This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Inspired by a trip to Amalfi, this pizza is bursting with umami flavour. It’s got briny olives and capers, salty anchovies and fragrant oregano. Absolutely delicious and perfect for your next pizza night.
We first tried this pizza in a cute little pizzeria in Amalfi. I quite often opt for a Pizza Napoletana when we’re in Italy, which is made with tomato, anchovies and capers but when I saw this, I knew it was going to be an instant hit.
This pizza is very similar, but has black olives and oregano added. It’s no surprise that I now make this at almost every pizza night.
This pizza is made using our homemade pizza dough, which we have a whole tutorial on showing you how to make it. It’s made 1 day in advance and is well worth the extra effort. Enjoy!
Ingredient notes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Pizza dough: I always prep my homemade pizza dough 1 day in advance, but you can do it up to 48 hours in advance. It’s really worth the wait and there’s not much ‘hands-on’ prep involved. See our in depth guide for making homemade pizza dough here.
- Tomato sauce: we use a traditional no-cook pizza sauce that’s typically used to make pizzas in Italy. Canned plum tomatoes mixed with salt, pepper, a little oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Mozzarella: I always use fresh mozzarella to make pizza and pat it dry with kitchen paper before using. You can use low-moisture mozzarella if you prefer.
- Olives: black olives are my go-to, but choose your favourite.
- Capers: I use capers jarred in brine. If you use salt-packed capers, make sure to rinse them before using.
- Anchovies: use good quality anchovies if possible; it really makes a difference.
- Oregano: I use either homegrown or Sicilian oregano that I buy in a bunch from my local Italian food store. It’s one of my favourite store-cupboard ingredients because it lasts for ages and it’s so fragrant and delicious.
Recipe tips
Adjust the toppings to your taste – you can add as much or as little of each topping as you like. Our recipe is a guide based on how we ate it in Italy and how we like to make it at home.
Using fresh mozzarella – I tend to use fresh mozzarella for making pizzas but it must be drained first to avoid excess moisture on the top of the pizza. Do this by cutting it into slices and letting it drain on kitchen paper for 20-30 minutes before using.
Tomato sauce – traditionally tomato pizza sauce is not cooked and takes just 5 minutes to prepare. You can see the instructions in the recipe card to make a full batch which is enough for around 6 12-inch pizzas.
More delicious pizza recipes to try
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Pizza with Olives, Capers and Anchovies
Equipment
- pizza stone (or pizza steel)
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough, (about 240g-250g/8.5oz)
- 3-4 tablespoons tomato pizza sauce, (recipe below)
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella, (4.4oz/125g) see notes
- 5-6 anchovies
- 1 tablespoon capers, (in brine)
- 12 black olives, (or as many as you like)
- 1 pinch oregano
- Semola Rimacinata, for dusting (or use flour)
Instructions
Prep
- Follow our homemade pizza dough recipe, which makes 4 pizzas. Bring the dough out of the fridge 2-4 hours before baking. The dough shouldn’t be cold.
- Preheat your oven to its highest setting (I go to 270C). If you are using a pizza stone (highly recommend) make sure to preheat your oven with the stone for at least 45 minutes- 1 hour before baking.
- If using fresh mozzarella, I recommend cutting it into slices/strips and letting it rest on kitchen paper to drain.
To make the tomato sauce
- Put the plum tomatoes in a bowl and crush them to a pulp using a potato masher or your hands. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon of oregano and ½ tablespoon of olive oil, then stir until everything is combined. Set aside.
Assemble
- Sprinkle a generous handful of semola flour on a clean work surface and tip one dough ball directly on top of it. Flip it over so both sides are covered in semola. Next, press your fingers into the dough about ½ inch from the edge, working across to the opposite side.
- Do this a few times to create a border around the dough, then stretch the dough gently by turning it in a circle.
- Place the dough back down, then spread the tomato sauce over the base, making sure to keep the border free. Don’t add too much tomato sauce; 3 tablespoons is usually enough.
- Add your mozzarella, followed by the olives, capers, anchovies and a pinch of oregano. Sprinkle your pizza paddle with semola and transfer the pizza onto the paddle in a swift motion.
- Place on your pizza stone and bake for 7-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
- Remove and let it rest for 2 minutes before cutting and serve.
Notes
- Nutritional information is for 1 serving (2 slices of pizza)
- Make sure to drain your mozzarella if using fresh (in the prep step of the instructions)
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
