Description
This No-Knead Focaccia recipe creates a rustic, soft, and flavorful Italian bread with minimal effort. Using a wet, sticky dough and a combination of stretch and fold techniques, the bread develops a strong gluten structure without heavy kneading. The focaccia features a crispy golden crust, characteristic dimples on top, and is seasoned with sea salt and olive oil, perfect for sandwiches or as a side to any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 500 ml warm water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Dry Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt (not table salt)
- 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 550 grams bread flour
Instructions
- Mix Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add warm water, sugar, sea salt, yeast, and olive oil. Whisk these together thoroughly. Then add the bread flour and mix with a Danish dough hook or the neck of a wooden spoon for about 1 minute, or until the dough forms a wet, sticky, shaggy consistency. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold: Wet your hands to handle the sticky dough. Perform stretch and fold around the dough at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions by pulling and folding the dough over itself. Cover and rest for 10 minutes. Then, using the coil method, gently lift and fold the dough using its own weight by turning the bowl 90 degrees between folds. Repeat this coil fold 3 more times every 10 minutes, strengthening the gluten network.
- First Rise (Bulk Fermentation): Coat the bowl and dough with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot at room temperature for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours. The dough should double in size and become bubbly.
- Shape the Dough: Remove the plastic wrap and gently open the dough by moving the bowl back and forth to release bubbles. Drizzle olive oil into a 9×13 inch non-stick baking pan (optionally lined with parchment). Transfer the dough into the pan, fold into thirds, rotate, and flip to get a smooth surface on top. Gently spread dough to corners without forcing. Cover and proof at room temperature for at least 1 hour until the dough stretches to the edges.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) during the final proof.
- Dimple and Season: Remove plastic wrap, drizzle olive oil over the dough top. Coat fingertips with olive oil and press into the dough to create characteristic dimples while making sure the dough springs back softly. Sprinkle generously with sea salt.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Oven times may vary slightly based on oven strength.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer the baked focaccia to a wire rack and let cool before slicing to preserve texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use sea salt for best flavor and texture; if unavailable, reduce salt to 2 teaspoons if substituting table salt.
- If your room is drafty or cool, place your covered dough bowl inside an unheated oven with the door closed to provide a warmer rise environment.
- Weigh ingredients for accuracy, especially flour, to avoid dry dough. Use a scale or fluff and spoon flour into measuring cup without scooping directly.
- You can substitute instant yeast with active dry yeast at a 1:1 ratio, but activate active yeast first by proofing it in warm water with sugar until bubbly (8-10 minutes).
- Focaccia is best eaten the same day but can be stored wrapped tightly at room temperature up to two days; crust will soften.
- Follow the stretch and fold steps carefully to develop gluten structure without kneading.
- This recipe’s dough is quite wet and sticky; wetting your hands helps manage the dough during shaping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: No-knead with stretch and fold, baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 80g)
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 582 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: no knead focaccia, easy focaccia, Italian bread, stretch and fold bread, olive oil focaccia, homemade focaccia, no knead bread, sea salt focaccia
