No Knead Focaccia

Focaccia and ciabatta are well known and beloved Italian bread. With a soft, airy crumb and a golden olive oil crispy crust, focaccia serves as a canvas for a symphony of flavors. This no knead focaccia bread recipe is easy and only has a few simple ingredients! Also, this focaccia bread goes so well with soup such as Hong Kong borscht soup and chicken gnocchi soup. Besides, you will love to use it to make sandwiches with a spread of homemade cranberry sauce. Let’s learn how to make no knead focaccia bread with step by step photos, tips and a video! 

Love bread? Check out these garlic cheese breadsticks, cheese pizza, dinner rolls, Japanese milk bread rolls, sugar donuts, garlic rosemary bread, Chinese hot dog, custard bun and taro bun recipes. 

What is focaccia?

Focaccia is a type of Italian flatbread. It is known for its light, airy texture, crispy crust, and flavorful toppings. It originated in ancient Rome and has since evolved into various regional variations. Focaccia dough is similar to pizza dough, typically they are made with flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil.

Then, the dough is stretched out and baked, resulting in a flatbread that is thicker than pizza but not as dense as some other types of bread. Also, the topping ingredients usually use olive oil, salt, herbs (such as rosemary), garlic, and sometimes vegetables or cheese. The toppings can vary depending on regional preferences and personal taste.

One of the defining features of focaccia is its dimpled surface. Before baking, the dough is often dimpled with the fingertips, creating small indentations. After dimpling, the focaccia is typically drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, and it may also be topped with various ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic, onions, olives or tomatoes.

Focaccia is then baked until it achieves a golden brown color, and the result is a delicious bread with a chewy interior, a crispy crust and a savory flavor from the toppings. Often, it serves as a side dish, used as a base for sandwiches or enjoyed on its own. Focaccia bread is versatile and has a delicious flavor. Therefore, it has become a popular choice in many parts of the world.

What are the special features of focaccia?

Focaccia has several distinctive features that contribute to its unique character and popularity. It is known for its dimpled surface, created by pressing the fingertips into the stretched dough before baking. These dimples help to trap olive oil and other toppings, enhancing the flavor and texture. 

Also, olive oil is a key ingredient in focaccia. It contributes to its rich flavor and moist texture. Focaccia dough is often generously coated with olive oil before baking, which adds a delicious richness to the bread. Focaccia is usually baked until it develops a crispy, golden brown crust, while the interior remains soft and chewy. This combination of textures is a key factor for its popularity.  

Besides, it is a versatile bread that serves in various ways. It can be enjoyed on its own, as a side dish, used as a base for sandwiches, or even cut into smaller pieces and served as an appetizer.

What makes the best focaccia?

Creating the best focaccia involves various factors, including the quality of ingredients, technique and personal preferences. 

The quality of the ingredients:

The quality of the ingredients is important to make the best focaccia bread. We usually use bread flour for the best texture. Personally, I like to use bread flour for this no knead focaccia bread recipe. However, some recipes may use a combination of all purpose and bread flour.

Also, use fresh or active dry yeast. Make sure it's not expired, so the yeast can reach its optimal. Besides, choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil for flavor. You'll use it in the dough and for drizzling on top. 

Technique:

On the other hand, proper dough development is crucial. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size. This step is important for achieving the desired light and airy texture. Since this recipe is no knead focaccia recipe, I like to mix the flour with yeast mixture.

Then, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. In the morning, I take out the dough, leave it on the countertop for 2 hours and let the dough come back to room temperature. Or, warm up the oven at 200 F, turn off the oven, and put the dough cover with a wet cloth in for 45-60 minutes. After that, dip some water on my hands, pull and fold four sides as a set and let it rise for 30 minutes. The best is to do 3-4 sets if you have more time. 

Before baking it, create deep dimples in the dough with your fingertips. This not only gives the bread its characteristic appearance but also helps trap olive oil and toppings. Be generous to drizzle olive oil before baking contributes to the rich flavor and moist texture of the bread.

Preheat your oven to a high temperature 425°F, bake it at 425°F for 20-22 minutes or until it is golden brown. Spray some water when you put it into the oven for baking. This can ensure a crispy crust. Lastly, allow the focaccia bread to cool off a little bit before cutting it. This helps the interior set and ensures a better texture.

How to make big bubble focaccia?

In order to make big bubble focaccia, high hydration, gentle handling, longer fermentation, and more pull and fold sets are important. 

First of all, hydration contributes to larger air pockets. In this no knead focaccia bread recipe the water and flour ratio is 1:2. Also, remember to be gentle when you handle it.

