it straight from the oven.
- If you do have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container and reheat briefly at 400–425°F just until warmed through. The texture will soften slightly, but the flavor will still be there.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Dough Rising Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked, Kneaded, Reduced
- Cuisine: American, Italian
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2026 with clarified instructions.
I’ve made this several times, usually a double batch! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so happy you love the focaccia recipe, Kim!!
Wow this look so yummy! We just bought a new pizza oven so definitely going to give this recipe a go. Thanks for sharing 🙂
OMG this looks so good and the photos are gorgeous!
I turn my oven on to 250 and put dough in a covered (with a tea towel) bowl to sit on top of the oven. The stovetop gets just warm enough to do the trick.
I’ll have to try that one, Karin!
Some great tips on making the dough rise, I always just leave it covered in the counter-top, but I gotta try these different methods, either way this looks stunning and oh so good! Can´t wait to make this 🙂
Thank you Albert, I hope you enjoy!