This fast and flavorful Anchovy Pizza is one of the best pizzas you’ll ever taste! Salty anchovies combine with savory pizza sauce, melted cheese, and stellar toppings to create a homemade pizza that’ll have you and your family coming back for more!
I love serving this with a green garden salad or Caesar salad. And dipping in pizza aioli.
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Anchovy pizza lovers, this one’s for you! Anchovies are totally underrated – they’re salty, rich, and full of umami flavor that highlights the other pizza ingredients.
I pair the anchovies with delicious red onion, crushed red pepper, and Kalamata olives over cheese, sauce, and perfect pizza dough.
This flavor combination is popular in Italy, especially in a dish known as Pasta alla Puttanesca. Putting this bold combination of flavors on a pizza takes it to the next level!
In just 20 minutes, you can have your kitchen smelling exactly like an Italian pizzeria.
🥘 Ingredients
My super-fast Anchovy Pizza is a delicious way to get the flavors of Italy in your kitchen! It’s made with my wonderful homemade dough recipe that you can make ahead of time to make dinner even easier!
- Pizza Dough – Use half of my pizza dough recipe for 1 pizza or store-bought dough. You can usually find store-bought dough in either the refrigerated canned biscuits, rolls, and cookie dough section or the deli section of your grocery store.
- Pizza Sauce – Make my delightful pizza sauce recipe, or use your favorite store-bought sauce!
- Mozzarella – Grated mozzarella is the perfect cheese for pizza! It covers the whole pie evenly, and it melts beautifully.
- Parmesan – I love to top pizzas with grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor! Use a good quality aged Parmesan for the best results.
- Anchovy Fillets – Anchovies are the star of this pizza! Look for anchovies packed in oil for the best flavor. (See Tips & Recipe Notes)
- Red Onion – I love red onion for its slightly sweet, bold flavor that’s perfect for pizza.
- Crushed Red Pepper – You can skip this if you don’t like spice, but it complements the flavors of the other toppings wonderfully!
- Kalamata Olives – Another optional topping – Kalamata olives add another layer of briny, savory flavor. If you’re using them, slice the olives so they cover the pizza evenly. (See Tips & Recipe Notes)
Personal Note: The best topping combination for anchovy pizza (imho) includes briny anchovy fillets, sliced Kalamata olives, and capers.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 Anchovy Pizza Instructions
My amazingly flavorful homemade Anchovy Pizza takes just 20 minutes to get to your table! It’s super important to preheat your oven ahead of time to have the crispiest crust!
- Prep the oven. Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) or as high as your oven will go. Lightly coat your baking sheet, pizza pan, pizza stone, or pizza peel with a dusting of flour or cornmeal. If you’re using a pizza stone, place the stone directly onto the center of the middle oven rack to heat it.
- Stretch the dough. Punch down your dough, then, using floured hands, stretch 12 ounces of room-temp dough to a circular shape of about 12 to 14 inches.
- Add the toppings. Add ¾ cup of pizza sauce in an even layer and top with 1 cup of grated mozzarella and ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Next, place the anchovy fillets from 1 can over the cheese and add ¼ of sliced red onion, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste), and 8 sliced Kalamata olives, if using.
- Bake the pizza. Place the pizza in the middle rack of the oven on your prepared pizza pan or heated pizza stone (using a pizza peel) and bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
- Serve. When done, carefully remove the pizza from the oven. Slice into equal pieces and serve!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Preparation: Make your dough and sauce ahead of time. This allows the flavors to develop and makes the pizza-making process more efficient.
- Dough Stretching: Hand stretch your dough instead of rolling it. This method preserves the air bubbles in the crust, resulting in a better texture.
- Anchovy Selection: Use anchovies packed in oil rather than water for enhanced flavor.
- Oven Temperature: Bake your pizza in a super hot oven, ideally at 500°F (260°C). This high temperature ensures a crispy crust and evenly melted toppings.
- Pizza Stone and Baking: Preheat your pizza stone and bake the pizza on the center rack for optimal results.
- Dough Temperature: Use room-temperature dough for easier stretching. Let the dough sit out for about 1 hour before stretching.
- Dough Preparation: For best results, prepare the dough at least a day in advance and allow it to come to room temperature before use.
- Anchovy Handling: If unsure about using anchovies, start with a few or break them into smaller pieces. Their flavor is integral to the dish.
- Kalamata Olives: Consider adding Kalamata olives as an optional ingredient. They can be found jarred or at your grocery store’s olive bar. Opt for pitted olives for convenience.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Pizza is always better the next day! You can store leftover pizza in an airtight container or gallon Ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftover pizza can also be frozen for late nights or whenever the pizza craving hits! Wrap slices of this delightful homemade pizza in cling film and freeze them individually.
When fully frozen, you can stack them in a freezer bag or airtight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Learn more about how to reheat pizza leftovers!
❓ Recipe FAQs
If you can’t get your hands on a pizza stone, I love a circular pizza pan with holes on the bottom for making homemade pizza! The holes on the bottom allow heat and air to get to the underside of the crust, so it gets golden brown and deliciously crisp!
For pizza, there isn’t a great alternative for anchovy fillets. I would recommend either breaking the fillets into smaller pieces to get used to the distinctive but delicious flavor, blending a few fillets into the pizza sauce, or skipping altogether! However you choose to make it, this pizza is going to be amazing!
This recipe calls for pizza sauce, which is different in consistency than marinara. Pizza sauce is usually thicker and more concentrated as it is a base that’s highlighted by all the toppings. Marinara is usually eaten on its own, so it is typically a bit thinner and seasoned slightly differently. You can totally use marinara in a pinch, but try making my delectable pizza sauce!
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📖 Recipe Card
Anchovy Pizza
Ingredients
- 12 oz pizza dough (use half of my recipe for 1 pizza, or use store-bought dough)
- ¾ cup pizza sauce (make mine or your favorite store bought)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 can anchovy fillets (canned, packed in oil)
- ¼ small red onion (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 kalamata olives (optional - sliced)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) - or as high as your oven will go. Lightly coat your baking sheet, pizza pan, pizza stone, or pizza peel with a dusting of flour or cornmeal.
- Punch down your 12 oz pizza dough, then stretch the dough to a circle shape about 12"-14" around.
- Add the ¾ cup pizza sauce and top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Place 1 can anchovy fillets (drained) over the cheese, and add the sliced ¼ small red onion and other optional toppings(1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes,8 kalamata olives ).
- Place in the middle rack of the oven on your pizza pan or pizza stone and bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven when done. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make your dough and sauce ahead of time.
- Hand stretch your dough, do not roll.
- Use anchovies packed in oil vs packed in water.
- Bake you pizza in a super hot oven, preferably at 500°F (260°C).
- Preheat your pizza stone, and bake your pizza on the center rack.
Alex says
För dem som är i Sverige och kokar är det sardeller som ska vara i den här pizzan. Den äkta fisken ansjovis säljs i Sverige under namnet sardell,
det fick jag lära av en god vän i Stockholm 🙂
"For those who are in Sweden and cook, anchovies should be in this pizza. The real fish anchovy is sold in Sweden under the name sardell,
I learned that from a good friend in Stockholm"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Tack för ytterligare information!
"Thanks for the additional info!"