Artisanal, bakery-style, no knead Focaccia. Sprinkled liberally with Everything Bagel seasoning. Yes, you can make this at home!
Focaccia is my favorite bread to make at home. Simple and SO satisfying — I love to make a big batch to eat with pasta, soup, vegetables — everything! They also make fantastic sandwiches, too.
A light, airy crumb. Crispy, chewy corners. Tender interior. And sprinkled liberally with Everything Bagel seasoning! YUM!!
Yes, this is the kind of focaccia I live for. Full of flavor. And largely hands off. Make it once and you’ll see how simple it is.
What makes No Knead Focaccia so good?
I was skeptical at first, too. But the no-knead method is the key to achieving that open-holed, airy crumb. Here’s why:
High Hydration Dough. Simply put, this is a very wet dough. The more hydrated the dough, the more elastic — resulting in an open, airy crumb!
Fold + Stretch Technique. Typically used for wetter doughs, this technique gently develops gluten over time. Kneading forces gluten strands to develop quickly. By contrast, folding and stretching creates large, airy pockets over time. A higher rise than regular kneading alone!
Long, Slow Rise. A longer, slower rise gives more time for fermentation to do its work. More fermentation = more time for flavor to develop. I recommend at least 24 hours in the fridge for best flavor.
Bake at HIGH heat! For better oven spring, bake at 450F/230C. The higher temperature will yield the best rise.
Handle gently. For great focaccia, you’ll want to keep all the airy bubbles intact. Handle the dough as little as possible, so as not to crush or smother the airy pockets.
Ingredients:
Bread Flour. Bread flour contains a higher protein percentage than regular all purpose flour. Basically, more protein = more gluten development, which helps with structure. The end result is a higher rise and chewier, lighter crumb.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Use good olive oil — it really makes a difference. And although the amount reaches near obscene levels, you do need all of it. A hallmark of good focaccia is that deliciously oily flavor. Also, the oil prevents the dough from sticking to the pan.
Instant Yeast. Easier to use than active yeast, it requires no proofing or water activation. (Note: I proof mine just to make sure it still works. See the recipe notes below.)
Sugar. A little bit helps speed the fermentation process along. Yeast loves sugar!
Toppings. Focaccia typically includes toppings or seasoning. I added Everything Bagel seasoning and fresh herbs to mine. Some other classic toppings: olives, figs, tomatoes, pesto, artichokes, etc.!
Where can I find Everything Bagel Seasoning?
Yes, I’ve joined the Everything Bagel Seasoning bandwagon. So savory and so good!
Nowadays, you can find Everything Bagel Seasoning in most grocery stores. I found mine at Costco. Other stores that sell it: President’s Choice, Trader Joe’s, Albertson’s, Safeway — to name a few.
Be careful though — some versions of Everything Bagel seasoning do not include salt. (You will have to add more salt, if that’s the case.)
If you can’t find it, make your own at home with this recipe.
Can I halve this recipe?
My recipe makes a HUGE amount. A giant 13 x 18″ sheet pan of focaccia goodness!
You can easily halve this amount and bake, as per usual, in a 9 x 13″ pan.
Even for my family of 5, the sheet pan portion is quite large. But honestly? I love to bake the full sheet pan and freeze leftovers for another day.
How do I store Homemade Focaccia?
Like most breads, Focaccia tastes best the day it’s made. But I find that it tastes good on the 2nd day, too. Store leftovers at room temperature, loosely covered with foil.
Anything longer than 2 days and the bread will become too stale and hard to eat.
Fortunately, bread freezes BEAUTIFULLY. And this no knead Focaccia is no exception. Freeze after it’s fully baked and cooled. When ready to eat, simply reheat in a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes. The texture will taste the same as the day you baked it!
FYI, I keep a permanent ziploc bag in my freezer for leftover focaccia. I cut focaccia into long strips (for eating individually) and squares (for sandwiches). This handy storage method makes it so easy to pull out individual portions from the freezer. This way, I can enjoy a piece of homemade focaccia anytime!
How to make No Knead Focaccia:
- Make the dough
- Fold + stretch the dough 4x (look at the video above for more details)
- Cover and store in the fridge for 24-72 hours
- Gently stretch cold dough onto well-oiled sheet pan
- Dimple the dough
- Sprinkle with Everything Bagel seasoning + fresh rosemary
- Bake at 450F/230C
Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- 13 x 18" sheet pan
- stiff spatula
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups/575g warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 packet, 1/4 oz)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 5 cups/700g bread flour
- 2 tsp salt
For baking:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (for sheet pan)
- 3 Tbsp Everything Bagel seasoning
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (about 2 sprigs)
- 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
Instructions
Dough:
- In a large bowl, add warm water. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over the water. Wait a few minutes to make sure the yeast is active and still alive. When it foams and slightly bubbles, that means the yeast is good.
- Add flour and salt. Using a stiff spatula, mix until a shaggy dough forms. Make sure there are no dry patches.
- Stretch and fold the dough 4x: dip fingers into water (to prevent sticking) and gently grab one end of the dough ball. Lift the dough and fold to the opposite end. Repeat until all sides of the dough ball have been stretched and folded. Refer to the video, if needed. (The dough will be wet and shaggy. It's ok if it dough doesn't stretch and fold as easily as in the video).
- Cover dough tightly and rest in the fridge for 24-72 hours. I recommend at least 24 hours but it can stay in the fridge for up to 72 hours. The dough should be doubled in volume and bubbly.
Baking:
- Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Add extra virgin olive oil to the sheet pan. Spread the oil gently with a brush, making sure the bottom surface and sides are well coated with oil.
- Remove dough from the fridge. Transfer the cold dough to the sheet pan carefully and gently. Spread out the dough with your fingers. Handle the dough as little as possible, to keep the air bubbles intact. It's ok if the dough doesn't reach the corners completely. If the dough starts sticking to your fingers, dip fingers into the olive oil on the sheet pan.
- Dimple the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle with Everything Bagel seasoning + fresh rosemary. Drizzle with more olive oil.
- Bake until golden and crispy, about 22-25 minutes. Be careful, as the olive oil will be pooled around the bread. (Don't worry, it will absorb into the bread).
- Cool for 10-15 minutes, on top of the stove or counter. The cooling time will help the bread absorb all of that olive oil goodness. Use a large spatula to loosen from the sheet pan. Slice with a bread knife and enjoy!
