Easy Same-Day Focaccia Bread
Easy no-knead focaccia bread made the same day: a crisp, olive-oil-fried base, an airy crumb and deep dimples with rosemary and flaky salt.
10% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 25 min
- Resting
- 2 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 12
- Calories
- 215
- Protein
- 5 g
- Per serving
- $0.28
Why this recipe works
Focaccia is the easiest yeast bread to get right at home: no shaping, no kneading and no special pan. Most of the time here is the dough rising by itself, so the hands-on work is about 20 minutes spread over an afternoon.
- A wet dough (about 80% water to flour) makes the big, open holes, and stretch-and-folds build the strength that kneading would, without a mixer.
- Four tablespoons of oil in the pan fry the bottom while it bakes, so the base comes out crisp and golden instead of bready.
- Dimpling right before baking pops the largest bubbles and gives the oil and salt pockets to sit in, so the top bakes evenly.
Ingredients
For the dough
For the pan and top
You will need
- 9x13-inch metal baking pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Flexible bowl scraper or spatula
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Mix a shaggy dough
Stir the lukewarm water, yeast and honey together in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix with a spatula until no dry flour is left. It will be wet and sticky. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Stretch and fold
With a wet hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over the middle. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 4 times. Cover, wait 15 minutes, and repeat the folds twice more (3 rounds in all). The dough should turn smoother and springier each time.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Let it rise
Cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm until the dough has roughly doubled and is full of bubbles, 60 to 90 minutes.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Move it to the pan
Pour 4 tablespoons of oil into the pan. Tip the dough in, turn it once to coat, and gently press it toward the corners. If it springs back, wait 10 minutes and press again. Leave uncovered until puffy and jiggly, 30 to 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Dimple and top
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over the top. Oil your fingertips and press straight down all over the dough, right to the bottom of the pan. Scatter the rosemary and flaky salt over it.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Bake
Bake until deep golden on top and the edges are browned and crisp, 22 to 28 minutes. Lift it out of the pan onto a rack straight away so the bottom stays crisp, and cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
AI-generated illustration of this step.
Cook's notes
- Use a metal pan, not glass or ceramic. Metal gets hot fast and fries the oiled base; glass leaves it pale.
- Wet your hands for the folds and oil them for dimpling. Flour makes the dough tough and shows up as raw streaks.
- To bake later, cover the pan after step 4 and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Let it sit out for 1 hour, then dimple and bake.
- Toppings like cherry tomatoes, olives or thinly sliced onion go on after dimpling. Press them in so they don't burn.
Nutrition per serving
215 calories
$0.28 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 10% of calories | 5 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 60% of calories | 31 g |
| Fat | 30% of calories | 7 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 310 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Why is my focaccia dense?
Usually it did not rise long enough, or the dough was pressed flat after rising. Wait until it is clearly puffy and bubbly in the pan, and dimple gently with straight fingers rather than flattening it.
Can I make focaccia with all-purpose flour?
Yes. All-purpose flour works with the same amounts; the dough is a little slacker and the crumb slightly softer, with smaller holes.
How do you store focaccia?
Keep it wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, and crisp it in a 375°F oven for 5 minutes. Freeze slices for up to 3 months.
