Focaccia Parmesan Pizza with Hot Honey
Meet your new no-knead weekend obsession: focaccia pizza with hot honey.
Pillowy dough. Crispy, olive-oil-fried edges. Salty parmesan. A sticky, spicy-sweet drizzle of hot honey. No kneading, no pizza stone, no stress. Just a bowl, a cloth and a little patience while the dough does all the work.
Prep 5 min · Rise + rest 2 h 30 min · Bake 25-30 min · Total 3 h 5 min · Serves 6-8 · Heat 1/5 🌶️
Jump to
- Why this hot honey focaccia pizza works
- The wet-hands dimple trick
- What you need
- The method
- Swaps and hard-to-find bits
- What goes wrong
- FAQs
Why this hot honey focaccia pizza works
Focaccia is the easiest bread you will ever make, and pizza toppings make it dinner. The dough is wet and sticky, which means zero kneading. You stir, you wait, you press some holes in it and the oven does the rest.
Then comes the good part. Tomato paste gives you a deep, savoury base. Parmesan brings the salt and the golden crust. And Chilli Chan's Crispy Hot Honey adds sweet heat and a little crunch from the chilli. Salty, sweet, spicy, crispy, soft. Every box ticked.
The wet-hands dimple trick
Focaccia dough is sticky on purpose. Dry fingers will get stuck, tear the dough and leave you very unhappy. Wet your hands first, then press your fingers all the way down into the dough to make deep holes. Those dimples catch the tomato paste, the parmesan and the hot honey, so every bite is loaded. Wet hands, deep holes, done.
What you need
The dough
- 500g flour
- 500ml warm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 7g (one packet) of dry yeast
For the tin
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Parchment paper
To top and finish
- Tomato paste
- Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon of Chilli Chan's Crispy Hot Honey
The method
- Mix the dry stuff. Add 500g of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar to a bowl.
- Add the yeast. Add one packet (7g) of dry yeast to the dry ingredients and mix together.
- Add the water. Transfer the dry ingredients to a larger bowl and add 500ml of warm water.
- Stir and wait. Stir until there's no flour visible, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 2 hours.
- Prep your tin. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and grease it well with extra virgin olive oil.
- Move the dough. It has now doubled twice in size. Transfer it to the baking dish.
- Rest, then top. Let it rest, covered, for 30 minutes. Then add tomato paste, parmesan and Chilli Chan's Crispy Hot Honey.
- Dimple it. Wet your hands and use your fingers to press several holes into the dough.
- Bake. Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 220°C. Take it out, let it cool a little and enjoy!
The sweet heat behind this pizza
Chilli Chan's Crispy Hot Honey is honey infused with chilli, with crunchy chilli bits for texture. It is the sweet, spicy finish that turns a good focaccia into a great one. Try it on pizza, fried chicken, cheese boards and ice cream too.
Swaps and hard-to-find bits
Missing something? No problem. Here is what to use instead.
| Called for | What it does | Use instead |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | Builds the soft, airy structure | Plain or bread flour both work. Bread flour gives a chewier crumb. |
| Dry yeast (7g) | Makes the dough rise | About 21g fresh yeast |
| Tomato paste | Gives a concentrated savoury base | Thick pizza sauce or reduced passata |
| Parmesan | Adds salt and a golden, crispy top | Grana Padano or pecorino |
| Chilli Chan's Crispy Hot Honey | Adds sweet heat and crunch | Regular honey with a pinch of chilli flakes (you will miss the crunch) |
What goes wrong
- The dough does not rise. Your water was probably too hot (it kills the yeast) or the room was too cold. Use comfortably warm water and find a cosy spot.
- It sticks to the dish. Use parchment paper and be generous with the olive oil.
- The dough is too sticky to handle. That is normal. Wet your hands instead of adding more flour.
- The middle is soggy. Go easy on the tomato paste and spread it thin.
- The top browns too fast. Every oven is different. If the parmesan darkens early, cover loosely with foil for the last few minutes.
FAQs
Can I make focaccia pizza dough ahead?
Yes. You can let the dough rise slowly in the fridge instead, then bring it back to room temperature before topping and baking. The timings in this recipe are for the same-day method.
Is hot honey on pizza very spicy?
Not at all. Chilli Chan's Crispy Hot Honey is more sweet heat than fire, so it adds a gentle kick. Add an extra drizzle after baking if you like more.
Do I need to knead focaccia dough?
No. This is a no-knead dough. Stir until there is no dry flour left, cover it and let time do the work.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep leftover focaccia in an airtight container and reheat in a hot oven for a few minutes to bring back the crisp edges.
Keep reading
- Chilli Oil Greek Yoghurt with Hot Honey Yolky Eggs: a 10-minute brunch with more sweet heat
- All Chilli Chan's recipes: more bold, easy ideas for your pantry
Made it? Tag us. We want to see those dimples.
