Completely foolproof No Knead Focaccia bread. It is so easy! Mix everything up in a bowl with a spoon, leave for a few hours, then bake!
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FEATURED COMMENT
"Well, now you are making me feel like a REAL BAKER!!! I tried making foccacia a few months ago using someone else's recipe and it was a BIG FAIL. This recipe of yours, as are all your other recipes is perfect! Thank you, Mel! I've never made such delicious "fancy-feeling" bread and the rosemary and flaked salt on top are ideal! " - Mandy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Good bread is one of my favorite foods, especially fresh from the oven and slathered in my Easy Vegan Butter or dipped in good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
I realize that when it comes to yeast and bread baking a lot of people are wary because they think it's not easy. And that can be right. Some breads are difficult to make. But, this easy focaccia is different. It is virtually foolproof. If you can put some ingredients in a bowl and stir them all together then you've got this!
The only hands-on time needed is a couple of minutes to mix the flour, yeast, salt, and water with a spoon, and later, a couple of minutes to scrape the dough into a pan and drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with rosemary and salt. No kneading. No shaping.
You can mix it up before you go to bed at night and then bake it in the morning, or you can mix it up in the morning, head off to work, then bake it when you get home. Either way, you are this close to fresh Rosemary and Sea Salt Crusted Focaccia perfection!
The rosemary-infused focaccia bread smell that permeates your house while this little miracle bakes is the stuff of dreams. It smells amazing! When you break into that salt and rosemary scattered crust you will find a soft and fluffy interior that is just begging you to eat it. All of it. Now!
If you love no-knead bread recipes check out my Easy No-Knead Vegan Dinner Rolls. They are so good and ridiculously easy too!
Mel x
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Flour - You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour in this recipe. If you are in the UK you need to use strong flour. I have only tested this recipe with white flour. It might not work the same with wholewheat or spelt flour.
- Olive oil - I recommend using a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best possible flavor.
- Yeast - You can use quick/fast action yeast or active dry yeast.
- Salt - I use fine sea salt in my recipes. If you use a salt that is not fine you will need to weigh it rather than use teaspoon measures as the volume is different. It's important to use the correct amount of salt in bread recipes because it can affect how the yeast works. I also like to sprinkle this focaccia with some good quality flaky salt for extra texture and flavor. Maldon Salt is my favorite for finishing bread/dishes.
- Rosemary - You can use fresh or dried. Fresh gives the best flavor though.
Let's Make No Knead Focaccia!
All you need to make Easy No Knead Focaccia Bread is a large bowl, a spoon, a metal pan (like an 8 x 8-inch square, or an 8 x 12 inch, or a round 8 or 9-inch cake pan), and some patience.
Here's how it's done in a few easy steps:
- Add everything to a bowl, starting with the dry ingredients and ending with the water. Mix it all up with a big spoon (I like to use a wooden spoon) to make a sticky, wet, slightly lumpy dough.
- Cover and leave at room temperature for about 8 hours. It will have risen and be full of air bubbles.
- Transfer the dough into the prepared pan. Just scrape/spoon it out with a silicone spatula or spoon.
- Dimple it with your fingers then pour over olive oil, sprinkle flaky sea salt and herbs and bake.
It really is that easy!
No Knead Bread Rising Tips
Because you aren't kneading the bread, time is needed to develop the gluten. The sweet spot is about 8 hours in a 20 °C (68 °F) kitchen but it's pretty flexible. You still get a good result if you bake it a little earlier or later.
If it is hotter where you are you can get away with less time. Use my progress pictures for a guide as to how it should look at each stage and judge accordingly when it's ready to bake.
You can extend the resting time if you need to by putting the bowl of dough in the fridge. You could probably get away with leaving it there for up to 24 to 48 hours dependent on your fridge's temperature. The lower temperatures slow down the activity of the yeast which helps to delay things.
If you try this though I advise keeping an eye on it the first time you do it, and baking it once it has just about doubled in size. Once you've done it once you'll have a good idea of how long you can get away with leaving it.
Flavor Variations
Go with the rosemary and sea salt option or switch things up. Some ideas include:
- Whole cherry tomatoes (poke them whole into the top of the dough) or large tomato slices & fresh basil.
- Roasted garlic cloves with rosemary or thyme.
- Pitted olives.
- Caramelized onions and fresh thyme.
