Once you try this focaccia bread recipe, you’ll never go back to plain bread! This hearty No-Knead Focaccia bread has tons of airy bubbles and is coated in olive oil and herbs, making every bite full of delicious flavor. And the best part? This easy no knead technique only takes about 5 minutes of hands-on work to make an amazing loaf. This delicious focaccia bread pretty much makes itself!
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What is Focaccia?
Focaccia bread is an Italian flatbread known for its thick, fluffy texture with plenty of large bubbles. It is often rectangular or circular in shape and is made with high-gluten flour and plenty of olive oil, which gives it a unique texture and flavor. Focaccia can be seasoned with herbs, cheese, or even vegetables and is often used for sandwiches, dipping into soups or sauces, or even as thick base for pizza.
Ingredients for No Knead Focaccia Bread
This super simple no knead focaccia bread recipe only uses a few simple ingredients:
- Flour: Traditionally, focaccia is made with a high-gluten flour that gives it extra strength and a deliciously chewy texture. We crafted this recipe using all-purpose flour to reduce the need to purchase special ingredients. You can use high-gluten flour if you prefer, but the water-to-flour ratio may change slightly.
- Instant Yeast: Because this focaccia recipe uses a no-knead technique, we must use instant yeast which does not need to be bloomed in warm water to activate.
- Salt: Salt helps give the focaccia bread flavor. Without salt, bread can be quite bland and flavorless.
- Water: Water hydrates the flour and helps the yeast activate.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil keeps the focaccia dough from sticking, gives the bread’s crust a wonderful texture, and provides a classic flavor.
- Cornmeal: We use cornmeal to give the bottom crust of the focaccia bread a nice crispy texture, but it is optional.
- Italian Seasoning: A simple Italian seasoning blend is used to give the bread even more flavor, but you can experiment with your focaccia bread with other herbs, spices, cheese, or even vegetables.
Can I Use Whole Wheat Flour?
Yes, you can substitute some of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. Using all whole-wheat flour generally creates a very heavy and dense bread, so I highly suggest using only some, up to 50%, whole wheat flour. You may need to use slightly more water, as whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture than all-purpose flour.
The No Knead Bread Technique
Regular bread baking requires the dough to be kneaded a long time to make the gluten strands line up and form a sort of matrix that gives the dough strength and texture. With no-knead bread, the dough is allowed to ferment overnight. During fermentation enzymes break down the gluten in a process called autolysis, which makes it easier for them to untangle, line up, and form the matrix that usually takes a lot of kneading to form.
An added bonus is that overnight fermentation adds a lot of flavor to the bread. AND, since the yeast has so much time to grow and multiply, you only need to use ¼ tsp yeast, compared to about 2 tsp for a normal loaf of bread! Win-win!
What Do You Serve With No Knead Focaccia?
Focaccia is such a versatile bread! It makes a great side dish with just about any meal, but I think it’s particularly nice with soups and stews. Its hearty texture makes it great for dipping, dunking, and sopping up sauces, stews, and soups. Focaccia bread is also fantastic for sandwiches, especially pressed sandwiches like paninis. You can also use this bread to make pizzas or flatbreads. Simply top it with your favorite cheese, meat, or vegetables and bake again until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Or, if you’re just a bread fanatic like me, slice it into sticks, dip it in some homemade marinara sauce, and call it a day!
How to Store Focaccia Bread
After baking, make sure to allow the focaccia bread to cool completely to room temperature before storing to prevent condensation. Once cooled, you can keep the bread at room temperature in an air-tight container for about two days. If you can’t consume the entire loaf within two days, consider freezing a portion of it for longer storage.
To freeze the focaccia bread, simply let it cool completely until it is room temperature, cut it into slices (whichever size or shape you prefer), then place it in a gallon-sized freezer bag. The frozen no-knead focaccia thaws quickly at room temperature.
No Knead Focaccia Bread
Servings 12 squaresIngredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour ($0.61)
- 1/4 tsp instant yeast ($0.02)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp cornmeal ($0.03)
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning ($0.30)
Instructions
- The night before, combine the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Stir until everything is evenly combined. Add the water and stir until it forms one cohesive, sticky, shaggy ball of dough with no dry flour left on the bottom of the bowl. If there is still dry flour in bowl, add a little water (1-2 Tbsp) until the dough comes together (scroll down to the step by step photos for examples). Loosely cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
- The next day the dough will be wet, bubbly, and very fluffy. Dust the top of the dough with some flour, then scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough over on itself a few times until it forms a ball in the center of the bowl.
- Line a baking sheet with foil then drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Spread the oil to coat the surface of the foil, then sprinkle cornmeal on top of the oil.
- Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Stretch and pat the dough out into a large rectangle. You may need to dust your hands with flour throughout this process to keep the dough from sticking.
- Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the dough and use a soft brush to spread it evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning (or any type of herbs) over top. Let the dough rise for another hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Using your fingers, press dimples into the risen dough. Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the surface is golden brown. After removing from the oven, allow the focaccia to cool before slicing and serving.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Measuring Cups Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
Nutrition
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How to Make No Knead Focaccia Bread – Step By Step Photos
Start with 4 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp instant yeast, and 1.5 tsp salt. Stir them together until everything is well combined.
Add 2 cups water to the flour mixture. This part will require a little flexibility on your part. You may need to add slightly less or slightly more water depending on the ambient humidity in your home and fluctuations with measuring the flour. I’ll show you what to look for in the next photos.
Stir the water into the flour until it forms a ball of sticky dough and there is no more dry flour left on the bottom of the bowl. In the photo above, the dough is too dry. You can see dry flour on the bottom of the bowl and the dough ball is not cohesive. If this is your dough, add a tablespoon or two more water.
Your dough should look like this. Sticky, but not slimy or shiny, and no dry flour on the bottom of the bowl. This style of dough is much more wet than traditional bread dough. Cover the bowl loosely and allow it to sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
After 12-18 hours the dough will look very bubbly and large, like this. Am I weird for thinking that’s gorgeous??
Sprinkle a little flour over the dough to keep your hands from sticking and pull the dough from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough over onto itself a few times until it forms a sort of ball. Keep your hands well floured as you do this.
This is what the dough looks like after I folded it onto itself a few times. The gluten matrix is well developed. You can tell by how smooth it is and the air bubbles trapped right under the surface.
Line a baking sheet with foil, then drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over the surface. Use your hands to spread the oil to evenly coat the surface of the foil, then sprinkle about 2 Tbsp cornmeal over the oil.
Transfer the ball of dough to the prepared baking sheet and press and stretch it out until it fills the entire baking sheet. Drizzle one more tablespoon of olive oil over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning over the surface (you can use a mix of basil, oregano, and red pepper if you don’t have Italian seasoning).
Let the dough rise for one hour (or a little more if your ambient room temperature is on the cool side). When you get close to the end of the rise time, begin preheating your oven to 425ºF. Use your fingers to make dimples all over the dough.
Once the focaccia has risen and the oven is fully preheated, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the focaccia bread for 20-25 minutes, or until it is nicely golden brown on top.
Look at those gorgeous bubbles!
Let the focaccia bread cool before slicing. You can slice it into 12 squares, or into strips, which are nice for dipping and dunking into soups and stews.
I think I might have put too much water and tried to salvage it by adding more flour but after baking it came out flatter. Determined to try again cause it still tastes alright.
I’ve literally never even attempted to make bread but this looked so straightforward I thought “What the hell?” – might also have something to do with binging Great British Bakeoff lately 😅 It turned out so well! The only thing that went a bit sideways is the top of the dough dried out a bit while it was rising – will use a different cover technique next time. It tastes fantastic!
Can I cold proof this? How long do you think that would take? The 12-18 hour timeline lands at a horrible time and I can’t seem to do it for the life of me.
You probably can, but I’d need to do some testing to find out the optimal proof time at refrigerated temperatures and you might want to increase the yeast as well.
We did this as a cinnamon bread for breakfast. I added two tablespoons of sugar and maybe a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough, used butter on the pan and the bread itself instead of oil, and when it had about ten minutes left in the oven I took it out and spread a little more butter on and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It was a hit, kinda tasted like a baked-not-fried elephant ear, and SO easy. Gonna try to cinnamon sugar swirl the dough next time!
OMG, this is GENIUS! Thank you for sharing with everyone!
Nancy and I love the focassia bread. Can it be made with pizza sauce and toppings?
We just published this recipe last week, for Sheet Pan Pizza, using this recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/sheet-pan-pizza/
~Marion :)
My family loved this easy-to-make bread. It was a hit, and we will be making it again soon. Thank you for posting it! :)
Thank you for the recipe! If I don’t have access to instant yeast, would the same amount of active yeast be a reasonable substitute if proofed first?
You can definitely use it! You will just need a little bit more active dry yeast than instant. Heat up the same amount of water called for in the recipe — so it’s warm but not hot (around 110*F if you have a kitchen thermometer) — and then stir in 1 packet (approx. 2 1/4 tsp) of active dry yeast to disolve the outer coating protecting the yeast. If desired, you can also add a tsp of sugar or honey to “feed” it. Once the yeast starts to bloom (in 5-10 minutes), the mixture can be added to the flour and salt. The dough can ferment in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for 2-3 hours before transferring to the sheet pan for the second rise. ~Marion :)
What size baking pan do you use?
Hi, Carol! The enamelware sheet pan listed under EQUIPMENT on the recipe card is 16″ x 12.5″. (Just so you know, any equipment picture in this section of our recipes can be clicked on to reveal more product information!) Since this is a bit of an odd size, I wanted to make sure to tell you, you can use any sheet pan or metal baking dish that’s relatively this size (like a standard 1/2 sheet tray, which is 18″ x 13″). It will slightly affect the height of the bread, but the cooking time should remain relatively consistent. — Marion :)
Whipped this together before work, and came home to put it in the oven. Delicious! I added parmesan cheese to the top. Served it with Zuppa Toscana made with sweet potatoes instead of white. Yum!
