Fluffy on the inside and crusty on the outside, this no-knead Focaccia Bread Recipe is fast and easy to make with simple pantry staples. It’s quick enough to make for a weeknight dinner!
Hello, friends! As usual, there’s an ambitious list of things I want to bake this year. After considering what to start with, I thought, focaccia. I haven’t made focaccia since pastry class in 2015. And even though that recipe was pretty good, it wasn’t something I wanted to make again. It took too long. So if I wanted homemade focaccia on a weeknight or on a whim – that recipe was impractical. I’d never found a homemade focaccia that fit the bill of being unfussy, quick, and above all, delivered classic taste and texture. Until now.
After revisiting some class assignments and combing books and websites for ratios and techniques, I’m happy to report this end result. A simple, fast, and incredibly versatile focaccia recipe that I’m excited to share with you. Believe me when I tell you that anyone can make this! With 5 pantry staples, it takes just over an hour from start to finish.
Getting the Ratios Right
Weigh your flour if possible. You don’t absolutely have to, because cup measurements are provided. I’ve made this recipe by both cups and scale – both work. But weighing on a kitchen scale ensures consistent results, as measuring cups can vary in accuracy. If you weigh the flour, also weigh the water. Focaccia is considered a high-ratio, wet dough, meaning it has a high proportion of water to flour. This results in a very sticky and wet consistency dough. The high hydration level helps to create focaccia’s signature crumb. Weighing both will give you a reliable end result each and every time. Need a scale? This one isn’t fancy or expensive, but it gets the job done. I’ve had it since 2022.
Use instant yeast. If you don’t already keep instant yeast on hand, then consider stocking it for easy bread recipes such as this one. It can be mixed right into the dry ingredients which removes the need for blooming the yeast.
1 Minute Mix
Whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add in warm water and a little olive oil. Mix for 1 minute in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Or, stir together by hand. This will form a lax, very sticky dough. It’s almost loose enough to be called a batter.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold the dough onto itself a couple of times so that it resembles a ball shape.
Grease and Oil the Pan
I took King Arthur Baking’s advice on this double greasing method. Coat the pan with cooking spray so the bread doesn’t stick, then drizzle in olive oil for a flavorful bottom crust. This double insurance appeals to me and my pan-sticking phobia. And it works just as promised. (Coincidentally, KA’s recipe of the year is the social media-famous Big Bubble Focaccia – will I eventually try that recipe too? You betcha!)
Quick Rise in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 200°F. Pour the wet sticky dough into the greased pan. Dip your fingers in water then gently and ever-so-slightly spread the dough into a rough rectangle shape. Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap.
Then TURN OFF THE OVEN (<– important) and wait 3-5 minutes to cool the oven slightly. Then, place the covered pan of dough into the oven. The focaccia will rise in approximately 30-45 minutes. Remove the pan and then preheat the oven to 375°F.
Dimple the Dough
The dough will be slightly warm and a touch spongy from rising in the oven. Dip your fingers in olive oil and dimple the dough all over. Avoid overworking the dough to maintain its airy texture. Then drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.
Good Olive Oil is KEY!
Drizzle more olive oil on top of the dimpled dough so that it pools in the indentations. Because the ingredients are so few, it’s important to use high quality extra-virgin olive oil for the most delicious flavor.
Classic Focaccia
Now – the fun part! Choose your toppings. For a simple but flavorful focaccia bread recipe, sprinkle with flake sea salt and a little dried Italian herb blend.
Bake the dough for about 30 minutes, or until golden. This creates an all-purpose bread that you can dip in soups or split for sandwiches.
Loaded Focaccia
Perhaps my favorite version of this bread is drizzled with pesto and topped with red onion, sundried tomatoes, and crumbled feta. For me, this is a meal! Bread, veggies, cheese – what more could you want? Maybe a little prosciutto for the carnivores out there? Do it.
Classic or loaded, this focaccia bread recipe is a true keeper. It has classic focaccia texture – soft inside and crusty at the corners. Not dry and heavy like the store-bought stuff. It’s a regular in my dinner rotation because it doesn’t take long to make!
Related recipe: Easy Irish Soda Bread
Easiest Ever Focaccia Bread Recipe
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13×9 inch pan
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nonstick cooking spray
Focaccia dough
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 420g by weight
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine grain sea salt or table salt
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (90°F-110°F) 340g by weight
Topping
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon flake sea salt such as Maldon
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning more or less to taste
Focaccia dough
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Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 200°F.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Pour in the water and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix for 1 minute using the paddle attachment on medium-high speed. You can also mix this by hand, but it may take slightly longer than 1 minute.
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Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold the dough onto itself 4-5 times until it resembles a ball shape in the bottom of the bowl.
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Scrape the dough into the prepared pan. Wet fingers with water then gently stretch the dough into a rough rectangle shape. Don’t stretch it all the way into the corners – it will relax into the corners as it rises.
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Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray and cover the pan.
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TURN OFF THE OVEN and let it cool for 3-5 minutes. Place the wrapped pan inside the warm oven and let rise for 30-45 minutes, or until the dough has spread into the corners and is puffy.
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Remove the pan from the oven and uncover. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Topping
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Place the olive oil in a small bowl or shallow dish. Dip your fingers into the olive oil and dimple the bread all over. Gently drizzle the remaining olive oil on top of the dough so that it pools in the dimples.
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Sprinkle the dough with flake sea salt and Italian seasoning. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown. The bottom should also be golden and crisp.
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Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes in the pan. Turn out and serve warm. It’s also very good at room temperature.
Olive Oil: Use good extra-virgin olive oil. It elevates the flavor of this simple bread. Regular olive oil will work too, but it’s milder in flavor.
Flavor the Dough: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, dry herbs, or onion powder to the dry ingredients before mixing in the wet.Â
Oven Rise: As written, this involves warming your oven to 200°F then turning it off before placing the plastic wrap-covered pan in the oven. Don’t worry about the plastic wrap melting—it’s oven-safe up to 250°F and this is a common practice in restaurants. Prefer not to use plastic wrap? Cover the pan with a large ceramic dish or platter instead.
Conventional Rise: The oven method is quick and easy, but if you prefer to let the dough rise at room temperature, it will take about 1 hour in a warm kitchen.
Reheat: Store any leftover focaccia in an airtight container for up to two days. To reheat, wrap in foil and warm in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Freeze: To freeze focaccia, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place it in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw at room temperature, then warm in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes to restore its crusty texture.
Serving Suggestion: Serve alongside a bowl of hearty soup, as a base for sandwiches, or with a bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.
Topping Ideas:
- Classic: Flake sea salt, dried Italian herbs and/or fresh rosemary.
- Savory: pesto, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled feta.
- Cheesy: Shredded parmesan, fresh mozzarella, or dollops of ricotta.
- Veggie: Sliced cherry tomatoes, red onion, roasted bell peppers, olives.
- Herbaceous: Fresh thyme, basil, parsley, or sage.
- Meaty: Thinly sliced prosciutto, pepperoni, or cooked Italian sausage crumbles.
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This flour and water ratio is adapted from King Arthur Baking, with my own mixing and rising techniques.Â