No Knead Focaccia Bread

This fluffy no knead focaccia is the easiest focaccia recipe that you can make at home.

You can prepare it with a couple of simple ingredients that you already have in your pantry and no special tools what so ever.

Just like with these no knead ciabatta rolls, we’ll mix all ingredients in a bowl using a fork and a spatula.

Focaccia bread is one of the staples of Italian bakery. 

With dozen of regional versions and different focaccia toppings, it’s impossible to ever get bored with it. 

From the north, with the queen of all Italian flatbreads – Focaccia Genovese, all the way to the south with a little less popular but equally (or quite probably even more!) delicious Focaccia Barese, there’s no focaccia you won’t love.

This no knead focaccia is a simplified combination between the Northern and the Southern versions and it’s arguably the most versatile one.

You can use it to prepare focaccia with all kinds of toppings, slice it and make focaccia sandwiches or simple enjoy it as is – fluffy, soft, slightly chewy inside with irresistible crispy crust.

Did you know that focaccia is not only enjoyable for tummies, it’s also a powerful relaxation activity.

Isn’t there something therapeutic in dipping your hands into soft, bubbly focaccia dough while making those signature focaccia bread dimples?

Ingredients & Possible Substitutes

• Flour – you’ll need equal parts (by weight) of bread flour and all purpose flour. This will make flavorful, slightly chewy focaccia with a delicious crispy crust. Alternatively you can use a mix of 3 flours: bread flour, all purpose flour plus semolina flour, always in equal parts (by weight). Semolina will add extra bite and flavor.
• Water – use cold water during hot month, lukewarm water if making focaccia during cold season.
• Yeast – instant dry yeast. Can be substituted with active dry yeast, previously dissolved in water until bubbly foam forms.
• Extra virgin olive oil – you’ll need about 1 – 1.5  tbsp per each round of folding plus some more for oiling the pan and giving a final touch before the oven.
• Salt – you’ll need fine salt for the dough and sea salt flakes or Maldon sea salt flakes for sprinkling the top.
• Herbs – fresh or dried oregano or rosemary are the most popular herbs for topping focaccia but feel free to experiment as you like.

Focaccia Pan You’ll Need

For this recipe you can use round, square or rectangular pan. 

Preferably blue steel or alloy steel which has the best conduction qualities that helps focaccia cook in the home oven just like Bakery-style.

But you can still use whatever metal sheet pan you have a home. Make sure it’s at least 1 inch high (2.5 cm) or a little more.

Never use glass or ceramic dishes for baking focaccia! They are horrible heat conductors and will not let you focaccia properly rise and cook in the oven.

Focaccia Pan Recommendations:

• 14-inch round pan
• 10×14 inch rectangular pan
• 12×12 inch square pan

Any of the pan sizes above will work perfectly for the amounts indicated in this recipe.

You can also use classic 9×13 inch quarter sheet pan which will make a slightly thicker but absolutely delicious focaccia.

How To Make No Knead Focaccia – Step By Step

Prepare No Knead Dough

• In a large mixing bowl add flour, water and dry yeast. Give a nice stir with a fork.
• Add salt and mix well with a fork until all flour is incorporated. Make sure to scrape the bowl to get all the flour from the sides and from the bottom of the bowl.
• Pour extra virgin olive oil all around the dough, about 1 tbsp. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.
• Let rest for 30 minutes or 45 minutes with colder rooms temperatures.

NOTE: by the end of the proofing time the dough won’t rise much. It’s have only light, almost unnoticeable rise. It also will be very soft to touch.

Fold the dough (1st time)

• Gently pull the dough from the side of the bowl, stretch lightly and fold towards the center.
• A few inches apart from the first fold do the same manipulation, repeating the folding process as many times as needed to finish a whole round around of the bowl.
• Pour extra virgin olive oil around the edge of the dough and cover again with a plastic wrap.
• Let rest for 30-45 minutes.

NOTE: by the end of this proofing the dough will rise a little more than previous time. It will also be more stretchable and more smooth when you’ll perform the folds in the next step.

Fold the dough (2nd time)

• Repeat the stretching and folding process as before.
• Finish with a round of olive oil, cover and let rest again for 30-45 minutes.

Fold the dough (3rd time)

• Repeat the stretching and folding process as before.
• Finish with a round of olive oil, cover and let rest again for 30-45 minutes.

NOTE: The dough will be smooth, silky and you will see beautiful bubbles every here and there. This time around it should take the dough less time to rise to double in size compared to previous proofing and as a final result it should double in size. If it didn’t, give it a little more time or do the 4th fold.

Fold the dough (4th time) – OPTIONAL

1. The fourth fold/rise is optional. I typically do it during cold months to give the dough even better dough structure and taste
2. You can do it if you have time or if the dough didn’t double in the size after the 3rd fold/rise. But you can also skip step and go directly to the next step arranging focaccia in a pan.

