How to make a focaccia deep-dish pizza for meatlovers

Try a homemade deep dish pizza for the next family movie night. Photo / Fresh Media

Make a robust deep-dish pizza to satisfy the meatlovers in the family.

The soft focaccia base is simple to make, especially if you have a stand mixer to do most of the work for you. You can use a mild salami or go for a spicier one if that suits your family. Just add salad for an easy family meal.

Meatlovers’ pizza

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Focaccia Base

1 ⅓ cup warm water

2 tsp honey

2 ¼ tsp active-dry yeast

3 ½ cups standard flour

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 tsp flaky sea salt

Pizza Topping

500g pre-made beef meatballs

125g streaky bacon, chopped

100g sliced salami

⅓ cup pizza sauce

1 cup grated pizza cheese

Fresh basil leaves

Method

1. Add the warm water and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough attachment and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and stir gently, then let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Set the mixer to low speed and add gradually flour, olive oil and salt. Increase the speed to medium-low, and continue kneading the dough for five minutes.
3. Remove dough from the mixing bowl and shape it into a ball. Spray the mixing bowl with cooking spray or wipe with a little oil, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Place in a warm location and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.
4. Turn the dough on to a floured surface and roll it out into a large circle or rectangle until the dough is about 1.5cm thick. Cover the dough again with the damp towel and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 200C. Press the dough into an oiled baking dish, about 23x30cm. Poke deep dents into the surface of the dough with your fingers and drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil evenly all over the top.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is golden and cooked through.
7. While the focaccia is baking, cook the meatballs according to the packet instructions.
8. When the focaccia is cooked, remove it from the oven and spread with the pizza sauce. Sprinkle the grated pizza cheese over the top. Scatter the meatballs, bacon, and salami over the surface and cook for another 10 minutes.
9. Remove the pizza from the oven, spoon dollops of ricotta over the top, and scatter with fresh basil. Serve immediately.

– fresh.co.nz