Avoid excessive deflating of the dough during shaping and transferring to the pan. Be gentle when spreading it to maintain those air pockets. Dip some water on your hands before touching or stretching the dough, this can prevent the dough sticking on your hands. 

From my experience, the longer fermentation at lower temperature is better. It is because it allows the dough to ferment for a longer time during the first rise. This can be done in the refrigerator overnight for enhanced flavor and texture. Then, take it out in the morning, pull and fold 4 sides as a set. Let it rise for 30 minutes. The more sets of pull and fold, the bigger the bubbles or air pockets develop. 

The difference between focaccia and ciabatta:

Focaccia and ciabatta are both popular Italian breads. Focaccia is a flatbread, often baked in a sheet pan, with a thickness that can vary but is generally thicker than pizza crust. Also, it has a soft and airy texture with a slightly chewy crust. It's known for its lightness and the presence of air pockets, especially when prepared with a high hydration dough.

Besides, the toppings usually are olive oil, sea salt, herbs (commonly rosemary), olives, or even vegetables. It is versatile and can be served as a side dish, a sandwich bread, or even as a base for pizza. It's commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine.

On the other hand, ciabatta is a type of Italian white bread made with flour and yeast. It is elongated in shape, somewhat resembling a slipper, which is what "ciabatta" means in Italian.

It has a thin, crisp crust and a light, airy interior. Also, ciabatta is typically plain, without many toppings. It relies on the simplicity of its ingredients and the fermentation process for flavor. Ciabatta bread is often used for sandwiches, paninis, or simply sliced and dipped in olive oil. 

How do I achieve a light and airy texture in focaccia?

Allowing the dough to rise in the refrigerator overnight is crucial for achieving a light and airy texture. Also, more sets of pull and fold will develop an airy texture. Additionally, using a combination of olive oil in the dough and for brushing the surface helps create a soft crumb and a crispy crust when baking. 

How is this focaccia recipe different from others?

This recipe is a no knead focaccia bread which means you do not need to knead it or use a mixer. It is very simple. Just mix the yeast mixture with the bread flour. Then, cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. In the morning, take the dough out, leave it on the countertop for 2 hours and let the dough come back to room temperature. Or, warm up the oven at 200 F, turn off the oven, and put the dough cover with a wet cloth in for 45-60 minutes.

After that, dip some water on your hands, pull and fold four sides as a set and let it rise for 30 minutes. (I can speed up the rising time for 15 minutes by preheating the oven at 200 F, then turning off the oven. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and put it in for 15 minutes.) The best is to do 3-4 sets if you have more time because it will develop bigger and more air pockets.

Also, this no knead focaccia bread recipe is tasty, soft, chewy inside and crispy outside. You will love this simple recipe with step by step photo instructions, tips and a video tutorial. 

What kind of flour is best for focaccia bread?

It depends on your personal preference for the bread's texture. In general, when you use all purpose flour, it has a soft and airy crumb. It is because it has a moderate protein content (around 10-12%). Therefore, it provides a tender and light texture to the bread. 

On the other hand, using bread flour may result in a slightly chewy texture due to its higher protein content (around 12-14%). Personally, I like and prefer bread flour for this no knead focaccia bread recipe.  

How do you store focaccia bread?

If you plan to consume it within 1-2 days, you can store it at room temperature. Place it in an airtight container or put in a plastic ziplock bag to prevent it from drying out.

But, if you want to extend the shelf life, you can refrigerate it. It can last for 5-7 days. Put them in the plastic ziplock bag, this will help prevent it from drying out in the refrigerator. 

You can also freeze focaccia bread if you want it to last longer. Cut the focaccia into individual portions or wrap the whole loaf tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before placing it in the freezer. For individual slices, you can also separate them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

How do you make focaccia fresh again?

If it is at room temperature, you can warm up in the microwave for 15 seconds. Or, air fry it at 400 F for 2 minutes. 

When refrigerated, you can preheat your oven 350°F and warm the focaccia for about 5-10 minutes, or until it's heated through. Or, put them in the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes. This helps restore the crispiness of the crust and the softness of the interior.

However, if it is frozen, thaw the frozen focaccia first by removing it from the freezer and let it come to room temperature. Once thawed, you can reheat it in the oven or air fryer as mentioned above.

Cooking tips for how to make no knead focaccia:

Mixing dough:

• Put water, olive oil, salt and yeast into a mixing bowl. Mix it well. Then, slowly add the bread flour into the yeast mixture. Keep stirring and mix it until the dough comes together. 

