If you’ve got a hankering for fresh focaccia tonight for dinner, then this No Knead Focaccia recipe is for you. No kneading required and no hours-long proving necessary. This quick focaccia comes together in under 2 hours and is just as fluffy and tender as regular focaccia.
How This Recipe Differs from Traditional Focaccia
If you, like me, love fresh baked bread but rarely think or plan ahead for it, then this recipe is for you.
Instead of a long 12-hour proof in the fridge, this focaccia recipe comes together, start to finish, in less than 2 hours. No kneading required and no long proof time.
Just a quick 60-minute rise on the counter before a 30 minute stint in the oven.
Instead of kneading, the dough is mixed in a stand mixer for 90 seconds on high speed—yes—high speed. This quickly and effectively forms gluten so the dough can then move on to rising for an hour.
Ingredients Needed for Focaccia
- Olive Oil: a key ingredient in focaccia! A few tablespoons are added to the dough and a few tablespoons are brushed over the sheet pan to encourage browning and crispness.
- Honey: honey feeds the yeast and helps activate it. You can also use sugar.
- Instant yeast: since this is a quick focaccia recipe, it’s important to use instant or rapid-rise yeast. For the best results, seek out Platinum yeast from Red Star.
- Kosher salt + flaky sea salt: kosher salt seasons the dough while flaky sea salt is sprinkled over top prior to baking.
- Bread flour: you’ll need 2 ⅔ cups bread flour—the high protein content encourages gluten development, which is important for bread but especially one that has a short rise time and is not kneaded.
- Rye Flour or All-Purpose Flour: I like the flavor that rye flour adds to focaccia. So if you’re willing to buy it, I recommend it. Otherwise, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Seasonings: for this recipe I use za’atar. It pairs nicely with rye flour and adds a nice herbiness and slight tang. Feel free to use any dried herb (oregano, rosemary, thyme).
How to make No Knead Focaccia
- Activate Yeast
In a liquid measuring cup, combine water, honey and yeast. Set aside and let it rest. The mixture should become foamy and fragrant. If the mixture doesn’t get foamy, the yeast is no longer active. Throw the water mixture away and start over with fresh Instant yeast.
- Combine Dry ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flours, spices and salt.
- Mix Dough
Add the water and yeast mixture and mix, on high speed, until the dough is smooth and sticky, 60-90 seconds.
- Proof Dough
Scrape the dough into a thoroughly oil quarter sheet pan and press into an even layer (you will likely need to oil your hands a bit) making sure to press into the corners. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise 1 hour.
- Prep for Baking
Drizzle dough with some olive oil, then oil your hands. Press divots into the surface of the dough, pushing all the way to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with additional seasoning and flaky sea salt.
- Bake the Bread
Bake the bread until golden brown on top and bread has pulled away from the edges, this will take 25–35 minutes.
- Cool Bread
Immediately turn bread out onto a wire rack to cool. This will encourage crisp edges. If the bread cools in the pan, the steam from the hot bread will soften whatever crispness was achieved in the oven.
What Pan to Bake Focaccia In
For this recipe, you will need a quarter sheet pan. What is a quarter sheet pan? It’s a 12.875 x 9.5-inch baking sheet with 1-inch tall 90-degree sides.
You can also use a 9X13-inch baking pan—do not use a glass baking dish.
Expert Baking Tips
- When possible, I always recommend measuring ingredients by weight instead of cup measurements. It guarantees success every time. This is my favorite food scale. If you do not have a food scale, measure the dry ingredients by spoofing the flour into the measuring cup and leveling off with a straight edge. Do not scoop the flour using the measuring cup.
- Turn the bread out of the pan right after you take it out of the oven. Flipping a hot pan can be nerve wracking, but this is key to retaining a nice crisp bottom to the bread.
- Storage: store the bread at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 days. For longer storage, pop it in the refrigerator for 1 week.
- Reheating: reheat / toast under the broiler in your oven until warmed through and crisp on the exterior.
No Knead Focaccia FAQs
No. I do not recommend using a glass baking dish. Glass does not transfer heat as well as metal and thus will not create a crisped, brown bottom.
Yes. But keep in mind that olive oil will add more flavor than something like canola or vegetable oil.
I do not recommend letting the dough rise longer than 1 hour. Over proofed dough will come out flat and dense.
If you use water that is hotter than 110 you will essentially kill the yeast. Alternatively, if the water is too cold, it won’t activate the yeast correctly.
Additional Topping Ideas
I use za’atar in this recipe, but there are so many dried herbs and spices you can play around with. Here are some ideas:
- Dried or fresh rosemary, oregano or thyme
- Roasted garlic
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Olives
- Capers
- Grapes
- Dried fruit
More Bread Recipes to Try
- If you like a tender and fluffy bread, try my Japanese Milk Buns. They’re the perfect dinner roll and stay nice and tender for days.
- Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls, made with fresh sweet potato puree, are a fun upgrade to basic dinner rolls!
- If you’re looking for a classic twisted roll, make my homemade Kaiser Rolls!
- Homemade Naan is one of the easiest and most delicious homemade breads you can make.
- Not bread, but let’s talk biscuits. Try my Cheese Biscuits (made with feta) or Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits.
No Knead Focaccia
Description
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons (60g) olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups (340g) warm water (no hotter than 100ºF)
- 2 teaspoons (17g) honey
- 1 tablespoon (10g) instant yeast*
- 2 ⅔ cup (345g) bread flour
- ⅔ cup (75g) dark rye flour
- 4 teaspoons (8g) za’atar, or seasoning of choice
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for topping
- ½ teaspoon sumac, for topping
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Lightly coat a quarter sheet pan with nonstick spray. Brush 2 tablespoons (25g) olive oil over sheet.
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine 1 ½ cups (340g) water, 2 teaspoons (17g) honey and 1 tablespoon (10g) yeast; let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add 2⅔ cup (345g) bread flour, ⅔ cup (75g) rye flour, 4 teaspoons (8g) za’atar and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; mix to combine. With mixer on low speed, add water-yeast mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until smooth and sticky, 80 seconds.
- Scoop sticky batter into prepared pan, and, using oiled hands, spread into an even layer and into edges. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 60 minutes — it should be quite puffy, but not fragile-looking.
- Meanwhile, heat oven 375°F (190ºC) with rack set in middle position.
- Drizzle dough lightly with olive oil then oil your hands, using finger tips, gently poke dough all over.
- Drizzle a bit more olive oil over top then sprinkle 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ½ teaspoon sumac and ½ teaspoons flaky sea salt over top.
- Bake bread until golden brown on top, 25—32 minutes.
- Immediately flip bread out onto a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before cutting and serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