But when was I supposed to add the cornmeal
STEP 3: Line a baking sheet with foil, then drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Spread the oil to coat the surface of the foil, then sprinkle cornmeal on top of the oil. XOXO -Monti
This recipe is awesome! I’ve made this 4 times now and have been adding quartered tomatoes or cherry tomatoes that I marinate in olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, fresh rosemary, and red pepper flakes. I also throw some kalamata olives in with the tomatoes and top the bread with the tomato/olive mixture after the bread rises for the second time. It’s divine! Highly recommended :)
Will this recipe work with active yeast if that is all you have on hand?
Active yeast needs to be proofed in warm water before adding to the dough, so you’d have to change the method. But it can be tricky that way because then you might accidentally end up adding too much water.
Made this for New Year’s to go with Greek-inspired black eyed peas. This is so light and melt-in-your mouth delicious! Thank you for clarifying the amount of yeast, and why. Following the recipe made all the difference😊
Was getting ready to start this recipe when I see it calls for 1/4 tsp of instant yeast. Most instant yeast packages are 1/4 oz. Should it be 1/4 oz. of instant yeast or is it really just 1/4 tsp?
Yes, it’s really just ¼ teaspoon. :) This dough has a long fermentation time, which gives the yeast ample time to replicate so you can start with much less. If you’re making bread that only rises for about two hours, you’ll need to start with a lot more yeast.
What is the cornmeal for? And can it be omitted or replaced by something else if I don’t have any?
The cornmeal helps the bread not stick to the pan and adds extra texture to the bottom. You can skip it, just make sure to use plenty of oil to keep the dough from sticking. :)
Do you have these ingredients by weight? I live in the humid part of town and my flour volumes are all over the place.
Unfortunately, I don’t. But you can check the step by step photos to see what to aim for with the texture of the dough. There’s always going to be a little adjustment when it comes to bread.
It’s so simple and hassle-free and tastes (and smells) amazing. Simple ingredients, no kneading, no surfaces that need cleaning, no overthinking. I didn’t have aluminium foil nor a metal pan so I made it in a glass pan with parchment paper, turned out great :) Cheers!
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of the all purpose?
Check the paragraph above the recipe titled, “Can I Use Whole Wheat Flour?” for more info.
Made this today to go with the pasta sauce I’m making and it is delicious, would highly recommend making it. My husband doesn’t really like bread but this was a winner with him.
Hi, what is the size of the baking sheet?
Congrats on this recie, easy to do and cheap
The baking sheet I used is approximately 12″x16″ :)
I’ve made this recipe 4 times and it always tastes amazing, however, my bread always comes out at least 2 inches thicker than yours! I don’t know how that’s happening, haha!
Can you make this gluten free somehow? It looks so good!!
This type of bread really depends heavily on the gluten to create the correct texture. Unfortunately, I have no experience with gluten-free baking, so I’m not sure if there is a way work-around for that.
Can you cut down on the rising time by adding more yeast?
You can make similar no-knead bread with 2 tsp yeast and letting it rest for two hours, but the longer fermented version is definitely better. :)
I am so excited about this recipe! My favorite bread from Panera is Asiago Focaccia! I was wondering… would I just add the asiago on top during the last little bit of baking? Thanks for such a wonderful and helpful website!
Yep! That should work well.
Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose?
You can, but you may need to increase the water a little. Higher protein flours tend to absorb more liquid than lower protein flour.
This has been my go-to foccacia bread recipe since I stumbled into this page. I’ve made this thrice and it turns out perfect every single time. Thank you, Beth! 😘
Five months later and I’m still making this! I just made a batch today. This is so good! We especially love making pizza using this as the crust because it’s so flavorful!
This was my first time ever making bread and it turned out pretty good. I subbed whole wheat flour because I ran out of white flour and me and my sister really liked it. I am going to be using it for her birthday dinner later tonight. We have been having a lot of fun making these recipes. Like other people have mentioned, they turned out a little chewy but I am pretty sure that its our fault since we messed up a step but thankfully the recipe was pretty forgiving.
Hi, Europe here. I was trying your recipe and didn’t work out well. Would be possible for you to share the amounts here in grams / kilograms here? It would really help.
Thank you in advance, Kamila
Mine didn’t turn out as bubbly as yours, and it was slightly chewy. Not sure what I did wrong. It was still very tasty though. My husband and I ate probably ate 1/4 of it as soon as it came out of the oven haha. Nothing like fresh baked bread.
I think I want to try making this gluten free. We’ll see!
Beth, I love this recipe and am so glad you’ve updated it! Do you think you could revisit the old No-Knead Ciabatta recipe, too?
