Focaccia Pizza Supreme

The rain was hammering against the kitchen window the afternoon I stumbled onto the idea of mashing focaccia and pizza together into one glorious slab of comfort. I had a bowl of sticky focaccia dough rising on the counter and a half empty jar of passata staring at me from the fridge door. Something about the dreary weather made a regular pizza feel too delicate, too polite for the mood I was in.

My neighbor Dave wandered over that same rainy evening drawn by the smell drifting through the hallway and ended up eating three squares while standing at the counter with a napkin tucked into his shirt collar.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour (500 g or 4 cups): Regular flour works beautifully here, no need to track down fancy Italian tipo 00.
• Warm water (375 ml or 1 and a half cups): Should feel like a warm bath to your finger, not hot enough to kill the yeast.
• Instant yeast (10 g or 2 tsp): Instant skips the blooming step, but active dry works if you dissolve it in the water first.
• Fine sea salt (10 g or 2 tsp): Don skimp on salt in focaccia dough, it is the difference between bland and addictive.
• Extra virgin olive oil (50 ml plus more for drizzling): Generosity with olive oil is the whole personality of this recipe.
• Passata or tomato puree (200 ml or three quarters cup): Passata gives a smoother sauce than crushed tomatoes.
• Garlic (1 clove, minced): One clove keeps the sauce gentle, add another if you like it bold.
• Dried oregano (1 tsp): Rub it between your palms before adding to wake up the oils.
• Sugar (half tsp): Just enough to round the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Shredded mozzarella (150 g or 1 and a half cups): Low moisture mozzarella melts cleaner on focaccia than the fresh kind.
• Sliced pepperoni or vegetarian alternative (50 g, optional): Cup and char pepperoni curls into crispy little boats of flavor.
• Half red bell pepper, thinly sliced: Slice these thin so they roast soft in the oven time.
• Half green bell pepper, thinly sliced: The color pair looks like a proper supreme pizza.
• Half small red onion, thinly sliced: Soak in cold water for five minutes if you want to tame the bite.
• Sliced black olives (60 g): Drain them well or they leave purple puddles on the cheese.
• Sliced mushrooms (75 g): A quick pat dry with a towel keeps them from making the crust damp.
• Chopped fresh basil (1 tbsp): Add after baking so it stays bright and fragrant.
• Freshly ground black pepper: A generous crack over the top ties everything together.

Instructions

Build the dough:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt with a whisk. Pour in the warm water and olive oil, then stir with a wooden spoon until you have a wet, shaggy mass that looks impossibly sticky. That is exactly right, so resist the urge to add more flour.

Let it rise:

Give the dough a brief fold in the bowl with wet hands, then cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Leave it in the warmest spot in your kitchen for one to two hours until it has puffed up and looks bubbly on the surface.

Simmer the sauce:

Warm olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic just until you can smell it. Add the passata, oregano, salt, and sugar, then let it bubble gently for ten minutes until slightly thickened. Set it aside to cool while the dough finishes rising.

Stretch into the pan:

Pour a generous puddle of olive oil onto a large baking sheet, roughly 30 by 40 cm. Tip the risen dough onto the sheet and use oiled fingers to coax it toward the edges. If it springs back stubbornly, walk away for fifteen minutes and try again.

Preheat the oven:

Crank the oven to 220 degrees Celsius or 425 degrees Fahrenheit and move a rack to the lower third of the oven so the bottom gets properly crispy.

Prebake the base:

Press deep dimples across the surface with your fingertips and drizzle with more olive oil. Slide it into the oven for ten minutes until the top looks set but has not yet taken on color.

Load on the toppings:

Pull the parbaked focaccia out and spread the sauce evenly all the way to the corners. Scatter the mozzarella first, then arrange pepperoni, both bell peppers, onion, olives, and mushrooms in whatever pattern pleases you. Finish with a generous crack of black pepper.

Bake until golden:

Return the loaded focaccia to the oven for another fifteen minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the edges have turned a deep golden brown. The bottom should sound hollow when tapped.

Rest and finish:

Let the focaccia sit for five minutes so the cheese settles and stops sliding. Scatter the fresh basil over the top, cut into six generous squares, and serve while the edges are still crackling.

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The second time I made this I brought a tray to a friends rooftop potluck and watched four strangers fall into an argument over who got the corner piece with the crispiest edge.

Making It Your Own

Once you have the focaccia base sorted, the toppings become a conversation with whatever is sitting in your refrigerator. Artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, or roasted red peppers all belong here as much as the classic supreme lineup. The dough itself is neutral enough that even a scatter of caramelized onions and gorgonzola turns it into something entirely different without changing the method.

The Overnight Secret

Mixing the dough the evening before and parking it in the refrigerator transforms the flavor into something deeper and slightly tangy, almost like it borrowed personality from sourdough. The slow cold ferment also makes the dough easier to handle, less sticky, and more willing to stretch. Just pull it out about an hour before you plan to shape it so it can come to room temperature.

What to Serve Alongside

This is already a hearty main dish so keep the sides lean and bright. A simple arugula salad with lemon juice and shaved parmesan cuts through the richness perfectly. Pour something Italian and red, like a Chianti or Montepulciano, and the meal suddenly feels like a weekend in Tuscany even if you are eating at the kitchen counter.

• A drizzle of chili oil over the last few bites is never a bad idea.
• Leftovers reheat beautifully in a skillet on the stove, crisp side down.
• Always check labels on pepperoni or plant based meats for hidden allergens if you are cooking for others.

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Some dishes you follow a recipe for, and others you build a weekend around, and this focaccia pizza supreme is firmly the second kind. Make it once and it will become the thing everyone asks you to bring.

Recipe Questions & Answers

→ Why prebake the focaccia base?

Prebaking sets the airy crumb and creates a barrier so the sauce and toppings don’t make the dough soggy; it ensures a crisp, golden edge after the final bake.

→ How long should the dough rise?

Allow the dough to double in size, typically 1–2 hours at room temperature. A longer, slower chill in the fridge overnight develops more flavor and texture.

→ Can I swap mozzarella for another cheese?

Yes. Use provolone, fontina or a mix for different melt and flavor profiles. For less moisture, pat-dry fresh cheeses before topping.

→ What are good vegetarian topping alternatives?

Use roasted artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, grilled zucchini or plant-based pepperoni to keep bold flavors without meat.

→ How should leftovers be stored and reheated?

Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot oven or toaster oven to revive crisp edges rather than the microwave.

→ How can I prevent toppings from sliding off?

Drain watery ingredients (e.g., canned vegetables), distribute cheese beneath wetter toppings, and avoid overloading the surface to keep everything in place while baking.