Name: Sourdough Pizza Focaccia
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 10 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 cups (324 g) all purpose flour; 2 cups (319 g) whole wheat flour; 2 cups (488 g) water; 1/2 cup (140 g) active sourdough starter; 1 Tbsp (18 g) salt; 5 Tbsps (56 g) olive oil - DIVIDED; 6 heads of roasted garlic; 2.5 c (300 g) grated cheese (pizza cheese blend, or mozzarella or edam); 3/4 c (15-20 g) chopped fresh basil; 1/2 c (115 g) browned hamburger; 3/4 c (150 g) chopped tomatoes

squares of sourdough pizza focaccia topped with basil, cheese, tomatoes, and browned hamburger on a wooden cutting board with fresh basil sprig and cherry tomatoes cut in half.

What do you get when you take the chewy, bubbly, slightly tangy, crispy-on-the-bottom and soft-and-pillow-y texture of sourdough focaccia, and top it with a delicious sauce and several pizza inspired toppings chosen to pair well in flavor and texture? You get sourdough pizza focaccia.

And it is good!

Sourdough pizza focaccia is a family favorite win every time we make it (which is actually quite a lot! Like, every other week, probably!).

baked sourdough pizza focaccia squares in a pile on wooden cutting board with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes in background

Why is it a win? Well, sourdough pizza focaccia is easy. Specifically:

It’s WAY easier to make than homemade pizza. No rolling out required, so less flour in every crack of my floor and general mess.
It doesn’t require as many toppings as the equivalent in dough. So it’s cheaper than making homemade pizza and it is also faster since I don’t have to prep as many ingredients.
And because one sourdough pizza focaccia recipe will feed our family of six, whereas it takes 3 pizzas to do the same, it’s easier on the admin. Since it bakes all at once, we can sit down together to eat without someone needing to pop up and make sure what is in the oven isn’t burning
Oh, and since it is still a homemade, made-from-scratch meal, it is endlessly customizable to fit your family’s preferences and desires!

This sourdough pizza focaccia recipe makes a solid amount for a family of six for dinner (usually paired with some kind of green salad or roasted vegetable).

But it also makes a delicious lunch option, appetizer, or accompaniment to a simple soup. And an easy to pack and eat cold meal on the go if you happen to head out on an adventure!

hand reaching to pick up square of sourdough pizza focaccia from stack on cutting board

Why You Are Going to LOVE Sourdough Pizza Focaccia:

Sourdough pizza focaccia is better than just plain focaccia, because it has pizza toppings on it. And it’s better than just pizza, because it has focaccia texture!

Specifically, sourdough pizza focaccia is fantastic because:

It has a delicious, chewy texture.
The very bottom of the focaccia crust is crispy, due to the olive oil it is cooked with.
Once the dough is made, this focaccia comes together quickly.
You can customize the toppings however your heart desires. Which is, obviously, fantastic for dietary preferences!

roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil sprigs on a wooden cutting board

What Ingredients Do You Need for Sourdough Pizza Focaccia?

This is a simple recipe, which means you don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients! However, feel free to get as creative as you want with the toppings. I’ve written this recipe for one of our new favorite topping combinations, but I’ll include some fun ideas below.

For the Dough (which is the exact same dough I use for my Simple Everyday Sourdough Bread Recipe):
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Active sourdough starter
- Water
- Salt
For the Topping:
- Sauce (we used roasted garlic mixed with a bit of olive oil for the sake of this recipe, but pesto or marinara would be great, too)
- Shredded cheese (mozzarella or pizza blend is nice for it’s stretchy texture)
- Your favorite pizza toppings (we used browned hamburger, chopped fresh basil, and tomatoes)
- Olive oil for drizzling

roasted garlic in baking dish lined with baking paper

Step-by-Step Instructions for Sourdough Pizza Focaccia:

Making Sourdough Pizza Focaccia is relatively simple. Since it is sourdough, you will need to start the dough the night before or the morning of you sourdough pizza focaccia feasting.

