Focaccia (No Knead)

Focaccia is an Italian bread that is leavened with yeast and seasoned with herbs. Traditionally, the dough is kneaded or mixed in a mixer, allowed to rise, then rest for 24 hours to give it that chewy and bubby texture.

For this recipe, I wanted something easy. My family loves the other Italian flatbread, pizza and we were looking for an easy way to make an enjoy this delicious bread. Yes. It might stray from the traditional method a bit (sorry Mee-maw), because I find it counterintuitive to rise and shape the dough before letting it rest and puff up, especially when this is a no knead version. In any case, this recipe yields fluffy bread that tastes garlicky and delicious. It can be used for sandwiches or used to sop up some of that zuppa.

Although, it’s not a fast process, much of it is inactive time, and doesn’t require any special equipment. Most importantly, the ease of the process meant that I was able to fit this in even during the busiest of times. We made it twice this week, and it was a double batch, the second time around.

Notes:

• Long rest – the long 24-hour resting period is for texture development and gives focaccia its chewy and bubbly characteristics. If you don’t have time for this, you can skip this step and do a first and second rise like you would typically do for a yeast dough. Then follow the steps for baking.
• Toppings – there’s no limit here. As mentioned above, this recipe yields a garlicky bread and an Italian bread pizza, but I’ve seen breads topped simply with flaky sea salt and rosemary to ones with the whole garden. If you have a few minutes and want to go down a rabbit hole, do an internet search for focaccia bread art.

• Yeast – if in your initial proofing, the yeast does not get bubbly and creamy/cloudy, the yeast is dead. Toss the mixture and start over.
• Flour – all-purpose can be used in place of the bread flour. A higher gluten content bread will give better chew, but typical all-purpose flours have around 11% and bread flours have about 12%. Difference is small enough that substituting one for the other would be a deal breaker.
• Rising time – yeast will rise slower during cold weather and will require more time. Find the warmest spot in your kitchen or house.

Focaccia Bread

Time: 30 minutes, plus 24+ hours inactive time
Serves: 12

Bread:
5 cups (780g) bread flour
1 tablespoon table salt
2 ½ cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Toppings:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced finely or mashed

Optional pizza topping:
¼ cup marinara
½ cup grated mozzarella
12 slices of pepperoni

• In a large bowl, combine flour and table salt. Mix well. Set aside.
• In a large bowl or a container with a lid, add yeast, sugar, and water. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until the yeast gets cloudy. This is a sign that it is alive. If it doesn’t get bubbly and cloudy, toss it and start over. The yeast is dead.
• After the yeast has activated/proof, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the liquid. Then add the flour mixture. Mix well to form dough. Coat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Ensure it is coated. Cover the container with a lid or if you are using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours. (The dough can rest for up to 48 hours).
• 1 to 2 hours before you are ready to bake the bread, remove the dough from the refrigerator.
• Brush a 9×13 pan with olive oil. Transfer the dough onto the greased pan and fold the edges into the center onto itself. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
• After this first rise, pull the edges in and fold the dough towards the center again. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes to an hour. Time may vary depending on the weather.
• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Once it has risen, it should have filled the pan. If it has not, use greased fingers to spread it on the pan. Also use your fingers to create dimples on the top of dough.
• Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil, sea salt, herbes de Provence, and minced/mashed garlic on top of the dough. Sprinkle the grated parmesan on top.
• If you are making a pizza version, top with marinara, mozzarella, and pepperoni.
• Bake for 18-23 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• Let cool in pan for a few minutes before cutting.
• Enjoy!