Focaccia is flat leavened oven baked bread originally made from Italy. When it comes to making Italian food, I have to stay as authentic to it as I possibly can. But this no-knead focaccia is as good as it can get to fresh homemade baked bread. I’m sure we all went through a baking phase especially during the pandemic. This was one of the bread recipes that I have made since going to the grocery stores was very limited at that time.
The nice thing about this homemade bread is that it can be used for a charcuterie boards, sandwiches, pizza, pasta or on its own with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This is a great addition to pasta to soak up that amazing tomato flavor with the freshness of the focaccia when added with garlic butter or rosemary. I highly recommend it with charcuterie boards because it belongs with cheese, olives, fruits and meats.
Due to the high amount of olive oil and herbs this does not get stale very easily and it can be placed in the freezer if not eaten right away. To store cut into slices and place in the freezer and re-bake in the oven to get it crispy and soft again. With the 6 cups of all-purpose flour, it makes a big batch enough to fit a 9 x13 for a thicker bread or 13 x 19 pan for a thinner bread. The reason we would want to put this focaccia dough in the fridge during the rising process is because it creates these beautiful air pockets throughout which is why this comes out soft and fluffy.
Toppings to try
There are so many toppings to add to this amazing no-knead focaccia due its versatility but here are a few that are a great addition to bring this to another level.
- sliced red onion
- garlic butter
- thyme
- kalamata olives
- tomatoes or sundried tomatoes
- parmesan, feta cheese or goat cheese
- figs
- peaches
- berry compote
Tips & Notes
These are a few tips and notes along the way that I have learned to make an amazing homemade focaccia.
- The dough is ready when you poke it with your finger and it bounces back slowly, leaving a small indentation and if it bounces back too quickly the dough isn’t ready.
- If your yeast did not froth up, it means that it is EXPIRED which will cause the dough to become flat because it did not rise. Lukewarm water needs to be used to help activate the yeast since the heat of the can kill the yeast.
- The dough will be sticky and you would think to add more flour but what we want is a sticky dough consistency as we are allowing to rest to form a dough.
- For a faster dough process, form the dough in the 9 x 13 pan, rest in room temperature up to 3 – 4 hours. Once it has risen, fold on all sides and rest for another 1 – 2 hours covered in a warm place and then bake in the oven.
- If you are not in a time crunch repeat the process but rest up to 10 hours or overnight in the fridge and then 2 – 3 hours room temperature.
- If you choose to do the faster dough process being in a cold kitchen can effect the dough rising process so placing the dough in a warm place like the oven or microwave will help it rise.
- If you want the inside of your dough to have the toppings you have added. Add the desired toppings and gently fold in random sides so when you slice into it, you’ll have a nice design and filling throughout.
This might seem tedious since it takes a lot of time to rest but trust the process and it will turn out great! I highly recommend to place the dough in the fridge overnight because it causes those air pockets to form making it airy and fluffy.
If you tried this recipe, drop a comment below and let me know how you liked it! Feel free to also leave a question there about this recipe and I’ll get right back to it.
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Ingredients
- 1/4 oz envelope active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoon)
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 – 6 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- 1 tablespoon zaatar
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a measuring cup, whisk together yeast and lukewarm water in a measuring cup and let it sit for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Into a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and yeast with water till a dough forms and no streaks are remaining. You might want to add more flour but a wet sticky dough is what we want.
- In a 9 x 13 or 13 x 19 pan, transfer the dough and cover the dough with 3 tablespoons of olive oil covering the whole dough with olive oil. Cover dough with plastic wrap or towel and let it rise in the fridge up to 10 hours or overnight or 3 – 4 hours room temperature.
- Once the dough has risen, gently fold the edges of the dough on all sides. Cover again to let it rise for a 2nd time up to 2 – 3 hours room temp. This 2nd rising process will fill the length of the entire pan.
- Preheat oven to 450F. Lightly oil your fingertips poking the focaccia leaving deep indentations.
- Add your topping of choice, I used zaatar and rosemary. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the focaccia has puffed up and is golden brown all over. Allow to cool before slicing and enjoy.