The temperature of your house will affect the rise time, but you can always pop the dough into the fridge once it has risen to hold steady until you are ready to use it. And it will only get more tangy and sourdough-y, which will make it extra delicious!

sourdough pizza focaccia dough spread on baking sheet with roasted garlic and olive oil sauce

Step 1: Prepare the Dough
- Mix the flour and water and let sit for 30 minutes
- Add the salt and starter, mix well, and let sit for 30 minutes
- Complete several stretch and folds, separated by about 30 minutes for the first 3, and 15 minutes by any subsequent stretch and folds
- Let the dough rise overnight or 6-8 hours, until doubled in size
Step 2: Roast Garlic Heads (while doing dough stretch and folds)
- Cut off tops of garlic (about 1/4 inch)
- Lightly drizzle garlic heads with olive oil
- Bake for 40-60 mins until garlic heads are soft
- Set aside to cool
Step 3: Prepare the Baking Sheet
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with baking paper
- Drizzle olive oil onto baking paper (this gives the bottom and edges a bit of crispy crunch)
- Dump the dough out onto the baking sheet and press out with your fingers until dough is covering baking sheet
Step 4: Add Sauce and Toppings:
- Spread a thin layer of sauce
- Add cheese and selected toppings
Step 5: Bake the Sourdough Pizza Focaccia:
- Preheat oven to 425°F Convection (220°C)
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are golden and cheese is bubbly
Step 6: Finish and Serve:
- If desired, sprinkle with fresh herbs for garnish before serving
- Cut into squares

sliced tomatoes, browned hamburger, chopped basil, and cheese on sourdough pizza focaccia dough in baking sheet

Tips for the Perfect Sourdough Pizza Focaccia:

If you want more tang in the crust flavor, plan to make the dough the night before, and if it has doubled in size by morning, pop it into the fridge until you’re ready to make it up. (Pull it out of the fridge to let it come up to room temp before you try to work with it)
Use high-quality olive oil for an extra flavor boost.
Get creative with different cheeses and toppings.
Let the sourdough pizza focaccia rest after baking for a few minutes to set the toppings.

pizza focaccia on cutting board with 1/3 of focaccia cut into squares

Variations You Can Try:

Vegetarian: Load up on veggies, like spinach, artichoke, or zucchini.
Get creative with fruit + meat + cheese pairings: We’ve made this with:
- pineapple, ham, and mozzarella
- blueberries, chicken, and feta
- plum, bacon, and camembert
Classic Meat Lovers: For a really hearty sourdough pizza focaccia, try topping with hamburger or sausage, salami or pepperoni, and ham with black olives.
Cheese Lovers: Try a blend of mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone.

four squares of sourdough pizza focaccia stacked on top of each other on wooden cutting board

FAQ’s:

Can I make the dough ahead of time?
- Yes! You can prepare the dough up to 48 hours in advance, let it rise until the dough has doubled, and then refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. Pull it out of the fridge about an hour or so before you need to work with it to let it get close to room temperature.
I lost track of/ran out of time to do all the stretch and folds. Did I ruin it?
- Not at all! Sourdough is really forgiving, and focaccia is also really forgiving, so the combo of both means that this is a great recipe to be a bit lazy with! You’ll want to have 3 or 4 stretch and folds to really develop the gluten so that you focaccia rises, but if you don’t make the 6 that I recommend, you shouldn’t notice a significant difference. I aim for six out of habit and because I know I sometimes lose count!
Can I freeze pizza focaccia?
- Yes! After baking, freeze the leftovers and reheat in the oven.
How do I store leftover pizza focaccia?
- Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

three pizza focaccia slices on white plate

Grab Your Bowl, Pizza Focaccia is Waiting!

I hope you try this recipe and enjoy how easy it is to make, and how delightful the texture and flavors are!

I’d love to hear your creative toppings for making Sourdough Pizza Focaccia. I enjoy topping it with whatever ingredients we have plenty of on hand (for this particular recipe, it was basil and roasted garlic!).

Please, share your sourdough pizza focaccia creations with me if you do make this pizza. Feel free to tag me on facebook or instagram, or add a comment to this post and let me know how it went.

Of course, if you have questions, let me know in the comment section below. I’d be happy to troubleshoot!

And if you LOVED this recipe, you might enjoy my Maple Sourdough Focaccia, or Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread for some sweet variations with sourdough!

Yield: 6 generous servings