Yep! It’s on my list. :D
You mention needing to use a certain kind of yeast, specifically that you cannot use dry yeast that is usually put in water before adding to a recipe. I have always used tradition dry yeast for no-knead bread and the bread has always been a success.
Can the mixture be kept at room temp for over 18 hours?
You don’t want to leave it fermenting too long, or else the yeast will run out of “food” to feast on and the leavening will start to decrease. So, if you have to leave it longer than the suggested time, transfer it to the refrigerator to slow down the action of the yeast.
Not sure what I did wrong but my bread came out really hard on the top. It’s still edible and Good flavor-A bit yeasty, however not sure where I messed up maybe the temperature of the water? I did not realize it should be at room temp until I read it in the comments. I’m going to keep trying until I perfect this I love focaccia!
Looks delicious, but unfortunately didnt work for me. The dough was too sticky to work with, even when adding flour :(
I had the same problem. It lead to quite a bit of frustration. I just can’t seem to have any success ever with making bread. At some point it’s just cheaper to buy it from a baker.
Are the cups used here the US size or metric cups..?
US sized cups :)
Can I use flour instead of cornmeal? Or do you have any other substitutions?
That should work fine. The cornmeal doesn’t go into the dough, so you could even do without it if you want :) It just helps keep the dough from sticking to the baking sheet (although the oil is sufficient on its own) and it helps give a nice texture to the bottom.
Serve it with BB herb tomato soup!
Do you think it will yield the same results if I half the recipe and use a smaller tray? Making it for myself and want to make a smaller batch!
Yes I think that would be fine. You can reduce the servings by half and the ingredients will adjust.
We tried this and it was fabulous to accompany a tomato and mozzarella salad for lunch. One thing we did, which made the house smell wonderful, was replace the tablespoon of olive oil used to spread over the dough before baking with the same amount of oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Thank you!! (I love that you put no sugar in your breads too.)
What is the cornmeal for? If it can’t be left out, are there any things that could be substituted for it? I don’t use cornmeal for anything else, so it feels wasteful to buy some just for this recipe.
That should work fine. The cornmeal doesn’t go into the dough, so you could even do without it if you want :) It just helps keep the dough from sticking to the baking sheet (although the oil is sufficient on its own) and it helps give a nice texture to the bottom.
This recipe turned out FANTASTIC! I’m not a bread baker and figured this would be a good place to start, and oh boy we were not disappointed. It has such a nice crusty exterior with a really light, bubbly and airy interior. I played around with the spices on top a bit and went with a blend of rosemary, thyme, oregano, paprika, chunky salt, and cracked pepper. I’m so glad we have more in the freezer because this stuff will not last long :)
Can I use less salt?
I wondered the same thing. I compared this with Budget Bytes regular no-knead bread, which uses 1/2 tsp salt to 3 cups flour. I think the focaccia would rise and bake fine, but the flavor would be quite different if you reduced the salt dramatically.
I think if you look at the recipe again for the regular no-knead bread that it calls for 1/2 a tablespoon of salt, not half a teaspoon. A tablespoon usually measured as 15ml, and a teaspoon 5ml. Making one and a half teaspoons equivalent to half a tablespoon – 7.5ml.
I was also surprised at how much salt was required, it seems a lot and I tried it with less (1 tsp), but the flavor of the bread is so much better if you follow the recipe!
This was amazing. I mixed it up last evening and them cooked it today. Had it with so!e potato corn chowder. The whole house smelled great.
I have traditional yeast, not instant. Can I use traditional yeast instead and do I need to make any modifications?
Not for this recipe, unfortunately. Active dry must be proofed in hot water before adding to the recipe, whereas instant yeast can be added to the flour dry, without any activation by hot water. In general, you can use instant yeast in place of active dry in any recipe, but you can not use active dry in place of instant in recipes where it is not proofed first in hot water. I hope that made sense! :)
If you did proof the traditional yeast in the 2 cups water called for in the recipe (and the water was warm enough at the time of proofing and then left to cool to room temp, to continue as normal with the recipe), would it still work?
Yes that will be okay!
Looks really nice. How was the top? Was it a little crunchy or it was soft?
Just finished making this last night and it was SO GOOD! I had never made bread before and I was nervous, but this recipe was super easy! The bread was so nice and fluffy! I added some kalamata and green olives on top before I baked it and it was delicious. I served it with some sausage and peppers. Will definitely make again!
Could you add the quantities in metric system for us Europeans :)
I wish I could do metrics, but it would just be too difficult to try to measure everything out while cooking. Some ingredients can be simply converted with math because of volume to weight conversions.
It looks so yummy! I’ll have a small party this weekend and I will add this recipe to our party menu. Thanks for the instruction.
My yeast is nearly expired – but I *have* some! So, my dough is sitting in a bowl on the back of the stove right now – and I am hopeful that tomorrow’s lunch will include a lovely foccacia bread :D
Thank you for posting this!
