Focaccia bread is a great pairing for Italian meals. It is a denser bread, the traditional version being very crispy on the edges and soft in the middle, coated in olive oil and topped with rosemary and sea salt. However there are lots of options for topping focaccia, including laying whole olives on the top, or very thin red onion slices in a pretty pattern with sprigs of herbs as an example. It can be sliced for serving, or it can be torn apart at the table if you prefer. Focaccia is best served same-day as it hardens pretty quickly. You can freeze it if you do not finish it, then thaw and reheat it on a baking sheet, uncovered, at 300 degrees, to serve at a later date. Leftover focaccia can be sliced horizontally and used to make sandwiches or paninis, or it can be brushed with garlic butter and cheese for fancy garlic bread. This recipe is based on a Bon Appetite No-Knead Focaccia recipe.
TIPS: It seems like a lot of olive oil but that is what makes focaccia! As it bakes, the olive oil crisps the bread’s edges and it gets absorbed into the bread creating a “deep dish pizza” crust flavor. There is no kneading necessary in this recipe so do not be tempted. Be sure when the dough is rising that it is in a spot in your kitchen that is warm and not drafty or cool. I find the glass of a Pyrex baking dish makes a nice crispy crust.
Focaccia Bread (No-Knead)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast ( 1 envelope)
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 1/2 C lukewarm water
- 5 C all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp Morton kosher salt (1.5 Tbsp if using Diamond Crystal)
- 6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
- Flaky Sea Salt or Fleur de Sel
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary chopped or whole leaf
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted (optional)
Instructions
First Rise:
- Whisk the active dry yeast with the water and honey in a medium to large bowl just until blended, and let sit 5 minutes. (It should start to foam or look creamy to be sure your yeast is active).
- Add 5 cups of flour and the kosher salt to the bowl and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour or streaks remain.
- Put 4 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil in a separate very large bowl. (the dough will rise a lot so you need a big bowl). Swirl the olive oil around the bottom. Transfer dough into this bowl, forming a shaggy ball , and and turn it to coat it completely in oil. (Do not knead the dough in the oil, just roll it to coat).
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and throw a towel over it and let rise at room temperature until more than double in size , 3-4 hours. (Alternatively let rise in the refrigerator at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours).
Second Rise:
- Generously butter a 13×9 baking dish to prevent dough from sticking. Pour 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in the center of the dish.
- Bring the the bowl containing the risen dough close to you and using two forks pull the farthest edges of the dough upwards and towards you and into the center of the bowl. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and do again, pulling the farthest dough edge up and to the center using the forks. Do on the next 2 sides. At this point the dough will have deflated and be in somewhat of a ball shape.
- Dump this dough into the center of the baking dish, and pour any oil left in the first bowl on top. Turn dough ball to cover in oil. (make sure no dry spots remain or it won't rise evenly). Do not shape the dough in the dish as of yet. Let rise, UNCOVERED, in a dry warm spot at least 1 1/2 hours up to 3 hours. The dough will shape to the dish while rising.
To Cook:
- Preheat oven to 450 with rack in the middle if the oven. The dough should have risen to almost fill the dish and doubled in size. Poke the dough with a finger and dough should be slow to spring back. (If springs back quickly it is not yet ready). Using oiled fingers, dimple the dough with your fingers pushing through dough all the way to the bottom of the pan, spreading dough out to fill the pan as you do so. This will create deep depressions in the dough characteristic of focaccia. Drizzle to top with remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with Sea Salt and Rosemary.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until brown all over. Remove from oven. (Optional – brush top with melted butter) Let rest 10-15 minutes then remove bread onto cutting board. Slice into squares to serve, or let guests tear it apart at the table. It is best if served warm. Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip.
- Enjoy!
Alternate Toppings:
- Sage and Onion Focaccia: Top with Sea Salt, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage and 1/2 C very thinly sliced red onion.
- Olive and Rosemary Focaccia: In addition to chopped rosemary and sea salt, top with 1/2 C halved black pitted olives, pressed gently into the dough.