Anchovy Pizza
This thick-crusted Anchovy Pizza perfectly combines umami-packed anchovies, oozy mozzarella, tangy capers, and fragrant oregano.
It’s a bold, flavor-packed pizza guaranteed to awaken your taste buds and turn you into a devoted anchovy fan!
If you think you don’t like anchovies, you’re not alone—lots of people feel the same way until they try good-quality ones. A delicious Anchovy Pizza is all about balance – salty anchovies, mild, creamy mozzarella cheese, and soft, thick pizza crust. For this pizza, invest in the best anchovies you can buy, and it will make a difference. I speak from experience!
Anchovy pizza began in Naples, where Italians have loved anchovies on bread since ancient times. As a classic “cucina povera” dish, it made perfect sense to top the humble pizza with cheap, plentiful anchovies. Even sfincione, the Sicilian pizza, features them. Anchovies are far from a “weird” topping!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Bold flavors – If you love punchy, intense flavors, this is the pizza for you!
- Italian classic – Pizza and anchovies is a classic and much-loved combination in Italy dating back centuries. This traditiona “cucina povera’
- Tasty contrast – Creamy mozzarella pairs very well with the salty anchovies creating a delicious contrast of flavors.
- Thick crust – Unlike my garlic pizza or Calabrese pizza, this home-style pizza has a thick, chewy crust. In Italy, pizza made in rectangular pans with a thick crust and a variety of toppings is known as pizza al taglio. It’s sold by the slice and is a very popular, not to mention delicious, street food. Pizza al taglio means “pizza by the cut”.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Active Dry Yeast – Easily found in most grocery stores and packaged either in pre-measured sachets or in a small plastic or glass jar which is convenient because the exact amount needed can be measured out. Make sure it’s fresh—if you’re unsure, it’s best to grab a new packet.
- Water – The temperature of the water is key. It should be warm, but not too hot, as heat can kill the yeast, and not too cold, as it won’t activate the yeast. A simple test: if you can dip your finger in and it feels neither hot nor cold, it’s just right.
- Sugar – Any type will work.
- Bread Flour – Also called “strong” flour, it has a higher protein content, which helps create a sturdy dough with a great rise and shape. Most supermarkets carry it.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – You don’t need to use a fancy one for this recipe. A regular grocery store variety will be fine.
- Tomato puree – Look for pure, thick tomato puree or tomato passata. Make sure there are no additives in the ingredients.
- Anchovy fillets – Use the best quality available to you. This is the key ingredient so it must be good. Taste a fillet. If you like the taste of it, use those.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Go for low-moisture mozzarella. If you’re using fresh mozzarella packed in whey, drain it well. Avoid pre-shredded mozzarella since it doesn’t melt as nicely. Chopping or grating the cheese works best.
- Capers – salted capers are the best but if you can only find capers in vinegar they’re good too. If using salted capers, be sure to rinse well.
- Dried Oregano – Regular dried oregano from the grocery store is great. If you can source the dried variety from Italy that comes on the stems, even better still!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix water, yeast, sugar, flour, oil, and salt until smooth and elastic (about 5-7 minutes).
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until well risen.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly oiled surface, stretch and fold each edge toward the center, then repeat the process again.
Shape the dough into a ball, cover it, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Oil a baking sheet and spread the dough onto it, gently stretching it to the edges. Let it rise for 30 minutes.
Combine your tomato sauce ingredients while the dough is resting.
Evenly spread the sauce over the dough.
Top with anchovies, capers, and mozzarella. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the pizza is golden and bubbly.
Marcellina’s Hint: In warm weather or in a heated home, the dough will rise more quickly. In cooler weather or a cold home, the dough will rise slowly. Make adjustments according to the conditions in your home.
Substitutions
- Tomato puree – If you don’t have tomato puree on hand, blend an undrained can of peeled tomatoes instead.
- Bread Flour – Pizza flour can be substituted for bread flour.
- Pizza Dough – Skip making it from scratch and pick up store-bought pizza dough from your local bakery or supermarket. Pre-baked pizza crusts are also a great option.
Variations
- Spicy – Add a touch of spicy heat by sprinkling red pepper flakes over the pizzas before baking.
- Garlicky – Add one large, peeled and finely chopped garlic clove to the tomato sauce.
- Extra Toppings – Before baking, scatter caramelized onions over the tomato puree. After baking, top the Anchovy Pizza with a few dollops of black olive Olivada or Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and arugula, or rocket leaves
Equipment
Use a half-sheet pan for this thick Anchovy Pizza. A half-sheet pan measures 18 x 13 inches (45.7 x 33 cm). A pan slightly larger or slightly smaller than this will also work. You must use good quality, heavy pans.
Storage
If you have leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the fridge. Reheating won’t be quite the same, but I recommend using the oven with the broiler (or top grill element) on in the last few moments. Keep a close eye on it to avoid burning.
