No Knead Focaccia Pizza

Focaccia pizza sliced with pepperoni and fresh basil.

5 from 3 votes

An untraditional spin on pizza, this no knead focaccia pizza recipe uses my foolproof overnight focaccia base and includes some of my favorite pizza toppings. What makes this recipe so great is that you can totally customize it to suit your tastes and preferences with different toppings. Make this for your next pizza night!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Proofing Time18

Total Time18 40

Course: Appetizer, Brunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: Slices

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $10

Equipment

9x13 Baking pan or large rimmed baking sheet - Affiliate link

Ingredients

For the Dough

3½ cups All-purpose flour - 455 grams - Bread flour can be used
2 tsp Kosher salt - 10 grams
2 tsp Instant yeast - 7 grams
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil - 28 grams
1½ cups Lukewarm water - 355 grams
Extra olive oil for drizzling

For Baking and Dressing

1 tbsp Butter - For greasing the pan
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Marinara sauce
1½ cups Shredded mozzarella
¼ cup Grated parmesan
½-1 cup Pepperoni slices

Finish

Basil leaves, hot honey, red pepper flakes, and flakey salt for garnish. - Optional

Instructions

Mix. To a large bowl, add 3½ cups All-purpose flour, 2 tsp Kosher salt, 2 tsp Instant yeast, 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil and 1½ cups Lukewarm water. Mix with a wooden spoon until all the flour is hydrated. The mix should be shaggy but not sloppy.
Rise. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting cover and refrigerate overnight for at least 18 hours.
Deflate. 2 hours before you want to bake the focaccia, take the bowl out of the fridge and uncover it. Using your hands deflate the dough slightly and transfer the dough to a buttered and oiled baking tray (9x13) or sheet pan.
Shape. Shape it loosely by grabbing each end and folding it over like you would a letter. Flip the dough over so the seams are on the bottom. Cover the tray with a tea towel and set aside for 1.5-2 hours in a warm place.
Dimple. Preheat your oven to 425F/220C. The dough should now have spread covering the surface of the baking tray. If not, you can help it stretch to the edges by carefully easing it to the corners. Drizzle more olive oil over the dough and start dimpling with your fingers, covering the entire surface. This creates valleys and mountains in the dough and you should also see air bubbles forming.
Dress. Add 1 cup Marinara sauce, 1½ cups Shredded mozzarella, ¼ cup Grated parmesan and ½-1 cup Pepperoni slices.
Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Feel free to sprinkle some sea salt at the end, more parmesan, basil leaves and drizzle with hot honey!

Video

Notes

See the blog post above for detailed step-by-step recipe photos.

Ingredient notes:

Flour: This recipe uses 100% white all-purpose flour (unbleached preferred). However, feel free to sub in some whole wheat flour (up to 25% of the total flour amount).
Yeast: I like to use Instant yeast when making no knead bread, but dry active yeast will work just fine too. Just make sure to bloom it in the water for a few minutes before making the dough.
Olive Oil: It wouldn’t be a focaccia without olive oil. This recipe uses quite a bit of oil. You can reduce the amount slightly but keep in mind a traditional focaccia is supposed to be slightly oily. Good quality olive oil is a must.
Cheese: A combination of shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan for that classic pizza flavor.
Marinara: I am using my marinara sauce recipe here, but feel free to use seasoned passata (crushed tomatoes) or your favorite pizza sauce. Just make sure that it’s not too runny or else you’ll end up with soggy focaccia.
Pepperoni: I mean, why not? Classic for a reason. But really you can use any of your favorite toppings.

Some important tips:

Don’t Hurry the process. Allow the dough to rise in the fridge for at least 18 hours and you’ll need 2-4 hours for the second rise. The timing will depend on the temperature in your kitchen and how active the dough is. That being said, plan ahead!
Butter the pan! This really helps prevent the dough from sticking.

This recipe is based on my standard no knead focaccia recipe. Make sure to also try my other focaccia recipes:

Nutrition