- Melty vegan cheese.
- Roasted red pepper, swirls of pesto and vegan parmesan.
Serving Suggestions
This No Knead Rosemary Focaccia is wonderful served warm or cool and is great to serve at family dinners and holiday meals. It's also wonderful served as an appetizer with some good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.
It makes the perfect accompaniment to pasta dishes like spaghetti and Vegan Marinara Sauce, my Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta, soups like Vegan Potato Soup, Easy Tomato Basil Soup, or Red Lentil Soup with Lemon. Or stews and casseroles.
It is also great used to make sandwiches (try it with my White Bean & Artichoke Sandwich Filling or Spicy Chickpea Smash) and makes the most wonderful paninis.
Recipe
No Knead Focaccia
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 grams) all purpose flour or bread flour cups measured by spooning the flour into the cups and levelling off with the back of a knife - do not scoop and do not compact the flour down by pressing on it as you fill the cup (in the UK use strong bread flour)
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) instant yeast or quick rise yeast , (if you only have active yeast see recipe notes)
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 1¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (450 mls) water , (cold straight from the tap/faucet. Don't warm it up).
- 2 tablespoons rosemary , fresh or dried
- flaky sea salt for scattering
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, yeast, and salt then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the water. Mix well until you can no longer see any dry flour and you have a wet, slightly lumpy-looking messy dough. Make sure to scrape right into the bottom of the bowl. (See my picture in the post above for reference).
- Cover with cling wrap, a clean shower cap or a wet dish towel and leave on the kitchen counter for a minimum of 6 hours and a maximum of 9 hours. Do not refrigerate and do not leave anywhere really warm. Just normal room temperature is fine.
- About 20 minutes before the time is up preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a cake pan or brownie pan with parchment paper. (any pan from 8 x 8 inch to 8 x 12 is fine or an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan - just ensure it's metal. Don't use silicone). You can even spread the dough out on a parchment paper- lined regular baking tray if that's all you have.
- When the oven is at temperature, scrape the dough out of the bowl and into the pan. I use a dough scraper but a silicone spatula or spoon will be fine. It will be clingy and sticky but that is normal.
- Once it's all in the pan, flatten it out so it's as even as you can get it all over, then using fingers dipped in olive oil, make dimples all over the top.
- Drizzle over the olive oil (be as generous as you feel comfortable with) and sprinkle on the rosemary and salt.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 37 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, lift out using the paper as handles, and place on a wire rack. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
NOTES
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Rebecca says
Have you ever added roasted garlic into the bread?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have and it's awesome. I usually just make the recipe as it says, then put it in the pan and poke the squishy roasted garlic cloves in with my finger all over the top. There are endless flavour combos you can experiment with with this recipe. Whole cherry tomatoes pushed in to the dough is another favourite of mine!
Heather McBride says
I was looking for recipes with sea salt and found your blog. Woah. This looks absolutely scrumptious. I'm a huge rosemary fan. I am going to make this for the next family gathering!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you found me. Hope you enjoy it!
Heather McBride says
I've been watching the Great British Baking Show and I'm going to try and duplicate it. I'll let you know how I do.
SLG says
Hi there, I made this delicious bread today. I cooked it at 200 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. The flavour was delicious but it seemed a little undercooked at the bottom. We ate it all the same as it was flavoursome.
Would you have any ideas why it turned out a little undercooked? Cheers
A Virtual Vegan says
Did you use an 8x8 pan or was it smaller? If it was smaller then it would have been deeper so would have taken longer to cook. Also was it a metal pan? I tested the recipe in a metal pan. If yours wasn't it could affect the cooking time. Even different kinds of metal pan conduct heat differently. Another thing that could affect it is if too much water was used. If the ingredients weren't measured exactly the ratio of flour to water could have been off and made the dough wetter which would make it take longer to cook. You could try increasing the temp to 420°F if you make it again. Hope that helps!
SLG says
Thanks! I’ll try it again!
Sunny Oneill says
I've never baked bread before but, my gosh, this is the simplest recipe for FANTASTIC focaccia. I cut the salt amount in half (that seemed still to be a little too much) and I didn't use as much olive oil (don't hate me, I used just about a Tbsp and a half to drizzle) and it tasted amazing.