Came back to say – I left my dough overnight and nearly forgot about it :) I mixed it up at 7pm Friday night, and it wasn’t until 5:30pm Saturday evening that I got back to it :D
The hardest part was stretching and pressing the dough out to fit my pan – the foil pulled off the pan and I never did get the dough to be the same thickness across the whole pan.
HOWEVER – it baked up beautifully, made my house smell AMAZING and came out perfect! This is a keeper and I will be making it again!
2 questions—
What do I loosely cover it with overnight? A towel? Cling wrap?
Is it necessary to use the foil, or can I bake directly on baking sheet? Would parchment paper work instead of foil?
Thank you — can’t wait to try this recipe : )
Hi Joan! Yes you can use a light towel such as a tea towel or flour sack towel. You could use cling wrap too but you don’t want it to stick to the dough. You definitely can use parchment in lieu of foil. Enjoy!
I’d also love to know the size of your baking sheet pan. This looks so good and easy to come together!
Thanks Bonnie! It’s an 11×13 baking sheet. Enjoy!
Looks good! What size was your baking sheet pan?
Do I use warm water or room temp wster for this recipe?
Room temperature water. :)
Fine salt or kosher salt? There’s a big difference in salinity!
It’s fine salt. :)
I love all your no-knead breads and am making this one now! What size baking pan is recommended?
26″x18″ is a standard size that will work.
Love this recipe and have used it so many times! I actually recently made it and I did not have wheat flour so I subbed for semolina flour and it worked really well!
I can’t seem to get this right… As a no-knead first timer, do you have any tips or techniques on stirring in the water? I’ve tried twice, both batches became too clumpy to stir and a cohesive dough like in the picture never formed. The first dough I added extra water which quickly became much too wet. The second try I ended up overworking because I was afraid of adding to much water so I kept stirring instead hoping all the flour would absorb. I added a bit of extra water but the end result dough was so tough and still clumpy.
Hmm, I think it’s just going to take that type of trial and error, unfortunately. But your instincts are right. If it’s clumpy and not coming together into one ball, it needs more water. Try just adding a tablespoon or two. If you accidentally go too far and it looks so wet that it’s glossy, you can dust it with a little extra flour. But it’s definitely better to have it be a little too wet than to be too dry. And as it ferments overnight it will become a little less clumpy, so don’t worry about the dough being super smooth or even. :)
Most amazing focaccia bread recipe ever – I’ve made over and over and it has become a reliable staple in our home. A keeper – easy, delicious, consistent…what’s not to love!
Thanks Barbara!
There used to be a Panzanella Salad that used this bread, but I’m not seeing it on the site. Any way to re-upload it or send it my way? Mostly looking for the dressing that was included in it! Thank you!
I just emailed a pdf of the recipe to you using the email you registered your comment with. :) Let me know if you need anything else!
This was so awesome!!!!
We didn’t have whole wheat flour so we used only regular flour.
We didn’t have corn meal so we just used the regular flour to keep the dough from sticking to the pan.
We skipped the step to let it rise 1 hour after putting the dough in the pan. (accidentally did this- dinner had to be cooked and we couldn’t wait another hour).
All turned out fantastic!!! Tomorrow, we are planning on what sandwiches we are having!
The room temp here is an airconditioned place? My country is very hot.. India .. do it would turn really sour on the counter…
Yes, “room temperature” in the United States is generally 72 degrees Fahrenheit. You can either let it rise for less time, or enjoy the extra flavor produced with the longer rise time.
When my kitchen is too cold, I put my dough in the oven, turned OFF but with the light on. It’s slightly warmer than “room temperature” by a few degrees, but I think it’s perfect.
This turned out delicious! It didn’t rise as much as I expected (on either the first or 2nd rise). I halved the recipe and it was perfect for dinner for 2. I also added fresh rosemary and other seasonings into the dough before the 2nd rise. Thank you for your bread recipes – they are fabulous!
Made this for dinner today! I added some garlic powder and Italian herbs to the dough, and also topped the bread with a bit of parmesan and mozzarella after about 20 minutes, then served it with marinara sauce. Super delicious and easy!
I made this day before yesterday and it was A.MAZ.ING!!! My first attempt at yeast bread. Thank you very much Beth. I am SO IN LOVE with you and your recipes. Really helps to have all the step by step pics with the recipe. Thank You Thank You
Thank YOU. :)
How far in advance is “overnight” if I want to make the actual bread the next evening (5pm), would you still recommend making the dough the night before (even as late as 10pm, which would be 20hrs)
Yep, I’d do 9 or 10 pm, or just before you go to bed. :) I’ve prepped it at 9pm before and then baked it around 5pm.
Foccacia success at last! I used bread flour in place of all purpose and had a nicely risen dough that puffed beautifully in the oven. The leftovers made excellent croutons.
I just stirred up this dough to ferment overnight for tomorrow’s dinner.
