This easy focaccia pizza is perfect. It’s crispy around the edges and pillowy towards the center. I topped this focaccia pizza with tart green apple, crisp red onion, rich vegan cheese, salty oil-cured olives, toasted walnuts and fresh thyme with a drizzle of a homemade balsamic glaze. It can be topped with whatever you like. This dough is easy to make and will fill your kitchen with the most amazing aroma while it bakes!
This easy focaccia recipe is a low-effort one that creates an amazing homemade pizza! If you want the aroma and satisfaction of fresh bread coming out of your oven without a lot of work, this homemade focaccia recipe is a good choice. Most of the time it takes to make is passive. You’ll need about 45 minutes to allow it to rise. A quick knead and shape is all it requires after that. Top it with whatever you like!
Since the temperatures have dipped here in Boston, I’ve been happy to crank up my oven and experiment with different ways of making it. Letting the dough rise on the counter with a damp towel draped over the top is fine, but I’ve been also letting it rise in a warmed-but-not-on oven with a pyrex filled with some water to create a steamy environment and, most recently, on top of a radiator that’s turned down to its lowest setting. It kinda made the perfect pizza dough.
I love Boston radiators. The clang and thump is comforting for some reason. I love placing scarves and gloves on the top so they’re warmed before heading out into the cold.
How to Make This Focaccia Bread Recipe
After your focaccia dough has risen, punch it down to deflate it. Then, flour your work surface and knead it briefly for a minute or two. I like shaping it into a messy shape, but any shape will do.
Topping your focaccia bread pizza
I topped this focaccia bread pizza with tart apple, crisp red onion, vegan cheese, walnuts, oil-cured olives and a homemade balsamic glaze, but you can top with whatever you like.
Here are some more ideas:
Vegan proteins
Field Roast Grain Meat sausages
Vegan pepperoni
Impossible sausages
Tofu
Buffalo Cauliflower
Vegan cheese
Violife, Daiya, and Parmela are all excellent brands!
Vegetables
Spinach, arugula, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, shallots, kale
Other toppings
Olives, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic
You can also top your focaccia bread pizza with just marinara and vegan cheese shreds, ground (they’re perfect pulsed in a food processor and browned beforehand). Whatever you decide to top it with, just be sure to brush the edges of the dough with plenty of olive oil, and be liberal with salt.
For more homemade pizza ideas, check these recipes out!
Purple Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Garlic Oil
Spicy Thai-Style Pizza with Peanut Sauce
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Easy Focaccia Pizza
- Total Time: 1 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy focaccia pizza is delicious and will fill your kitchen with an amazing aroma! Top with whatever you like, this pizza will be delicious with your favorite toppings!
Ingredients
for the dough
- 1 package of active dry yeast
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 2 cups AP flour, plus extra for dusting
- olive oil
for the balsamic glaze
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 cup brown sugar
for the toppings
- some olive oil, for brushing the top and sides of the dough
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- one green apple, mandolined
- 1/2 small red onion, mandolined
- a couple handfuls of vegan cheese shreds (Daiya Mozz or Follow your Heart Parmesan are great choices)
- 10 oil-cured olives, de-pitted and chopped
- a handful of chopped walnuts, toasted for a few minutes in a hot cast iron pan
- one teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
to prepare the dough
- Combine the yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Add warm water, give it a little stir and set aside for 10-15 minutes until foamy.
- Place the flour into a large bowl. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour, scraping all of the yeast mixture out of the small bowl.
- Combine with a strong spatula until all of the flour is absorbed, adding in water one tablespoon at a time if needed. You want it to just hold together without being too sticky.
- Dust your countertop with some of the flour and knead the dough for a minute or two. Form into a ball.
- Oil a clean glass bowl, and place the dough into it. Oil the top and cover the bowl with a damp towel.
- To allow it to rise, either place it on your countertop until doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour, place into a steamy spot until doubled in size or even on top of your radiator, provided it’s not super hot.
- Deflate the dough on a floured surface. Knead for a minute or two, then shape as desired. Place onto a baking sheet.
for the balsamic glaze
- Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a small simmer over medium heat until it reduces by half, then set aside to cool. It will thicken as its cools.
to top and bake
- Preheat your oven to 425.
- Brush the top of the dough with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt.
- Poke the top all over with your fingertips to make little indents.
- Top evenly with the apples, followed by the red onion, vegan cheese and olives. Brush the exposed edges with a little more olive oil.
- Place into the oven to bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges start to look golden.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the walnuts and thyme, then place into the oven to bake for an additional 2-3 minutes more.
- To serve, drizzle with the desired amount of balsamic glaze, and slice as desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
This focaccia is perfect fresh and kind of meh reheated, so it’s best to make when you are sure you can eat the whole thing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Dough Rising Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Kneaded, Baked, Reduced
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: vegan pizza, focaccia pizza, homemade pizza dough
Flora says
Wow this look so yummy! We just bought a new pizza oven so definitely going to give this recipe a go. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Maria Koutsogiannis says
OMG this looks so good and the photos are gorgeous!
Karin Tracy says
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.
erinwyso says
I’ll have to try that one, Karin!
Albert Bevia says
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 🙂
erinwyso says
Thank you Albert, I hope you enjoy!