Pizza Bread Focaccia Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This Italian pizza bread focaccia recipe from scratch is the perfect fusion of the two favorite Italian flatbreads. It’s technically our cult classic pizza dough recipe with a secret ingredient and the focaccia toppings worked into it and baked in a free form shape. No cheese, no eggs, It makes a fabulous thin sandwich bread with a crisp bottom to be stuffed with your favorite veggies or dipped in a thick Pomodoro sauce.
Pizza Bread
The toppings are kneaded into a heavenly potato dough then stretched thin on a baking sheet and baked as you would any focaccia; round, oblong, a Christmas tree even or any free form shape you imagine. You can slice it into wedges as you would a classic pizza pie and serve with a good homemade arrabiata, cut it into breadsticks or Into squares and split in half to make the ultimate focaccia sandwich. To me this really makes the best sandwich bread imaginable.
About the Dough
It’s a simple all purpose flour dough but with a secret ingredient: mashed potatoes! A light but moist crumb brimming with savory flavor from all the toppings worked into it. If you love my olive bread you are going to love this one too, easier and faster to make.
The Filling
As with any pizza creation the possibilities are endless, my favorite variation is Tapenade inspired with all the savory components from capers, olives and a roasted pepper from scratch. Toasted fennel seeds and a touch of rosemary elevate the flavor profile to absolute perfection. If desired you could use about 1 cup of store-bought tapenade to work into the dough but I’d argue that from scratch is always better.
On Storage
I like to store any leftovers wrapped in parchment paper at room temperature overnight. They heat up beautifully in the toaster oven or under the broiler. For longer term store in plastic bags and freeze up to 4 months and thaw out at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Pomodoro Sauce
- Arrabiata
- Best Marinara
- Homemade Mozzarella
- White Bean Dip
- Giardiniera
- Zacusca Vegetable Spread
- Best Minestrone
- Mushroom Stew
- Tomato Olive Salad.
watch how to make it
Pizza Bread Focaccia
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp fennel seeds lightly toasted
- 1 sprig rosemary roughly chopped
- 1.5 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 3/4 cup mashed potato (1 large gold potato peeled, cooked + mashed)
- 3/4 cup warm water
Olive Mix
- 1/2 cup black olives diced or chopped
- 1 Tbsp brined capers roughly chopped
- 1 roasted red pepper peeled + diced
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the chopped olives, roasted pepper, capers and olive oil. Set aside.1/2 cup black olives, 1 Tbsp brined capers, 1 roasted red pepper, 3 Tbsp olive oil
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, garlic, fennel and rosemary.2.5 cups all purpose flour, 1 Tbsp fennel seeds, 1.5 tsp instant yeast, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp granulated garlic, 1 sprig rosemary
- Add the mashed potato and with your hand work it into the flour mixture until a coarse rustic texture is achieved.3/4 cup mashed potato
- Pour in the water and combine until a shaggy dough is formed. It will look kind of dry and messy at this point and that’s great!3/4 cup warm water
- Add the olive mixture and using your hand start kneading it into the flour mixture until combined and dough is formed. Sprinkle a little extra flour around the sides and the top if need be to make it easier to work with, but don’t add too much.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel and allow to rise in a draft free area for 2 to 3 hours until double in size.
- Once your dough looks ready preheat your oven to 475”F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly brush it with oil.
- Transfer the focaccia dough to the baking sheet and using your fingers press dimples into it while also gently stretching to the sides without breaking the gluten strands. Keep doing this motion until the focaccia is spread into 1/2 inch thickness or so. You can shape a round circle like a pizza, a rectangle or square whatever you fancy. It’s a rustic free form shape so don’t sweat it.
- Loosely cover the focaccia with some parchment paper and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes while the oven is preheating. You want to give the gluten strands some time to bounce back.
- After 30 minutes remove the cover and drizzle with olive oil over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven @475"F for 20 minutes or utility nicely golden on top. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling wrack for 10 minutes or s before slicing into it.
- Serve with a thick Pomodoro sauce for dipping.
Video
Notes
- The Filling - Best to make your own mix of olives, capers and even roast your own pepper. However you could also just use about 1 cup of store-bought tapenade instead.
The most flavorful focaccia I’ve ever had! Mixing in the ingredients really elevates the flavor throughout the dough and adding mashed potato is pure genius! Thank you for this great recipe, another one for my forever faves folder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️