Margherita Pizza Sourdough Focaccia

If you are a pizza lover or focaccia lover, you have got to try this Margherita Pizza Sourdough Focaccia. It is packed with flavor and reminiscent of a margherita pizza with its toppings: garlic oil, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. A fresh and easy summer dinner that the whole family will love.

Replacing water with marinara sauce

Now you may be wondering how replacing water with marinara sauce impacts the focaccia. Marinara sauce is highly acidic due to the tomatoes. Acidity weakens the gluten structure of the dough, which means this focaccia will not rise as well as a typical sourdough focaccia. However, the flavor is so good that it’s worth losing a little bit of height. And honestly, it still has a really nice texture even though it is not as big and fluffy. But you can always replace the marinara sauce with water in this recipe if you prefer a fluffier focaccia and make my Easy Sourdough Focaccia recipe.

What is focaccia bread?

Focaccia can be described as a type of Italian flatbread and it is made similar to how pizza dough is made. The bread is made in a flat pan, usually something like a 9×13 dish or round cast iron pan. The bread is fluffy and chewy with a thin crispy crust. It has signature dimples in the dough and has a drizzle of olive oil to help create the crispy, golden brown crust. Focaccia can either be made plain or with different toppings like cheese, herbs, and vegetables.

If you love this recipe, be sure to checkout my other sourdough focaccia flavors and try recipes such as Pesto Sourdough Focaccia, Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia, Sticky Pecan Sourdough Focaccia or Hot Chocolate Sourdough Focaccia.

Tools for this sourdough focaccia recipe

9×13 pan or 12″ cast iron skillet– A 9×13 pan will result in a thinner pan whereas a cast-iron skillet will result in a thicker focaccia.

Kitchen Scale– When making sourdough bread, I always recommend weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements. 

Tips for making Margherita Pizza Sourdough Focaccia 

• Let the dough get puffy and rise fully. Baking it too early will result in a denser focaccia. 
• To speed up the process, find a warmer spot for the dough to rise.
• If you want to bake the next day, after the dough is placed in the pan cover it and place it in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature and get puffy before baking.

Ingredients for Margherita Pizza Sourdough Focaccia 

• Marinara sauce– Any type of marinara sauce will work so just use your favorite brand.
• Garlic salt – I use garlic salt instead of regular salt to add extra flavor but you can always use plain salt instead.
• Sourdough starter – Use an active starter that is bubbly and doubled in size. 
• Bread flour – I prefer using bread flour when baking any type of sourdough bread as it is stronger and can absorb more liquid.
• Garlic Oil – This will infuse more of the garlic flavor into the bread and give it a crispy golden brown crust. You can always replace this with olive oil.
• Top with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.

Instructions to make Margherita Pizza Sourdough Focaccia 

To make the dough, mix the marinara sauce, garlic salt, sourdough starter, and bread flour together in a large bowl until combined in a shaggy dough.

Let the dough sit covered at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 

Perform a set of stretch and folds. To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side of the dough with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up and then fold it on itself. Repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time. Repeat this one or 2 more times with 30 minutes in between each set.

After you finished the stretch and folds, let the dough rise in a warm spot until the dough has risen 50% in size. This typically takes about 5 hours from when the dough is mixed at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and add 2 Tbsp of garlic oil or olive oil. Dump the focaccia dough into the pan. For the second proof, let the dough rise for another hour or two until it is puffy and mostly fills the pan. 

Add ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup marinara sauce, and chunks of mozzarella cheese to the top of the dough. Then using the tips of your fingers press down into the dough stretching it to fill the pan and dimpling it, creating craters in the dough.

Bake in a 425F degree oven for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown and baked through. 

Remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a cooling rack. Slice & enjoy!

How to store focaccia bread

Store the bread in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. When you are ready to eat it again, you can warm it up in the microwave or for a crisp crust place it in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes at 400F. 

You can also freeze the focaccia by wrapping it in foil or adding it to a freezer-safe bag. It will stay good for up to two months. To enjoy it again, let it defrost and then you can add it to a 400-degree oven for a few minutes until it gets warm and the outside is crispy.