I’m fusing three of your recipes: mushroom, artichoke, spinach pasta, this one, and a recipe where you use this dough for pizza. I put chopped rosemary in the dough.
I’m making pizza with fresh mushrooms, canned artichoke hearts from Trader Joe’s <3, some spinach, and probably pepperoni for my adamant carnivore husband.
Thanks so much for your efforts to help us all eat better for less money!
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this recipe for pizza dough as much as my usual for beer pizza dough from King Arthur Flour website. It may have benefited from a prebake before adding any toppings.
My husband liked it, and is taking it for work lunch today. He doesn’t appreciate crispy, “hard” pizza crust.
Maybe I’ll like it better after a reheat in the conventional oven.
I kept enough to use the dough as intended in a 9″ cake pan for focaccia, so I’ve got that frozen. I’ll bet it’s better.
Sounds amazing!!
Could active dry yeast be substituted for instant? if so- would it change rise times and ratios? Thank you!
Not for this recipe, unfortunately. Active dry must be proofed in hot water before adding to the recipe, whereas instant yeast can be added to the flour dry, without any activation by hot water. In general, you can use instant yeast in place of active dry in any recipe, but you can not use active dry in place of instant in recipes where it is not proofed first in hot water. I hope that made sense! :)
So…. Would it not be possible to first proof the active dry in the two cups of water warmed up, and then mix with the other dry ingredients? It seems this would solve the problem.
That can work, but sometimes depending on the moisture content of your flour, you may need to add a little more or less water. I’ve often thought of trying that method because it seems like it would work, but I haven’t tested it out yet.
I make this all the time with active dry yeast and it works great.
I sure do love your bread recipes! I just got back from Amsterdam and they have the BEST bread and sandwiches so I was hoping to recreate it at home. I’ve made the roll version of your focaccia before (and also commented on it…haha) adding olives, and I did the same here. I sprinkled rosemary on top. Unfortunately, I forgot to dimple the bread before sticking it in the oven, but it’s still delicious. The bottom did end up slightly soggy, which I realize now is because I left it to cool on the pan for too long, but I imagine it will dry out a bit now. All in all, the sandwich I made was beyond delicious, so I’d say it was a success!
Looks delicious! Could I make this with bread flour? And do I need more water then? Thanks!
Yes, you can use bread flour, but I don’t think you’ll need to adjust the ratios. Bread flour just has more gluten, so the bread usually has a better texture. :)
hey beth, I love this recipe and have made it before. But I just got a pizza stone for my oven and was wondering if you think it’ll be fine if I just cornmeal and oil the stone and cook it straight on there or if the dough will be too sticky and I’ll never be able to get it off??
I think you could definitely do this on a pizza stone. You could just dust the dough with a extra flour before sliding it onto the stone and use plenty of cornmeal. I don’t think I’d even bother with oil :)
I keep coming back to this recipe because it is so great! Easy and delicious!
We eat a few pieces fresh that day and then I cut it into serving size pieces I freeze it.
Reheat for 20 seconds and it is perfect for toasting or cut in half and use as a crust for a quick pizza. I also made ‘pizza’ with leftover spaghetti sauce and cheese which also worked well.
It is my favorite bread to make.
Oh dear, I believe you’ve created a monster! I’ve been a fan of the focaccia rolls for some time but this is even easier – good for my time budget, bad for my waistline! That’s ok. I’ll just have to work it off. My only regret is that I only just found your blog just shy of a year ago. So many wonderful and budget-friendly recipes! You’ve really given me a lot of confidence to try foods I wouldn’t have otherwise, so thanks for that! P.S. substituting uncooked polenta for the the cornmeal worked just fine. Most of it falls away before it hits the mouth anyway, but it leaves an amazing crust!
I REALLY want to try this bread, but I don’t have any corn meal. Can I substitute corn grits (polenta) if maybe I whiz them up in the food processor first? Thanks in advance!
That should work fine. The cornmeal doesn’t go into the dough, so you could even do without it if you want :) It just helps keep the dough from sticking to the baking sheet (although the oil is sufficient on its own) and it helps give a nice texture to the bottom.
This was really easy and really yummy. I hoped to make sandwiches but mind turned out kind of flat. I think either 1) I stretched it out too much on the pan or 2) I put too much oil on it, not allowing it to rise enough. So, I improvised and made focaccia pizza.
Traditionally focaccia is topped with olive oil, minced fresh garlic, minced fresh rosemary, and coarse salt (yum), but the bread is a really great blank canvas to top with whatever suits your fancy. Top with minced, olive oil packed sun dried tomatoes (but first, liberally brush the bread with the tomato oil, it’s delicious), add minced fresh basil, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and it’s equally yummy.
I need to bring bread for a holiday gathering next week and this focaccia is what I’ll be bringing, a couple of them with the toppings mentioned above.
