This focaccia pizza crust recipe is the perfect base for fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula!
Just recently I posted a recipe for a Gluten Free Focaccia Pizza Crust. If you need or prefer to eat gluten free, check out that recipe and then just add the toppings listed here to make this Focaccia Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Arugula. If you don’t need the gluten free version the regular crust is included in the recipe at the bottom of this post.
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I’ve been on quite the pizza kick lately. I think I’ve had so many unique pizza flavors now that regular old cheese pizza just isn’t going to cut it for me anymore. I don’t have any desire to use regular pizza sauce and I want my crust to have big time flavor! This Focaccia Pizza fit the bill (my bill, at least!) and takes pizza up to a whole new notch. The “crust” is delicious! It’s a thick, crispy crust full of olive oil flavor that adds so much more to the other ingredients I added – fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula! I have seen so many pizza recipes using arugula, I just had to try it! I only noticed some slight flavor from the arugula, which I liked. It’s full of so many healthy benefits that I plan to start using it a lot more often!
My most successful recipes are those that my 8-year-old son, Jaxon, will eat. Sure the arugula led to a little hesitation (it’s new AND green!), but overall he really liked this pizza. He loves dough in any form, and really loved the focaccia!
You could use the focaccia portion of the recipe on its own to make as an appetizer or as a side to a pasta dish. I would recommend sprinkling the baked focaccia with coarse salt and rosemary to give it a traditional focaccia flavor. Mixing olive oil, thyme, and a pinch of red pepper flakes makes a great dipping oil for it!
Next time you’re craving a new pizza flavor, I think this Focaccia Pizza with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Arugula is worth a try! Let me know how you like it!
Enjoy!
Fun Find: how cool is this Kitchy Pizza Cutter Wheel! I think I have to have one!
Focaccia Pizza with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Arugula
Ingredients
Focaccia Crust
- 1 3/4 Cups warm water
- 1 Package active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 Cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 Cup extra virgin olive oil divided
Toppings
- 1 16oz package sliced mozzarella
- 1 8.5 ounce jar julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes drained
- 2 Cups arugula
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit in a warm place for 15 minutes until yeast gets bubbly.
- In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, salt, 1/2 Cup of the olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Mix on low until blended. Remove from the mixture and knead on a lightly floured surface until everything is well blended. If the dough is too dry, add water 1 Tablespoon at a time until it becomes more moist and easier to knead.
- Coat the inside of the mixing bowl with oil, place the dough in it, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Pour 1/4 Cup olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread the dough over it to cover the sheet. Using your finger tips, push holes into the top of the dough, then brush the top with the remaining 1/4 C olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit another hour.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake until the dough starts turning a light brown on top, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven top with slices of mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula (use more less toppings depending on your preferences) and return to the over for 5-7 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated through.