Arrange Focaccia in a pan

1. Generously oil focaccia pan and spread all over the pan using your hands.
2. With still oily hands take the dough out of the bowl and place it in pan.
   Using your well-oiled fingertips spread the dough in even layer all over focaccia pan.
   NOTE: If you find it hard to spread the dough to fit the pan, let it rest covered for 5-10 minutes. Past that time you’ll be able to fit the dough perfectly to a pan.
3. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap avoiding touching the dough and a kitchen towel. Let rest for last 15-30 minutes.
   In the meantime start preheating the oven to 450F (230C).

Season & Bake

1. Give a few rounds of extra virgin olive oil and season with a few pinches of sea salt flakes. You can also season your focaccia with dried oregano or dried rosemary. 
2. Spray with water using clean spray bottle to get the crispiest crust.
3. Bake in a preheated to 450F (230C) oven for 15-20 minutes.

Full Recipe

No Knead Focaccia Bread

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This fluffy and crispy no knead focaccia is the easiest focaccia recipe that you can make at home using only 4 ingredients.

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Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Resting Time (Total)3 hours hrs

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 1 pan

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ cup slightly heaping bread flour , 225 grams
• ▢ 1 ½ cup slightly heaping all purpose flour , 225 grams
• ▢ 1 ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp water , 335 grams
• ▢ 1 ¾ tsp yeast , 5 grams
• ▢ 1 ½ tsp salt , 8 grams
• ▢ Extra Virgin Olive Oil about ¼ cup

For Seasoning

• ▢ Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ▢ Sea salt flakes
• ▢ Herbs fresh or dried oregano or rosemary

Instructions

Prepare No Knead Dough

• In a large mixing bowl add flour, water and dry yeast. Give a nice stir with a fork.
  1 ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp water, 1 ½ cup slightly heaping bread flour, 1 ½ cup slightly heaping all purpose flour, 1 ¾ tsp yeast
• Add salt and mix well with a fork until all flour is incorporated. Make sure to scrape the bowl to get all the flour from the sides and from the bottom of the bowl.
  1 ½ tsp salt
• Pour extra virgin olive oil all around the dough, about 1 tbsp.

  Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.

  Let rest for 30 minutes or 45 minutes with colder rooms temperature.
  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fold the dough (1st time)

• Gently pull the dough from the side of the bowl, stretch lightly and fold towards the center.
• A few inches apart from the first fold do the same manipulation, repeating the folding process as many times as needed to finish a whole round around of the bowl.
• Pour extra virgin olive oil around the edge of the dough and cover again with a plastic wrap.

  Let rest for 30-45 minutes.

Fold the dough (2nd time)

• Repeat the stretching and folding process as before.
• Finish with a round of olive oil, cover and let rest again for 30-45 minutes.

Fold the dough (3rd time)

• Repeat the stretching and folding process as before.
• Finish with a round of olive oil, cover and let rest again for 30-45 minutes.

  NOTE: This time around it should take the dough less time to rise to double in size compared to previous proofing and as a final result it should double in size.

Fold the dough (4th time) – OPTIONAL

• The fourth fold/rise is optional. I typically do it during cold months to give the dough even better dough structure and taste

  You can do it if you have time or if the dough didn’t double in the size after the 3rd fold/rise. But you can also skip step and go directly to the next step arranging focaccia in a pan.

Arrange Focaccia in a pan + final rise

• Generously oil focaccia pan using your hands. With still oily hands take the dough out of the bowl and place it in focaccia pan.

  Using your well-oiled fingertips spread the dough in even layer all over focaccia pan.

  TIP: If you find it hard to spread the dough to fit the pan, let it rest covered for 5-10 minutes. Past that time you’ll be able to fit the dough perfectly to a pan.
• Cover with aluminium foil or plastic wrap avoiding touching the dough and a kitchen towel. Let rest for last 15-30 minutes. In the meantime start preheating the oven to 450F (230C).

Season & Bake

• Give a few rounds of extra virgin olive oil and season with a few pinches of sea salt flakes. You can also season your focaccia with dried oregano or dried rosemary.
  Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea salt flakes, Herbs
• Spray with water using clean spray bottle.
• Bake in a preheated to 450F (230C) oven for 15-20 minutes.

Notes

If making focaccia during cold season with room temperature 71F (22C) feel free to use a whole packet of active dry yeast (7 grams).

Focaccia Pan Recommendations:

• • 14-inch round pan

• • 10×14 inch rectangular pan

• • 12×12 inch square pan

Any of the pan sizes above will work perfectly for the amounts indicated in this recipe.

You can also use classic 9×13 inch quarter sheet pan which will make a slightly thicker but absolutely delicious focaccia.

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Buon Appetito!