There’s nothing quite like a fresh loaf of homemade bread. The smell, the taste, the texture … it’s truly divine. However, it can be hard to find the time to make bread from scratch. While some yeasted bread recipes can be made more quickly than others, others require more of a time investment. That’s why this shortcut pizza dough focaccia is our new favorite.
This recipe requires no measuring or mixing; simply snag a ball or two of your favorite store-bought pizza dough, let it proof, and then bake it in the oven with plenty of olive oil, herbs and flaky sea salt. The result is a soft, spongy flatbread with an open crumb and irresistibly crisp, chewy exterior that will fool everyone into thinking that it’s a traditional focaccia bread recipe. Add this one to your list of creative ideas for using pizza dough.
Ingredients for Shortcut Pizza Dough Focaccia
- Pizza dough: For this recipe, you’ll need two balls of fresh or frozen pizza dough. Store-bought pizza crusts that have been parbaked will not work for this recipe.
- Olive oil: Focaccia derives much of its flavor from the olive oil in which it’s baked. Therefore, this is a great occasion to splurge on a high-quality olive oil for best results.
- Rosemary: Rosemary is a classic topping for focaccia. It has an intoxicating aroma and a warm, woodsy flavor.
- Flaky sea salt: Flaky sea salt is a must-have for topping focaccia. It doesn’t dissolve as quickly as table salt, so it imparts a great texture and bursts of salty flavor on the top of the bread. If you don’t have flaked salt, you can substitute coarsely ground Kosher salt.
Directions
Step 1: Knead and shape the dough
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush a 13×9-inch baking dish or 12-inch cast-iron skillet with 1/4 cup of olive oil.
On a clean work surface, knead the two balls of dough together until they’re combined.
Gently place the dough directly into the baking dish. With oiled hands, gently spread out the dough. If the dough springs back, wait for 10 minutes and stretch it again.
Editor’s Tip: Make sure the dough is at room temperature before trying to shape it, because this temperature allows the dough to stretch easily.
Step 2: Proof the dough
Drizzle the dough with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, then let it rise until it has doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
Editor’s Tip: To prevent the dough from drying out, cover the pan with storage wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
Step 3: Dimple and bake the dough
With oiled fingers, make indentations in the surface of the dough. Then sprinkle it with flaky sea salt and rosemary. Bake the focaccia until it’s golden brown, about 13 to 18 minutes. Cut it into squares and serve it warm.
Pizza Dough Focaccia Variations
- Use homemade pizza dough: If you happen to have homemade pizza dough in your refrigerator or freezer, you can use it to make this shortcut focaccia recipe.
- Make French onion focaccia: Top the dough with caramelized onions and a blend of Swiss and Gruyere cheese to make a focaccia that would be perfect for dunking into French onion soup.
- Prep a squash focaccia: Whip up a shortcut version of our favorite squash focaccia by topping the dough with sliced winter squash and sage leaves before baking it.
- Design a garden-inspired focaccia: Transform this shortcut focaccia into a work of art using our tips and method for making a colorful garden focaccia.
- Try a tomato and herb focaccia: Decorate the focaccia with fresh or sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves for a green, white and red ode to Italy.
- Sweeten it with caramel and apples: For a sweet variation, try making caramel apple focaccia from pizza dough by adding an apple, caramel sauce and an apple butter topping.
How to Store Pizza Dough Focaccia
Pizza dough focaccia should be wrapped tightly in storage wrap or stored in an airtight food storage container at room temperature.
How long does shortcut focaccia last?
Pizza dough focaccia is best enjoyed within one or two days of baking, but can be stored for up to five days. Storing bread to keep it fresh simply means keeping it at room temperature, with the cut ends covered or wrapped. To revitalize leftover focaccia, we recommend warming it in an oven preheated to 350º until it’s crisp on the outside and heated through.
Can you freeze baked pizza dough focaccia?
Absolutely. This pizza dough focaccia freezes like a dream. Wrap the bread tightly in storage wrap, followed by two layers of heavy-duty foil. You can freeze the bread for up to three months, but it will taste best if enjoyed within one month. Defrost it overnight at room temperature before warming it as directed above.
Shortcut Pizza Dough Focaccia Tips
Can I make a smaller focaccia bread?
Yes. If you don’t need a focaccia that fits in a 13×9-inch baking pan, you can use a single ball of dough (1 pound) and bake it in an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking pan instead. Reduce the amount of oil slightly; you should add 3 tablespoons in the bottom of the pan and 1 tablespoon on top of the dough. Bake the focaccia as directed.
Why didn’t my shortcut focaccia rise?
If your focaccia is dense and lacks a light, fluffy interior, it’s likely that the dough didn’t proof long enough before baking. For best results, make sure that the dough is at room temperature before shaping it, and proof it until it’s puffy and has doubled in size. If your kitchen is cool, it can affect how long it takes for the bread to rise. To account for this, let the focaccia rise for a few minutes more than the recipe calls for.
What else can you do with pizza dough focaccia?
This shortcut focaccia bread makes terrific sandwiches and paninis. Slice a section of the fo