Everything Bagel Focaccia Bar (Pizza Night!)

Chewy focaccia seasoned like an everything bagel, topped with your favorite bagel toppings

There are foods that I like to splurge and treat myself to now and again.  One of them is a good everything bagel, toasted under the broiler then spread with cream cheese, topped with lox, red onion, capers, and--if they are in season in my garden/the farm share--a slice of tomato.  Like Albert in the book Bread and Jam for Frances (Amazon affiliate link) I set my meal up just so, and it makes me happy.

The first time I tried to recreate my treat on a pizza, one year ago's Potato Smoked Salmon Red Onion and Caper Pizza, the pizza, while tasty, missed the mark of what I wanted to capture.  When I first made a focaccia I realized what I'd wanted was the chewiness of the crust, and made a mental note to find Everything Bagel seasoning and try it out.

Fast forward to summer.  While at the beach at a spice store steps away from the boardwalk (I'd think that wasn't a great location, but they got my business) I found it.  As I drove back to Ohio I had my daughter take notes of all the recipe ideas in my head.  The first one I tried was Everything Bagel Focaccia.  It was good--but still needed some tweaking.

First try--too thick, and not "everything" enough.

Third time was the charm for me (and for you!), and I present you with a focaccia flavored like an everything bagel yet not so messy (I hate all the crunchy bits that fall off, though they are tasty scooped up and secured with cream cheese), safe to eat if your parents have invested much money in your mouth and don't want you to screw up your braces, and the perfect set up for a late brunch bar with assorted toppings.

For my birthday I'd like to share a Friday Night Pizza Night version of one of my favorite foods. Enjoy!