No pizza bones here! This cast iron focaccia pizza proudly has edge-to-edge crispy cheesy deliciousness! With a dough that requires very little effort and a one-pan bake, all you need is a side salad and a glass of wine for perfect dinner in.

With plenty of pizza varieties out there, it might seem hard to choose one! This focaccia style dough is thick, airy and has a slight crisp on the bottom and edges thanks to a olive oil coating. If you are not a hard crust fan, this is the pizza for you.
Looking for other pizza styles to try? You can give this flatbread a try or even this spiral pesto bread!
Ingredients
The ingredients for this focaccia pizza are quite simple.
- Bread flour. This will give us a sturdy enough base to support the toppings. No one wants a soggy pizza.
- Active dry yeast. This can be found in the baking aisle. Store any extras in the freezer for long-lasting freshness.
- Olive oil. Use a flavorful oil, it’s one of the main flavors of the dough. A quality virgin oil is great here since we are cooking it. Save the extra virgin brands for dressings and toppings.
- Honey. This might be controversial. I wouldn’t add this to my Neapolitan style pizza, but a little sweetness with the olive oil is a great base.
- Whole mozzarella cheese. Use a good whole milk cheese and grate it yourself. Avoid a fresh mozzarella (too wet for this style) and pre-grated if you can for the best crispy edges.
- Pizza sauce. You can use your favorite jarred variety, or I have a quick version in the insert below. It only takes minutes to make and you can tailor to your taste!
- Pepperoni. Your favorite brand is good here, I like the reduced sodium options. Just be sure to avoid the “cupped” pepperoni for this particular pizza.
- Optional toppings. Grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil make this pizza special.
Easy Pizza Sauce
In a small saucepan, combine 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic. Heat over low heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add 15-oz (425g) can tomato puree, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried basil. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Store extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pizza Testing
This is when I truly hate my job. I had to try several iterations of the focaccia pizza until I got it just right. The things I do for the name of science!
The first batch had a higher amount of flour and the dough was just too dense. A more rigorous kneading also made for a sturdier dough than I wanted.
Increasing the water and oil in the recipe was key for a light and stretchy dough. Finally, a little less oil in the bottom of the pan made for a crisp, not-soggy bottom.
A test with dollops of sauce over the cheese made for a great cheesy bread, but not as good of a pizza as a thin layer of sauce in the nooks and crannies of the focaccia. Now we were really hitting on perfection.
Making Focaccia
Focaccia bread is known for having a tall, fluffy texture with an open and airy crumb. Olive oil is added both on the bottom and dimpled into the top before baking. In our case, we are going to top the bread with a light pizza sauce and, of course, plenty of cheese.
Let’s discuss a few tips and tricks for making focaccia bread, the base for the pizza!
Dough will be wet. To create the open texture with large airy holes, we need what is called a high-hydration dough. That means the ratio of water to flour is high. This makes for a great bread but difficult to knead.
Stretch and folds. Because we can’t knead this bread like a typical dough, we will use the “stretch and fold” method to build the structure of the dough.
Every twenty minutes, perform a stretch and fold by lifting about 1/2 of the dough out of the bowl, stretching outward as much as possible, and folding it back into the middle. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat on all four sides. View my video below for a visual.
Let the dough rest another 20 minutes and repeat the process. You will notice as you work the dough will get less soupy and more smooth and stretchy. This called building up the gluten strength. Gluten strength is needed so the dough doesn’t fall apart when baked. Above is before and after our stretching.
Resting time. After stretching, let the dough rest twice, first in the bowl for “bulk fermentation” when the majority of the bubbles form. Then a second time in the cast iron pan for the final shaping.
Now we’re ready to bake!
Making a Pizza
Once the dough is ready to go, a few toppings go a long way.
Light sauce. A thin coating of pizza sauce is key here. No thick, wet layers here or the final result will be soggy. Use a light hand to preserve the bubbles. The dough will be delicate
Cheese edges. Bring the cheese all the way to the edges, touching the pan. This is what will give us the best crispy edges.
Variations
Want to add toppings? Add below the cheese. Avoid toppings that will seep liquids (like fresh spinach) and pre-cook elements like sausage.
A few of my favorites:
- Black and green olives
- Italian sausage and green peppers (sauté them first)
- Go quattro formaggi style with mozzarella, ricotta, fontina and Parmesan
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the pepperoni is optional! Or sub in your favorite veggies, just be sure they are cooked first.
This is a very wet dough. Make sure you wet your hands before trying to stretch the dough. Avoid adding extra flour or you will end up with a dense pizza.
If your yeast didn’t froth in the warm water mixture, it is likely dead yeast and will not create a risen dough. Be sure to use fresh, active yeast and store any extra in the freezer for the longest life.
Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes covered and try stretching it again.
Cast Iron Focaccia Pizza
Equipment
- 10" cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 180 g bread flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup warm water 85°-105°F (30°-40°C)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey
Pizza Toppings
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 90 g pizza sauce*
- 10-12 slices pepperoni optional
- 115 g whole milk mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Stir together water, olive oil, yeast, and honey in a small cup. Let stand 5 minutes.3/4 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon honey
- In a large bowl, stir together bread flour and salt. Pour water mixture over the flour. Mix using a dough whisk or wooden spoon. Once fully mixed, cover with clean kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes at room temperature. Dough will be quite wet.180 g bread flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Begin series of "stretch and folds". With wet hands, grab about half of the dough and pull straight out as far as possible without tearing the dough. Fold the dough back to the middle. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Continue until you have performed 4 total stretches. This is one series of "stretch and folds". Cover and let rest 20 minutes.
- Repeat the series of "stretch and folds" three more times, allowing the dough to rest 20 minutes covered between each series. Cover and let rest 40 minutes after the final series. Dough should be puffy and approximately doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Pour olive oil into the bottom of a 10" cast iron skillet. Using fingertips, spread oil up the edges of the pan. With still greasy fingers, lightly punch down the dough to release gas and transfer to the skillet.1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- Using fingertips, dimple dough and spread to nearly the edges of the pan. Cover and let rest until dough is puffy and meets the edges of the pan.
- Spread pizza sauce in a thin layer across the dough delicately with the back of a spoon. Place slices of pepperoni across evenly. Top with shredded cheese, making sure cheese reaches the edges of the pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.90 g pizza sauce*, 115 g whole milk mozzarella cheese, 10-12 slices pepperoni
- Run a knife around the edge of the pizza to release from the pan before slicing and serving.
Notes
- *See inset in post for homemade pizza sauce recipe or use your favorite store-bought brand.
- Store pizza uncovered in fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat in a 400°F (175°C) oven for approximately 10 minutes.
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.