Simple Garlic Focaccia Pizza Recipe

Pizza is a classic dish that satisfies nearly every palate and appetite. The best part about this beloved food is how versatile it is. Many people agree that a pizza has three crucial elements to it: a crust, some sort of sauce, and cheese. From there, however, the topping opportunities are endless — from pepperoni, to pineapple, to baked ziti, to fresh arugula and prosciutto ... the list goes on. You can let your creativity shine and top your pizza with just about anything your heart desires.

If you're a major fan of a simple pie with fresh ingredients, then this garlic focaccia pizza recipe may be exactly what you're looking for. Recipe developer Mackenzie Ryan of Food Above Gold created a perfectly savory recipe that highlights the irresistible flavor combination of garlic, heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. As Ryan notes, "There is no official 'sauce' for this pizza, because it would distract from the garlic in the focaccia as well as the delicious fresh toppings." Instead, you should be generous with the olive oil to give the pizza that oomph and allow the fresh toppings to speak for themselves.

To make garlic focaccia pizza, you'll need to make sure that you have all the proper ingredients ready to go. For the crust, you'll need flour, salt, yeast, sugar, water, and extra-virgin olive oil. You'll also need olive oil to top your pizza, along with sliced garlic, sliced heirloom tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Ryan notes that there are plenty of optional toppings that you could include, depending on your flavor preferences. Some of these optional toppings could include pancetta, eggplant, roasted peppers, avocado, or even grilled peaches.

To get this recipe started, you'll first need to prepare your focaccia dough. Activate your yeast by mixing it with the warm water and sugar, and then wait about five minutes until it gets foamy. Then, sift together your flour and salt, and pour in the foamy yeast mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients together until a shaggy dough forms — it should look like the dough in the picture.

Once you have a shaggy dough, you can turn it out onto a countertop, and begin kneading. Using your hands, knead the dough until a soft ball forms. From there, you'll knead in half of your olive oil and half of your sliced garlic. Continue kneading the dough until everything is evenly combined and the garlic is distributed. By adding the garlic in at this stage, you're ensuring that the flavor will be thoroughly infused into the crust, making for a decadent and garlicky flavor with each and every bite.

Once you've thoroughly kneaded your dough, go ahead and put it back into a bowl, drizzle a little olive oil on top, and put plastic wrap over it. Put the bowl somewhere warm, and allow the dough to rise for two hours. After those two hours are up, move the dough to the fridge, and allow it to rest overnight. When you come back to it the next day, you'll see that the dough has risen significantly.

After your dough has rested overnight, it's ready for the best part: baking the pizza! Go ahead and pull the dough out of the fridge, and get your oven preheated to 425 F. As the oven heats up, put the other half of your olive oil onto a baking sheet. Place your dough on the baking sheet, and use your fingers to press it down, flatten it, and spread it into your desired pizza shape.

Once you have your dough spread out in the pan, you can begin adding your toppings. Drizzle a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil across the top of the dough, and then begin adding your sliced heirloom tomatoes and sliced mozzarella. If you want to add any optional toppings like pancetta, roasted peppers, or onion, go ahead and add those on during this step as well. Then, season with salt and pepper, and pop your pizza in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. You'll know your pizza is done baking once the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Once your pizza is out of the oven, you can go ahead and sprinkle on your fresh basil, slice it up, and serve! Ryan recommends using oil-based toppings, like olive oil mixed with lemon juice, as an additional dipping sauce so you don't overwhelm the pizza, as the flavors will stand out on their own. 

This dish is great for families, as it yields 12 slices, although you can also make it for a smaller group (or just yourself!) and store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. If you do store leftovers, be sure to do so in a single layer so the moisture from the tomatoes doesn't make your crust soggy. If you're looking for an easy, simple, yet incredibly scrumptious and crowd-pleasing pizza, this garlic focaccia pizza recipe will definitely become your new go-to!