I double the recipe and put it in a big, plastic basin for the long rise (like the kind used for hand washing lingerie), and it works. The dough is carefully divided in half before shaping, rising again, topping, and baking. I suppose if you want to try tripling the recipe, a big plastic bucket might work for the long rise.
I am making this right now but replaced the Italian herbs with Indian! I sprinkled it with Cumin, torn fresh cilantro leafs and stalks, salt and a bit of green onion that I had hanging around. The smell is divine!
Do you know if this type of fermentation breaks down phytic acid like traditional soaking methods?
deneenie – Hmm, I’m not sure. I have absolutely no experience working with gluten free flour, but I do know that gluten is vital to the texture of bread… so, I’m pretty sure it would change it quite a bit.
Any idea how this would work with gluten-free flour? I’d like to try to make some for my mom. (The regular recipe is awesome and delicious!!)
Miriam – I’m not quite sure what size pan I used that day (I have three sizes), but I think it was just a basic sized baking sheet. It would be okay to use a slightly smaller or larger pan. If you have a smaller pan, your focaccia will be slightly thicker and if you have a larger pan you can just not stretch it all the way to the edges. I think my dough was about an inch thick when I first stretched it out, so hopefully that will help guide you.
I’ve made this several times now and used AP flour with great success :)
Hi! Can you tell me what size pan you used?
Can I use all AP flour? Does bread flour make it any different?
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I accidentally put an entire packet of yeast in..oopsy. Still turned out fantastic! I also chopped up some garlic and pressed it into the dough right before I put it into the oven. YUM!
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe! I’ve never made actual bread before, only cakes like muffins and banana bread, so I was happy to find a quick, easy recipe. I made half a batch and used half whole wheat flour, half pastry flour. After rising, I cut my dough into 6 pieces, each about the size of a standard piece of bread. I experimented with different toppings on each, like rosemary, italian herbs, parmesan cheese, sesame seeds. These baked into the best little sandwich buns ever!!! I can’t wait to make more! Thanks for the awesome recipes and website. :)
I love all your bread recipes, they’re so easy! I was wondering if it makes a difference baking with some whole wheat flour or just using all all-purpose flour?
Oh wow I didn’t know you could create a no-knead focaccia.. so much easier!
Made this tonight – delicious! I went with oregano, basil, rosemary and garlic powder and a 16 hour fermenting time. I think I’ll try a rosemary onion version next. Thanks!
i wonder if i can do ahead and use the dough for pizza crustt loll well guess ill seee><
Hmmm, it’s hard to say but I would try it again with a shorter ferment time. You can go as short as 2 hours for that first “overnight” ferment. I don’t know how long you let it go, but try shortening the first rise/ferment and maybe lengthening the second rise. I hope it works better!
I made this a few weeks ago, and it had a great flavor…but it was super super dense. What did I do? :)
Wow – first bread that I’ve ever made from scratch and now I’m wondering why I haven’t done this before?!?! Sooo easy to make and the result was delicious! I had no corn meal on hand so I substituted semolina and it worked fine. Can’t wait to try some more of your no-knead recipes…
One of the easiest and best breads I have made yet. It’s perfect with a college student’s schedule: make it the night before, next morning put it on the baking sheet, let rise while in class, and then bake before work.
Wonderful recipes!!
This is sitting on my counter for baking tomorrow!! Yummmmmmmmy.
Anon – I’ve left it for about 20 before and it does start to degrade a little… It gets kind of dense. I find it works best between 8 and 16 hours. You can even do as little as 2 but it will just have a lighter flavor.
Am I “allowed” :) to leave the dough longer than 14 hours??? Any idea on what the max time allowed would be???
This is amazing!! My husband, 22 month old daughter and I ate the whole thing with dinner last night. YUM and EASY!
Thanks!
Wow, Beth! I did only let it sit for 12 hours and still AMAZING. We are making a second batch tomorrow. Your blog rocks!
I’m in college and have never baked bread before but it turned out awesome in my little apartment! Definitely will be using this recipe in the future =)
Jamie – I’ve done it in 8 hrs and it was still great!
Do you think 12 hours would be enough time for the dough to sit, or is 14 hours really important? Wonderful site, so many yummy recipes!
Great question! According to Fleischmann’s (the yeast brand) website, one 0.6 ounce cake of fresh yeast equals one envelope (2.25 tsps) of dry yeast. Since this recipe only calls for 1/4 tsp of yeast, you’ll only need 0.07 ounces of fresh yeast. It’s a very small amount, I bet you could just break off a crumb of it and dissolve it into the water before adding it to the dry ingredients. Good luck!
If i was to use fresh yeast any idea how much quantity would i need to use ?
I just made this and I am in love! I added a tsp each of garlic and onion powder to the dry mix before adding the water. I skipped the last rise, because it was well over 14 hours that it sat (I mis-calculated the time). I used fresh rosemary from a bush I have in my yard and I crushed a clove of garlic into the olive oil to ‘season’ it before I drizzled it on top. I’ll use the rest of it to try and make a pesto dipping sauce later. SO delicious, thanks for such an easy and flexible recipe. I’m going to try all sorts of tweaks for fun!