I am going to make this for Thanksgiving and just to have it on hand because it's just that easy. And delicious! And while it was quite delicious fresh from the oven, I wrapped it in parchment then a seal of plastic wrap and it tasted every bit as wonderful on the last day as it did the first day. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It's the perfect recipe for someone who has never baked bread before and you can have all sorts of fun with different toppings. Try some herbs and cherry tomatoes pushed down into the dough before baking. It's so good and great to add moistness if you don't use much oil. Have a lovely Thanksgiving!
Sunny Oneill says
MMMMmmmm, that sounds so good, too!
Even with the reduced amount of olive oil, the was very moist, even after a few days (it's so good, it just doesn't stay uneaten for longer than that).
Veggie Steve says
My brother gave me a 12-hour no-knead focaccia recipe, and I can assure you, the hours and hours are worth the planning and waiting. This one is going to be made by Sunday, I can assure you, because if there's anything I love, it's bread!
My only caveat to this recipe is the "wait fifteen minutes before cutting" part. Hey, we waited EIGHT HOURS and FORTY MINUTES already! When it's cool enough to hold, it's cool enough to eat!
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha! I must admit to not following my own advice a lot of the time ????. Freshly baked bread is extremely hard to resist. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Ashley says
Best Recipe ever! Turned out so good! My husband and I devoured it! Thank you for such a great recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear and thank you so much for coming back to leave feedback!
Ruth says
made the Easy Tomato Basil Soup and Miracle No Knead Focaccia with Rosemary & Sea Salt Bread - AWESOME - thank you for sharing this wonderful recipes
A Virtual Vegan says
Brilliant! So glad you enjoyed them both. They are such a good match!
kellie@foodtoglow says
Just saw this on one of the board's we both pin to and I had to come by and see it before I pinned it for myself. It looks and sounds awesome Mel! I do a few no-knead breads that are quite different to this (involving seeds or whole foods instead of flour), but the idea of an actual real-life focaccia is quite enticing. Never mind pinning, I will soon be making it!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Kellie. I make it at least once a week. It's so easy and so good! I hope you enjoy it when you try it. ????
Lizza Lamp says
I made this last night - very easy and very, very good! I will cut back on the salt on top slightly next time, but that was my only issue. Right out of the oven the texture was perfect - crispy on top and tender in the middle. And the flavor was divine - thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to come back and leave feedback. I really appreciate it!
Caroline says
This was really great! I did the bread mixture in my stand mixer and then let it rise in that bowl. I'd use a tad less water next time. Instead of the 1 Tbs. of sea salt, I used garlic salt and that sent it out of this world!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it Caroline. I will have to try garlic salt next time I make it!
Susan says
I made this today and it was so easy and delicious! My sandwiches for work for the next few days are going to be amazing!
A Virtual Vegan says
Your comment has made my day Susan! I am so very happy that you love the recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback!
Rob Lagerstrom says
Perfect first time! I paid attention to weights and measures and your excellent instructions. I can see this as a base for many varieties. Next batch with kalamata olives! Now I can brag I'm a breadmaker.
A Virtual Vegan says
I am so glad it worked out for you Rob. It is the perfect base for experimenting. I have been tying out a few different flavour combinations myself so watch this space! Have fun with your variations..olives will be great in it. ????
Nataša says
Hi!
I made it with whole spelt flour and it worked great! It is realy delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Nataša
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great and you're welcome. I'm glad to hear it worked well with spelt flour!
Maya says
Hi, I live in a very hot place, room temperature is abou 34 degrees centigrade!!! Since your recipe says do not leave in refrigerator or anywhere hot , what do I do ???? Is refrigeration still an option ?? Or do I cut down on the time to maybe 2 hours or so ?? Pleeeese help , I'm desperate to try this amazing bread !!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
You have a few options (none of which I have tried as we never have temperatures like that!) One, if you have a dark cool cupboard or closet you could put it in there to rise so that it stays a bit cooler. It will probably still be quite warm though so might happen quicker than overnight. Two, you leave it out at room temperature and make sure you are around to watch it the first time you make it so you get an idea of timings. Mix it up and instead of leaving it overnight or for 8 hours, just leave it for a long as it takes to swell and almost fill a 2.5 litre(ish) size bowl. The bowl I use is 2.5 litres and is almost full to the brim after the dough is left overnight. I do know that yeast isn't happy when it gets too warm and can start slowing down again so there is a chance that it still might take a while to happen because of how warm it is.
