Who would’ve thought that no knead focaccia should be this easy! Every time I take a bite of this crispy, salty focaccia laced with olive oil, I’m transported back to the Ligurian region of Italy. Where shamelessly, I ate my weight in focaccia, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a good three days. Sometimes it was ripened tomatoes with a smear of fresh pesto, other times I’d go for cipolle (onion) petals, and of course, nothing beats focaccia with just olive oil and flaky sea salt. No knead focaccia is an easy bread recipe anyone can make. It also happens to be the perfect way to enjoy an Italian classic at home that doesn’t require a ton of bread-making experience. Every bite starts with a crunchy, springy dough on the inside, a hint of sea salt there in the back, and a burst of good olive oil out of the little dimples of bread dough. I worked on this recipe for two years before I hit the publish button it. And it’s absolutely perfect. Seriously. The amount of joy that homemade focaccia bread gives me is outrageous. Focaccia is a staple for us during the holidays – especially Thanksgiving! This is a long post with TONS of details so if you’ve made focaccia before and aren’t looking to get all the details, feel free to hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top!
Ingredients to make no knead focaccia bread:
Lukewarm Water: You’ll want to use warm water (about 105ºF) so that the yeast can start blooming immediately.Honey: Honey adds a hint of sweetness, helping with the maillard reaction (gives focaccia that noticeable tan color) and acts as food for the yeast when we activate it in the water.Active dry yeast: I usually store yeast in the refrigerator to maintain better shelf life. However, you can also use yeast packets from the pantry. Keep in mind that a packet of yeast typically contains closer to 2 ¼ teaspoons. For this recipe you only need 1 ½ teaspoons so be sure to measure it out! Instant yeast can be used interchangeably with active dry yeast for this focaccia bread recipe. Typically, instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated the way active dry yeast does.Bread Flour: Bread flour works best for this recipe as it contains a higher protein and gluten content. More on other flours that will also work below. Since focaccia is a ‘chewy’ bread recipe, we need the dough to have more elasticity so it develops those signature air bubbles in the dough. The additional gluten is welcome here!Kosher Salt: I use this kosher salt for all the recipes you see on the blog. You’ll want to use about half the amount if you use table salt at home.Olive Oil: Is used a few different stages in the focaccia making process. First, olive oil is added to the dough where it provides a subtle olive flavor. Then we’ll use it to grease the baking pan, and finally, on top of the bread for more flavor and it glistens when you pull the bread out of the oven. There’s almost nothing better than fresh focaccia from the oven!Seasonings or toppings: How you flavor the focaccia is entirely up to you! Just plain of flaked sea salt is a delicious treat! You can also use red pepper flakes for a little heat. Lots of topping suggestions below.
How to make no knead focaccia:
Best tips to make foolproof no knead focaccia recipe:
If you like this bread recipe, you might also like:
Homemade Jalapeño Cheddar BreadHomemade Cinnamon Swirl BreadGarlic Irish Cheddar Chive Soda BreadHomemade Naan (and Garlic Naan too!)
Other no knead dough recipes:
Easy No Knead BreadLazy No Knead Pizza Dough
Update: 10/22 optional, but if you flip the focaccia over onto an oven-safe wire rack and broil the underside for 30-60 seconds you end up with an even crisper texture!)Measuring flour: If you are not weighing out the flour for this recipe (which I highly suggest) you’ll want to use the spoon and level method. Use a spoon to fluff the flour to aerate it. Then use a spoon to fill your 1-cup measuring cup. Run a knife along the top of the measuring cup without applying pressure. Repeat 5 times to get 5 cups of flour.Flour: If you use AP flour for this recipe, I suggest adding 1 additional tablespoon of flour. Baking sheet: If you use a standard sheet pan (not nonstick) you’ll need to use a small knob of butter to grease the baking sheet before adding olive oil. Unfortunately, olive oil alone does not keep the bread from sticking. Rub the butter generously on the sheet, then pour olive oil and continue from there.
