The No-Knead Focaccia is a soft and tasty focaccia super easy to make at home using just a bowl and a spoon. After the no-knead bread and the no-knead pizza, we now present our no-knead focaccia recipe, extremely simple to make because it requires no special equipment and is uniquely soft because the dough we make is very hydrated. We also use very little yeast and take advantage of refrigerator rising. This way, we’ll get a highly digestible focaccia with minimal effort! If you want a delicious focaccia in a day, just increase the yeast amount and let it rise at room temperature until it doubles in size.
The preparation is very simple and requires a minimal list of ingredients: combine flour with dissolved yeast in water and add sugar or a teaspoon of honey. Mix with a spoon and add oil first, then salt last. You will get a soft and sticky dough. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then perform a first round of folds in the bowl, folding one side of the dough onto itself, then turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this operation on another side of the dough and always turning the bowl a quarter turn, fold another side of the dough onto itself. Perform this round of folds two more times, 20 minutes apart. Then pour the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 10-12 hours or overnight. The next day, bring it to room temperature for at least one to two hours, then pour it into a well-greased or parchment-lined baking pan and let it rise for another hour until the dough covers the entire surface of the pan. Pour plenty of oil over the focaccia dough and press it with oiled fingers to create the classic dimples of focaccia. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and salt and bake at 446 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25-30 minutes.
This focaccia is already so simple and delicious, but we can enrich it with other ingredients, for example, we can top it with cherry tomatoes, olives, onion or potato slices, or cut it in half and fill it like a sandwich, or top it after cooking with our favorite sauces and fresh vegetables and cheeses. There are so many ways we can enjoy this focaccia, and it’s so easy to make that you’ll surely make and remake it over and over. Try it!
To not miss any recipes, follow us on our Facebook page by clicking like HERE, on the Instagram page by clicking “follow” HERE or on TikTok.
Also check out:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 16
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 156.82 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.51 (g) of which sugars 0.99 (g)
- Proteins 4.37 (g)
- Fat 4.45 (g) of which saturated 0.65 (g)of which unsaturated 0.30 (g)
- Fibers 1.26 (g)
- Sodium 362.62 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 62 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients to Make No-Knead High Hydration Focaccia
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 tsp instant yeast (or 1 1/2 tsp fresh yeast)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- extra-virgin olive oil
- thyme
- salt
Tools to Make No-Knead High Hydration Focaccia
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Refrigerator
- 1 Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Oven
Steps to Make No-Knead High Hydration Focaccia
Prepare the no-knead focaccia by pouring bread flour, dissolved yeast in warm water, and sugar into a large bowl. Stir with a spoon until you get a sticky and moist dough, which is normal due to the high hydration level. Add olive oil and continue stirring. Finally, add the salt, incorporating it into the dough while stirring.
Cover the bowl with a cloth and let rest for 5 minutes.
Then perform a series of folds on the dough. You can use either a spoon or wet hands for this. Take a piece of dough, stretch it, and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat this process, always taking a piece of dough and folding it over itself or towards you. Turn the bowl another quarter and take a piece of dough, folding it over itself. Perform these folds at least another two times, 20 minutes apart. This is a crucial step that will build the gluten structure, resulting in a tall and well-aerated focaccia.
Grease a bowl with oil and pour the dough into it so it doesn’t stick to the sides. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid, then place it in the refrigerator overnight or for about 10-12 hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about one to two hours.
Grease a non-stick baking pan of 8 x 12 inches with oil. Pour the risen dough into the pan and perform a round of folds. Let the dough rise in the oven with the light on for at least one to two hours or even up to 4 hours. This way, the dough will rise to cover the entire surface of the pan.
Pour the oil over the dough surface.
Press the dough with your fingers to create the classic focaccia dimples; you will notice bubbles forming in the dough.
Sprinkle with thyme leaves and salt.
Immediately transfer to the preheated oven at 446 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the focaccia becomes golden on the surface.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes,
Let the no-knead focaccia cool, then cut it into squares with a bread knife.
Simo and Cicci recommend
Store the focaccia at room temperature for up to two days, well sealed in a bread bag. You can also freeze it.
Using a higher amount of yeast, you can prepare the focaccia in a day without the fridge rest. In this case, you can use 1/2 oz of fresh yeast or a packet of instant yeast. The dough will rise in just over two hours.
You can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours or a maximum of two days
The amount of water is correct because it is a high hydration focaccia that we will handle with a spoon, not our hands.
It’s important to use a non-stick pan so the focaccia doesn’t stick to the bottom, and you should adequately grease it with oil for this reason. If you’re afraid it might stick, you can use a sheet of parchment paper.
For a thinner and crunchier focaccia, divide the dough into two smaller pans.
