This easy focaccia bread is made with just five simple ingredients to create its pillowy interior & golden crust that stays soft for days. There's no kneading sticky dough, and no babysitting with stretches-and-folds. Just mix it & forget it until it's ready to bake in a quick 20 minutes!
This Classic Focaccia is the Bread That Goes With Everything
Ahh focaccia, a sandwich's bff. This classic Italian bread is thick, fluffy, and dimpled on top to create little pools of olive oil that soak into every bite. Buuut focaccia is notoriously sticky and difficult to work with, so I created a version that's truly no-knead! All you have to do is mix the dough, let fermentation get a head start at room temp for an hour or two, then pop it in the fridge overnight. No stretches and folds, no fancy equipment!
After 12 to 16 hours, spread the dough in a well-greased baking dish and let it warm & puff up until it's got that jiggly top. It bakes in just 20 minutes, which is just enough time to pull together your sandwich filling & sides. And the active prep time? Literally just ten minutes total!
And to ensure we get those signature air pockets once it's baked, I bloom the active dry yeast in warm warm + a little sugar. This tells you if your yeast is old or expired without having to wait for the dough to rise first.
This bread recreates the savory flavors I fell in love with in Italy, and tastes even better slathered with my sundried tomato butter.
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let's Bake Focaccia!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
Overnight vs Same-Day
I designed this is a true no-knead dough, so the long cold ferment is essential to develop the gluten structure. However, if you want to bake this on the same day, do a series of 4 stretch-and-folds each 30 minutes apart. Then let it continue rising at room temp for another 1-2 hours until it doubles in size before spreading it in the baking dish.
My Tips for Foolproof Focaccia
- Because this is a higher-hydration dough, don't skimp on greasing the pan to prevent sticking. I rub a generous amount of butter all over, then use my fingers to spread it in all the corners & edges. Bonus: this makes the crust extra rich.
- To keep the dimples on the surface, make sure you press your fingers into the dough after it's proofed. And I've found that pressing them all the way until you feel the bottom of the pan ensures they're deep enough not to disappear during baking.
- After testing a few different ratios, 90% hydration hit the sweet spot. At 80% my dough was way too dry and barely rose overnight, while 100% hydration dough baked up cake-like, since it would have needed even longer for the gluten to develop.
Easy Overnight Focaccia Bread
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups warm water (between 105-115°F or 40-46°C)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
Toppings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Day One: Mix & Ferment the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it's foamy on top. If it's not foamy, your yeast might be expired.
- Add the olive oil and stir it into the foamy yeast mixture.
- Add the flour and salt on top, then mix for a minute with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula until there's no visible pockets of dry flour and it forms a soft, wet dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap (to retain moisture so it doesn't dry out) and let it rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours (to jump start fermentation).
- Transfer the bowl to the fridge for 12-16 hours (for slow, cold fermentation).
Day Two: Proof & Bake
- Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter.
- Dump the dough from your mixing bowl onto the center of the baking dish. Use your fingers to press the dough into all the edges and corners of the baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 4 hours, or until it's puffed up and jiggles on top when you shake the baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Coat your fingers in olive oil (don't skip this, or else the dough will stick all over your fingers!) Use your fingers to press dimples into the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom of the baking dish, like you're playing the piano. Aim to have the dimples spread about 1 inch apart from each other, all over the surface of the dough.
- Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil over all the dough, and (optional) sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden and puffed up. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Baking Pan: I like baking my focaccia in a ceramic baking dish, but swap in a metal dish to get a crispier crust if that's your preference.
- Olive Oil: The quality & flavor of your olive oil makes a big difference here, so now's the time to splurge on a fancy one, or one with infused flavor.
- Salt: Same goes for the salt. I use non-iodized table salt (for the best flavor & distribution) in my dough, then some hefty pinches of flaky salt on top.
Nutrition
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