FOCACCIA PIZZA
Focaccia Bread
Prep time: Cook time: Total time:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry instant yeast
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- 3 tablespoons plus 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Pizza Topping
- 2 Italian sausages
- 1 ½ cups Rao’s marinara sauce
- 1 cup baby mozzarella balls, shredded (4-6 balls)
- 4-5 basil leaves
- 2 tbsp pecorino romano, for serving
- ½ tsp chili red pepper flakes, for serving (OPTIONAL)
Instructions:
- Finely chop thyme and rosemary and place in a small bowl and add the minced garlic. Pour 3 tbps olive oil and whisk everything together.
- Place the flour, salt, and yeast in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse to combine. Add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil mixture and save the remaining mixture until later. Pulse until a rough ball of dough forms, about 15 (2-second) pulses.
- Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large bowl. Flour your hands, scoop the dough out of the food processor, and form into a smooth ball. Place the ball of dough in the oiled bowl and turn it so it's coated on all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit at warm room temperature until doubled in size, about 3 hours.
- Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the oil in a 10-inch cast iron or other ovenproof skillet and rub it over the bottom and sides. Punch down the dough and place the dough in the skillet. Using your fingertips to stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the skillet and reach all the way to the edges. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rest at warm room temperature until puffed and slightly risen, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450°F.
- Use you fingertips to gently dimple the surface of the dough. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil mixture over the dough so that it pools in some of the indentations.
- Place in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 400°F. Bake until lightly golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes. In the meantime, cook the chicken sausage (remove casing) the pour the marinara sauce and reduce until sauce is thick. Remove the focaccia bread from the oven before it’s fully cooked through, pour the marinara on top of the bread, sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella balls and basil leaves and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Sprinkle on pecorino romano and red chili pepper flakes, serve hot.