Rising dough:

• After that, cover the dough with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight. (You can keep it in the fridge for 12-24 hours if you like, this will have more air pockets.) 
• In the morning, take the dough out, leave it on the countertop for 2 hours and let the dough come back to room temperature. Or, warm up the oven at 200 F, turn off the oven, and put the dough cover with a wet cloth in for 45-60 minutes. 

Working on the dough:

• After that, dip some water on my hands, pull and fold four sides as a set and let it rise for 30 minutes. (I can speed up the rising time by preheating the oven at 200 F. Then, turn it off the oven. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and put it in for 15 minutes.) The best is to do 3-4 sets if you have more time because it will develop bigger and more air pockets. 
• Each time you touch or work on the dough, dip some water on your hands. This way can prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
• Pour olive oil on the tray and brush it on the tray. To make sure the sides are greased with olive oil as well. 
• After that, pour the dough on the tray and stretch it gently and avoid popping the air pockets or bubbles. Then, cover it with microwave safe plastic wrap or a wet cloth. Let it rise for 15-30 minutes. (My trick to speed up the rising time by preheating the oven at 200 F. Then, turn it off the oven. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and put it in for 15 minutes.) 
• I used microwave safe plastic wrap because the dough will not stick on it when I remove it. Some dough may stick on the wet cloth when you remove it unless you spray some oil on the cloth before covering it.   
• After rising, dip water on your hands and dimple the dough. Be careful, don’t pop the bubbles or air pockets. 

Topping:

• Be generous to sprinkle olive oil on top of the dough. 
• Sprinkle garlic powder, dried Italian herbs, dried rosemary and sea salt on top of the dough. You can use other toppings if you want. 

Baking:

• Spray 10-15 times of water on the dough before baking can help with the crispy crust. 
• Preheat the oven and bake at 425 F for 20-22 minutes or until it is golden brown. 
• Let it cool off a little bit, then take it out and put on the wire rack. Until it is completely cool off, then cut or slice it. 

FAQs: 

Instructions for how to make no knead focaccia bread: 

Yeast mixture:

1. Pour 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into the mixing bowl. 

2. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and 2.5 teaspoons of active dry yeast. Mix it well. 

Mixing dough:

3. Slowly, add 4 cups of bread flours into the yeast mixture. Keep stirring while adding the flour. 

4. Mix it until the dough comes together. 

Rising dough:

5. Then, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. (You can refrigerate for 12-24 hours if you like bigger and more air pockets.)

6. The next day, in the morning, take out the dough, leave it on the countertop for 2 hours and let the dough come back to room temperature. Or, warm up the oven at 200 F, turn off the oven, and put the dough cover with a wet cloth in for 45-60 minutes. Let the dough rise, come back to room temperature and double in size. 

Pulling and folding dough:

7. After that, dip water on your hands, pull and fold for 4 sides as a set. 

8. My trick to speed up the rising time by preheating the oven at 200 F. Then, turn off the oven. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and put it in the oven for 15 minutes. The best to do 3-4 sets of pull and fold if you have more time. The more pull and fold you do, it will develop more and bigger air pockets. 

9. After that, wrap a big piece of heavy duty foil on the tray. The size of the tray is half sheet (18 inches x13 inches x 1 inch). 

Greasing pan:

10. Pour 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on the tray. Brush the olive oil on the tray and make sure to brush around the sides as well. 

Stretching dough:

11. Next, pour the dough on the tray. 

12. Stretch the dough on the tray gently and avoid popping the bubbles or air pockets. Preheating the oven at 200 F. Then, turn off the oven. After, cover the dough with a microwave safe plastic wrap or use a wet cloth and put it in the oven for 15 minutes. (The dough may stick on the wet cloth when removing it, unless you spray some oil before. Using microwave plastic wrap can withstand the heat and not stick to the wrapper when taking it off.)

13. Once the dough rises again, dip water on your hands and dimpled the dough. 

Topping:

14. The following, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top of the dough. (You can sprinkle more if you like.)

15. After, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of garlic powder on top of the dough. 

16. Then, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs, 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary and 1 teaspoon of sea salt (grind) on top of the dough. Spray 10-15 times of water on the dough before baking can help with the crispy crust. 

Baking:

17. Preheat the oven at 425 F. Then, bake it at 425 F for 20-22 minutes or until it’s golden brown. 

18. Let it cool off a little bit, Take it out and put it on the wire rack. Wait until it's completely cool off, cut and slice it according to your preferences.  

Enjoy this simple and delicious no knead focaccia bread recipe! Also, check out these beef ho fun noodle soup, crispy noodle, California rolls, Thai satay chicken, BBQ ribs and caramel popcorn recipes.

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