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Allrecipes / Qi Ai
During the deep dark days of the pandemic, I (like so many others across the country) took up the hobby of nourishing a sourdough starter. Every Friday, I use it to make a batch of sourdough pizza dough. At the time, I only had one child, so I had plenty of time to fawn over a starter and gently stretch and fold my naturally leavened pizza dough. Long story short, one kid quickly turned into three, so I had to make some major time-saving adjustments to keep the pizza night tradition alive.
When my youngest was a newborn, I got in the habit of making what we call “Focaccia Pizza,” essentially a riff on deep dish. I could easily assemble the dough with baby in arms, and I didn’t have to deal with the mess of stretching pizza dough into rounds when everyone was hangry. I simply plopped the risen dough into a well-oiled pan and layered my toppings of choice directly on the surface. My kids would get in on the action by helping me dollop sauce and cheese, and I’d often let them DIY their pizza, pushing my type A tendencies to the side in the name of parenthood.
Every week, we got a little more inventive, moving away from pizza to other styles of focaccia. Sometimes, we’d add just Cheddar and tomatoes or even go sweet and salty with a little butternut squash and blue cheese. This got me thinking about all the ways to enjoy a fluffy loaf of focaccia. Why not turn it into just a few of my favorite comfort foods?
The following recipes are kid-tested and approved and very easy to pull together. The focaccia base relies on a lift from commercial yeast, so you don’t have to worry about another mouth to feed. (Apologies in advance to my very sad and hungry starter in the back of my fridge!) The recipe is “no-knead,” so all you need to do is give it a little love in the form of stretches and folds while it rises. It also comes together with just a large bowl and a dough whisk or wooden spoon—no need to bust out the mixer.
Picking a favorite version of this recipe is a little like picking a favorite child, but I’m pretty partial to the French onion soup-inspired one! Let the base focaccia recipe be your guide, and get creative with your toppings. I usually pop open my fridge, scan my available ingredients, and ask myself, “Will it focaccia?” Spoiler alert: The answer is usually yes!
4 Focaccia Recipes for Every Craving
Pizza Focaccia
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
Don’t tell your friends from Chicago, but this is an easy take on deep dish-style pizza. While it’s far from authentic, it sure is delicious! By layering the cheese on first, you get lots of crispy golden edges, which my family tends to fight over.
Be sure to use a pre-shredded low-moisture mozzarella so the focaccia isn’t weighed down by excess moisture. If you can find it, mini pepperoni works best here. Since this pizza is quite doughy, it’s best to cut it into thin strips to serve. I find the mini pepperoni is better distributed and gets crispier than the traditional version.
As for sauce, less is more. I like to add small dollops all over the surface to ensure even distribution and maximum crispiness! If you are craving some spice, my favorite topping to hit this with as soon as it comes out of the oven is a hefty drizzle of hot honey.
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French Onion Soup Focaccia
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
Let’s be honest: The best part of French onion soup is the ooey gooey cheese, right? I’ve taken all the best flavors of a classic crock of French onion soup and baked them into a light and fluffy focaccia.
The onions need to caramelize slowly, breaking down into a jam-like consistency that works best with the soft texture of the bread. I like to cook the onions in a small Dutch oven. The heat distributes evenly, and none of the onions scorch, which can make them bitter. If the onions seem to be sticking to the bottom of the pan, simply add one or two tablespoons of water and scrape up any brown bits.
I love the classic flavor of Gruyère, but you could also use a shredded sharp Cheddar, too. Herbes de Provence let me pretend I’m enjoying this in a Parisian cafe, but dried thyme works just as well if that’s what you have on hand.
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Cheeseburger Focaccia
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
When I told my oldest son that we were having cheeseburger focaccia for dinner, he thought I was pranking him. His two very favorite foods combined into one? I’d made all of his 8-year-old dreams come true. His only request: Hold the pickles. (More for me!)
When cooking the ground beef for this, I like to undercook it in the pan ever so slightly to retain some juiciness: It will fully cook once it hits the oven. Don’t be afraid to really dimple the surface of the focaccia before adding all of the toppings. This will give the cheese and beef space to fill in every nook and cranny, so every bite of focaccia is filled with the flavor of the cheeseburger toppings.
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Loaded Potato Focaccia
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
There are few things in life I love more than a fully loaded potato with sour cream, scallions, lots of cheese, and crispy bacon. Add that on top of another fluffy carb, and I’m in heaven. This was inspired by the famous Sally’s Apizza in Connecticut, a beloved maker of New Haven-style pizza. They have a potato and rosemary pie that I love, but my take is a little more kid-friendly thanks to the Cheddar cheese and bacon.
The key is to cut the potatoes thinly and evenly so they have time to cook through in the oven. I like to cook this one until the potatoes start to crisp a little on top, offering the best of both worlds: creamy and crunchy potatoes!
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