Top tips
- As with many great Italian recipes, this anchovy pizza relies on just a few simple ingredients that must be top-quality to create the best results!
- This recipe takes time—you’ll need to let the homemade dough rise properly. Be sure to plan ahead!
- Don’t add extra flour to the dough; it will make the pizza dense. Instead, use oil to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or surfaces!
- Anchovies have a strong flavor. It’s important to distribute them evenly over the pizza so that every bite gets a hit of delicious, umami flavor. Taste the anchovies. If they are particularly salty, reduce the salt in the tomato sauce.
- Preheat the oven thoroughly. If your oven takes longer than 30 minutes to come to temperature, be sure to turn it on earlier than specified in the recipe.
- Anchovy Pizza is best served hot and fresh out of the oven when the crust is still crisp and the cheese is gooey. So gather everyone around and be ready!
FAQ
Anchovies have little bones that are soft and completely edible. If you notice a larger bone when assembling the pizza, it’s easy to pull it out with your fingers.
Anchovies pair very well with mozzarella, Parmesan, and manchego cheese. As a variation, I like to sprinkle just-out-of-the-oven Anchovy Pizza with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano). Delicious!
Anchovy Pizza originated in Naples, Italy. Italians have been eating anchovies on bread since ancient times so it was natural that when pizza was invented it be topped with anchovies. Anchovies were cheap and plentiful and of course, pizza was the food of the poor. Sicilian pizza, known as sfincione, also included anchovies.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this Anchovy Pizza simply with a beer. But why not make a party out of it and include a bowl of Marinated Olives, Fried Meatballs, and Ricotta Stuffed Mushrooms?
Related
Focaccia Genovese
Pizza Fritta
Focaccia Toppings
Ligurian Focaccia
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Anchovy Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Pizza dough
- 1⅓ cups (315mls) warm water
- 1 ¾ teaspoons (5 ½ grams) active dried yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3¼ cups (400 grams) bread flour
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided) plus more as needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Sauce
- 1 cup thick tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Toppings
- 20 anchovy fillets
- 8 ounces (227 grams) mozzarella, chopped or grated
- ⅓ cup capers
Instructions
- In warm weather or in a heated home, the dough will rise more quickly. In cooler weather or a cold home, the dough will rise slowly. Make adjustments according to the conditions in your home.
Make the dough
- Mix together warm water, yeast and sugar. Set aside 10 minutes or until bubbles form.
- Using the dough hook on the stand mixer (or use your hands), add flour to the water/yeast mixture and combine until the mixture comes together. Stand for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and salt and continue to mix for 5 minutes (or 7 minutes by hand) until smooth and elastic. The dough should just stick to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides. If it sticks to the sides, it's too wet – a little extra flour. If it lifts from the bottom of the bowl, it's too dry – add a little water.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until tripled.
- The dough is ready when a gentle finger press leaves a slight indentation that doesn’t immediately spring back. If it does rebound quickly, allow a few more minutes and check again.
Stretch and fold the dough
- Scrape the dough out onto an oiled surface. Flatten slightly.
- With oiled hands, reach for the furthest edge of the dough.
- Gently lift and stretch the dough towards you until you feel resistance.
- Fold the stretched dough over to the center of the dough rectangle.
- Repeat the “lifting, stretching and folding into the center” step on the left-hand edge followed by the right and then the edge closest to you. Repeat the whole process one more time on all edges
- Shape into a ball tucking the edges underneath to pull the surface tight.
- Rub the surface with a little olive oil then cover the ball with a clean kitchen towel (or I often just upturn the mixing bowl over it) and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Assembly and baking
- Spread the remaining two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil onto half sheet pan, oiling the base and sides.
- Lift the dough onto the oil pan. Spread one tablespoon of oil over the surface of the dough and with your fingertips ease the dough flat spreading it to the edges of the pan. If the dough is bouncing back, leave it rest for 5 minutes then try again.
- Set aside to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). In a medium bowl, combine the tomato sauce ingredients. Set aside until needed.
- When the dough has slightly risen, spread the prepared tomato sauce over the pizza then scatter evenly with mozzarella, anchovies and capers.
- Bake the pizza for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden and the pizza is well risen.
- Serve hot, cut into squares or rectangles.
Notes
- Use top-quality ingredients for the best flavor—this pizza keeps it simple!
- Plan ahead: the homemade dough needs time to rise properly.
- Skip extra flour to avoid dense dough; use oil to prevent sticking instead.
- Evenly distribute anchovies for a balanced umami flavor. Taste the anchovies, if they are quite salty, reduce the salt in the sauce.
- Preheat the oven thoroughly, starting early if needed.
- Serve hot and fresh for crispy crust and gooey cheese—gather everyone and enjoy!
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Best thick crust. I am experienced bread maker. I have been looking for a thick crust for pizza. Followed crust recipe exactly. Perfect!!! Thank you!
I’m thrilled you love this pizza as much as we do!