Don't own a pizza stone or have a fancy wood-fired pizza out the back door? Don't worry - this baking tray pizza recipe has you sorted. You have a buttload of kids to entertain for a party and need something to fill them up that isn't hard to make? Baking tray pizza has you covered for that too!
This recipe is simple to make, delicious to eat and will feed a crowd on a budget - is this a joke? Nope, read on and enjoy!
Making Focaccia Bread
It's probably the easiest bread out there to make. 5 ingredients - all of which are pantry staples and you can have delicious homemade bread in a couple of hours. Yes, you do need a couple hours to make it but the fact is you are only "working" on making it for about 15 minutes of those!
Mix the yeast with warm water - around 36-40c in temperature. Any lower and the yeast won't grow. Higher and you will have a fairly flat looking baking tray pizza! Omce the yeas has doneit's thing then add flour, salt & oil. You can kneed it by hand or using a stand mixer and then just let her rise in a warm place for minimum 1 hour (see below for other options).
Once it has risen - give it a punch. This is the best part!! Knead it again for a couple minutes until smooth and then roll out into whatever baking tray or sheet pan you are using and let her relax again for another 30 minutes or so.
Add some toppings and cook it up - trust me, once you have made it once you will be hooked!
Focaccia Toppings
There is no end to the toppings you can put on focaccia and baking tray pizza. For the pizza sauce I used some plum tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and some delicious smoked sea salt from the SloFoodGroup company.
As for what I put on top - I kept it simple and went with pepperoni, pizza cheese, fresh mozzarella and a sprinkling of basil on top.
After making (and failing) many times at pizza at home I find that less is more when it comes to the toppings - let a few flavours shine through and not overload it.
Can You Make The Dough In Advance?
100% - often I will make the baking tray pizza dough in the morning, allow it to go through the first proof/rise and then pop it in the fridge. Just remove it from the fridge 30mins - 1 hour before you plan on cooking it to let it come to temperature and you are good to go!
Alternatively, you can do an overnight rise in the fridge. Basically, make your dough as normal and after it comes together, place it in an oiled bowl, cover and leave it in the fridge overnight. after 12-24 hours in the fridge you knock it back (give it a punch), kneed it until smooth and then work it into the baking trays and allow it to rise for a minimum of 1 hour. FYI - you will need to shape it after it has risen at room temperature.
Can I Reheat Sheet Pan Pizza?
Sure, can! You can either undercook it by a couple minutes and then crisp it up on a wire rack in the oven. Much like pizzerias doing slices they won't fully cook it so when reheating it isn't overcooked! This works great if you are only going to eat 1/2 of it one day as you can cut it in 1/2 and continue cooking the 1/2 you are going to eat today and reheat the rest the next day. One tip though, allows it to cool a little before slicing. As it cools it firms up a little and therefore is easier to slice.
Alternatively, you can just cook it normally and then heat it in the oven at a lower temperature - say 150c for a few minutes to warm it up!
Not gonna lie - it's also bloody good cold the next day too 😉
Can You Freeze Focaccia?
Definitely. Like any dough, it can be frozen after the first proof/rise. Knock it back, kneed it until soft and then wrap it in clingfilm and into the freezer she goes. You will need to defrost it fully and then allow time for it to come up to room temperature before shaping it into your pan. It's often a good idea to make double the dough and freeze half of it. That way you can take one out in the morning and allow it to defrost in the fridge while you work. Quick homemade pizza for the family midweek - eh, yes please!
Can you freeze it once cooked? From a food safety standpoint as long as it is chilled through then yes, you can freeze it. Wrap it in clingfilm and pop it in the freezer. The only issue I have is that there will be quite a bit of moisture when defrosting so it'll need to be in the oven on a high heat to crisp up.
SloFoodGroup
What can I say, it's been over a year now since I discovered the products from the guys at SloFoodGroup. They are primarily a vanilla bean company but also have an array of products like dried mushrooms, Greek sea salts, Persian saffron and edible gold leaf to name a few. The quality is second to none, reasonably priced and worldwide shipping too!
It was my first time using their smoked sea salt and it won't be the last. It's a great way to add a little smokey flavour into food that would normally be cooked over coals or wood - such as this baking tray pizza.
Alternative Focaccia Recipes
Once you have mastered the base for focaccia there is so much you can do with it - making it into a baking tray pizza has become my latest obsession but why not check out these other focaccia bread recipes from myself and fellow food bloggers!
Easy Rosemary Focaccia Bread by Sylvie Gruber of 'A Baking Journey'
Black Pudding, Cheddar & Thyme Focaccia by Yours Truly
Easy Spelt Focaccia by Alexandra Cook of 'It's Not Complicated Recipes'
Ingredients
Focaccia
- 10 g dry yeast (2/3 tbsp)
- 420 g plain flour (1 3/4 cups)
- 80 ml olive oil (1/3 cup) and extra for drizzling on top
- 300 ml warm water (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 tsp SloFoodGroup smoked salt
Pizza Sauce
- 400 g tinned plum tomatoes (15oz can)
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp SloFoodGroup smoked salt
Toppings
- 1 handful basil
- 12-16 slices pepperoni
- 200 g grated pizza cheese (1 cup)
- 100 g fresh mozzarella (4oz)
- chili flakes optional
Instructions
Focaccia
- Combine the yeast and water, set aside for 1- 2 minutes until bubbling
- Add the sieved flour, salt & oil to the yeast and knead on low/medium for 5 – 7 minutes in a stand mixer
- Place in a well-oiled bowl and wrap in clingfilm leaving to rise for minimum 1 hour (prepare pizza sauce)
- Punch dough – yep, give it a good punch! Flour a surface and roll out to fit into well oiled baking tray. Cover and leave to rise for a further hour.
- Gently poke holes using your fingers on top of dough and get your toppings ready!
- Top the focaccia with 100g of grated cheese (spread evenly)
- Spoon the tomato sauce over the top and spread out to about 2cm from the edge
- Top with pepperoni, fresh mozzarella and remainder of grated cheese.
- Sprinkle with a little smoked salt and bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes @ 200c *see tips*
- Top with chili flakes & fresh basil leaves
Pizza Sauce
- Blitz the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth
- In a saucepan fry the garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes
- Add the tomatoes and smoked salt and cook for a further 6-7 minutes
- Allow to cool before using
Notes
Essential Tools
- chef knives
- chopping board
- measuring utensils
- saucepan
- baking tray
- stand mixer w/ dough hook
- baking tray
Tips/Tricks
- let the dough rise for a minimum of 1 hour but 2 hours will give you a more aerated bread
- you can make the dough in advance – once it has undergone its first rise then you can place it in the baking tray, cover it and leave it in the fridge until ready. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking
- if you won’t eat all the pizza in one go then my advice is to undercook it by 2-3 minutes so you can cut it in ½ and continue to cook some for one night and the rest the next night. Reheat the pizza by placing it on a wire rack in the oven and cook. This will crisp up the bottom again nicely
Can't wait to make this i dont eat meat what other toppings would you suggest?
Caramelised onions, goats cheese & spinach is a good combo. Maybe jalapenos, red onion & mixed peppers. So many choices mate - just use what you like to eat on a regular pizza. Mushrooms, spinach & feta too!
Yummmm. Makes me miss all the times I made pizza for the family... my kids are now 34 and 37! But my grand daughter has helped me make pizza dough, which was fun. I have them pick out their own toppings, so that’s fun. Messy, but fun!
That looks like the perfect meal to make tonight! Love the mix between a pizza and a focaccia, so delicious!
And so easy too - great way to fill up the family for a cheap and tasty meal!