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Deep Dish Focaccia Pizza Recipe

How to Make Focaccia Pizza lizbushong.com

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Easy pizza dough recipe, baked in cast iron skillet or 9″ round cake pan. Make your favorite sauce and add toppings for a great focaccia style deep dish pizza.

To speed up baking, briefly cook the skillet pizza over medium heat on stove top to help crust up or brown the bottom crust however, do not do this process with a 9″ cake pan.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Focaccia Bread- Pizza Crust

13/4 cup unbleached flour

3 teaspoons rapid rise yeast or 1 package-(1/4 ounce)

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup hot water ( 120-130 degrees)

21/2 tablespoons olive oil

Pizza Sauce

114 ounce can basil, garlic, oregano diced tomatoes, tested Hunts-undrained

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Pizza Toppings or Variations

Pizza Sauce, cooked ground sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives, shredded cheese. Additional oregano, garlic powder, pepper, or spices of your choice.

Focaccia Topping Variations:

Gorgonzola Pine Nut: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbled, 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Feta Pesto: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup prepared pesto, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 4-6 chopped dried tomatoes or chopped cherry tomatoes.

Garlic Rosemary: 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary.

Instructions

  1. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt.  In small measuring cup heat water in microwave for 45 seconds or until water temperature is 120-130 degrees.
  2. Add olive oil to hot water, then add to dry ingredients.  Stir with large wooden spoon or dough hook to combine. Shape into a small ball, dough will be sticky.  Turn dough onto floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Add additional flour if necessary a tablespoon at a time.  Dough should be sticky enough to shape into a round ball but not a stiff dough.
  3. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with tea towel and let rise about 40 minutes or until double.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 10″ round cake pan or 12″ cast iron skillet.  Punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes before rolling out.  Roll dough on lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin.  Roll dough into 9″ circle for cake pan or 11″ round for skillet.
  5. Place dough in prepared pan building edges of dough up the sides of the pan.  Cover and let rise with tea towel about 15-30 minutes.
  6. Using end of wooden spoon or fingers poke indentations on the surface of risen dough.
  7. Make home made pizza sauce or use purchased. See recipe below for home made sauce.
  8. Add pizza sauce and toppings. Drizzle with olive oil.
  9. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and sides.  Cast iron skillet will give you a darker and crispier crust vs light cake pan.  Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before slicing. Drizzle with olive oil if desired.

Home made Pizza Sauce

In blender or food processor with steel blade, add all ingredients for the sauce, pulse or blend until smooth and somewhat thick. If needed add additional dried oregano and basil or spice of choice.

 

Notes

  • If you want to bake this crust in a casserole, you can use a 9″ x 13″ with sides.  The dough needs a pan with sides for the deep dish crust.
  • Cast iron skillet will give you a crisper and deeper brown crust.
  • This recipe will make great focaccia bread by using the main recipe and adding variations instead of pizza toppings..