Amazing! :D Thanks for posting!
This recipe sounds easy enough for me to try. I can’t wait!
JSMDOLL – Hmmm, not sure what could have happened… Did you turn it over on its self a few times before stretching it out onto the baking sheet? Sometimes the yeast needs to come into contact with new sugars to start creating more gas and continue to rise. Was your oven fully preheated before you put the bread in? The sudden increase in heat generates a lot of steam in this wet dough which will puff the bread up before it gets hard and crusted. If the oven is too cold, the crust will harden before the steam forms. Hopefully it was one of those two things because I can’t think of any other possibilities :(
I just made this today and it tastes great – but didn’t rise nearly enough – I even let it sit for 90 minutes instead of the hour you suggested. When I got up this morning – it looked good in the bowl, but even so – it never rose even while baking. What happened?!
This bread is baking in my oven right now…and let me just say, even if it tastes bad (which I’m sure it won’t) the smell alone is totally worth it!
Wow. I finally made some of this today and it was fabulous! Cut half into chunks for the panzanella salad and the other half into sandwich sized pieces. Thanks for the great recipe!
Instant yeast should work the same! :D
I love that this has no added sugar, but I use instant yeast for my bread baking. Do you know if I would need to make any changes to use the instant yeast?
Thank you. Your site is great!
Yes, it freezes well! You can also try making a half batch… but if you’re going to heat up the oven, I guess you might as well make a whole batch :P
This recipe looks amazing! I was wondering how well the finished foccacia freezes? I am planning to make a big batch and freeze pre-cut squares for future use. I live alone and could not finish all that bread at once, no matter how yummy it is.
This is such a great idea! At least in my oven, a no-knead loaf doesn’t get quiiiiiiiite cooked through, so it always has a little dank spot in the center. Flattening it out should take care of that problem easily!
I have a standard kneaded focaccia that I love, but I’m going to try this out — always great to have another no-work bread in my repertoire!
LOVED IT! Thanks so much for this recipe. I have made it twice so far. I added Italian seasoning and then some garlic and cheese before cooking! AMAZING!
Hi there. Your blog is awesome! You have helped me come back from a major cooking rut lately. I’ve tried a number of recipes that have quickly become favorites in my house. Your recipes are perfect for someone like me who is a foodie on a budget. This focaccia is AMAZING and I still can’t believe how easy/cheap it is. I made what my husband called “one of the best sandwiches he ever ate today” on this bread. I grilled it like a paninni with ham, sharp cheddar, spinach, craisins and honey mustard spread. Keep the recipes coming-thanks!
I just made this, and I substituted a the whole wheat flour for half a cup of whole wheat and half a cup of corn meal because I like a slightly gritty texture. It came out very nicely was incredibly easy to make. For the top I put on roasted garlic, caramelized onions, rosemary, and basil. I’ll definitely be saving this recipe!
Yes, Wendy, it freezes great! And this is a great recipe to try if you’re uneasy about working with yeast because you don’t have to knead the dough and you don’t have to proof the yeast. Just mix everything together and let it sit! I hope it works out well for you :D
This looks beautiful! I only have a small oven and I’m wondering if the dough and/or bread freezes well enough to do a couple of smaller loaves? I think I’m going to give it a try anyway, even though I’m generally a bit scared of cooking with yeast!
I’m a sucker for fresh baked bread. I absolutely love your blog!
This sounds GREAT. I make bread fairly regularly, but I still haven’t made foccacia. I’m going to have to try now!
Wow, this is awesome! I can’t believe it’s this easy and cheap to make your own focaccia at home. I’m totally going to have to save this recipe for later.
Mine turned out pretty tasty. I’m at altitude and just decreased the baking temp to 410 F and the crust turned out nice and crisp.
You are so right. It worked! I only had basil and garlic bread sprinkle and I put some parmesan on top before baking. Yum! Thanks for the recipe.
That’s the beauty of this recipe, Jennifer! :D Because it ferments over night, the yeast has ample time to multiply so you only need to start with a little. The starch in the flour is more than enough to keep the yeast going. In bread recipes where it only rises for an hour or two, you need to give it sugar to sort of “jump start” it but this long, slow method doesn’t need it. Nice, right?
I’m having trouble believing that 1/4 tsp of yeast is enough for 4 cups of flour, and that it needs no sugar of any sort, but I’m gonna give it a try! =)
I’m pretty sure this is the stuff they serve at Cosi, and it’s most of the reason I even *go* to Cosi, so maybe I won’t need to anymore… :) Thanks!
Yum! I am a huge fan of no knead bread. I wrote this recipe down and I’m going to go mix it up in my kitchen this afternoon. I love focaccia and I was just trying to think if the regular no knead recipe would work. Now I don’t have to guess :D Thank you!