The last option is that you refrigerate it. It will rise while in the fridge but it will be very slow. Again leave it until it nearly fills a 2.5 litre bowl. It might take 24 hours or more. Another option is to refrigerate it overnight, or during the day, then remove it from the fridge a couple of hours before you want it. Let it come to room temperature which will only take an hour or two in those temperatures, and during that time it will probably grow to the right size.
It's certainly do-able, it will just take a bit of experimenting to find the best method and work out timings. Good luck and I hope it works out for you!
Maya says
Thank you so much for the options !! Will try one of these, and let you know the result ... good luck to me ????
Maya says
Hi,
Thanks a million for your suggestions!!! Hands down the best focaccia I've ever ever made !!! I used a 2.5 ltr (ish) bowl like you had suggested and kept it out to rise , and within 3 hours it was brimming. Next time will try the refrigeration idea , coz this bread is going to be a weekly affair at my place ????
A Virtual Vegan says
Awesome! I am so glad it worked out for you! ????
Debbie Pyle says
I have baked artisan bread in a slow cooker which eliminates any wait time. (Just mix and bake in crock) I love the looks of this recipe and was wondering if anyone has tried making it in a crock. I am going to try the crock method first, since I'm sure the oven method works just fine. Guess I'm just an impatient vegan. Love ALL of your videos , BTW! All nicely done. Even love the music selections! Debbie in Dakota
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Debbie. I certainly haven't tried it in a slow cooker and no-one else has mentioned that they have. I do wonder how successful it would be. The dough needs the 8 hours sitting around for the flavour and gluten to develop, so don't put it right in the slow cooker after mixing. I think it also needs that initial burst of heat from the oven to give it it's oven spring and fluffy texture. I think you will probably end up with a sub par result in the slow cooker. If you do try it though I would be interested to hear how it goes!
Julie says
In the photos it looks like oil was added to the flour mixture with the water. The directions do not say to do that. Which way is correct?
A Virtual Vegan says
Oil is added to the dough. The directions and the ingredients list do state that. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Aimee B. says
OMG, this is the BEST bread EVER!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know I will be making this again and again. I only used 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil on top, but this came out fabulous.For my seasoning, I used the Braggs seasoning and a bit of course pink sea salt. This smelled amazing baking in the oven. I served it with split pea soup. Such a lovely comforting meal. If anyone is wondering whether they should make this bread or not, YES, you most definitely should. It's super easy and seriously tasty. I give this 5 stars!! :)
A Virtual Vegan says
Wow Aimee. What glowing feedback. I am thrilled you enjoyed it so much. I bet it was awesome with your split pea soup! Thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback. I really appreciate it! ☺️
Aimee B. says
<3
Mary Ann Morsette says
Thank you for this recipe! I made this the other day as written (plus a little thyme and roasted granulated garlic on top!) and it was delicious! I just wondered, in your pictures it looks like you mixed some oil into the initial dough but I don't see that down below in the written recipe. Should there be some oil mixed in with the water? If so, how much?
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it! I did mix 1 tablespoon of oil into the dough. If you check the ingredients olive oil is on there twice, once for the dough, and once again for drizzling. It's not essential you add the oil to the dough though as you found. It just makes the bread a little softer and means it will keep a bit longer if you have more willpower than us and don't eat it all at once ????.
Stephanie says
Will this work with whole wheat flour too? I have both whole wheat bread flour and whole wheat all-purpose flour. Recomendations?
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't tried it with wholewheat yet. I have a feeling it would work but be a bit heavier. A mix of wholewheat and white would probably work out better and give it a better texture. I will make pasta for dinner on Monday and make it with 100% wholewheat flour and report back.
Denise says
Just reading through this and wondering if you did make it with 100 percent whole wheat and if so, how it came out? Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Focaccia is traditionally made with white flour and I personally like it like that so have never tried it with wholewheat flour. I don't think it's a bread that lends itself to wholewheat very well. It would technically work though, it just might not be as light and fluffy. If you were to do 50/50 whole wheat and white flour you would get a much softer, fluffier result than with 100% whole wheat. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Dianne says
I'm printing this recipe out and giving it to my husband. It looks so good!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Dianne. I hope he treats you to a homemade focaccia loaf very soon!