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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"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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Mary Gimigliano says
OMG! I can’t believe a recipe this easy could be soooooo good. The bread is fluffy and light unlike my previous bread attempts. Thank you so much for posting this. It’s gonna be on my Christmas table.
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Mary! I'm so pleased you had excellent results. It is very worthy of a Christmas table spot!
Puneeta says
What a fabulous recipe! Thanks so much for sharing this! It gives me confidence that I could actually pull this off!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you. You can pull it off for sure. It's just about impossible to go wrong. I hope you enjoy it when you get around to trying it!
Ana Maria says
se puede sustituir por harina integral ?.....y la cantidad de liquido se altera?. Gracias por la respuesta.
A Virtual Vegan says
It wouldn't work well with all wholemeal flour. You could probably get away with using 50% wholemeal but no more as it would end up way too heavy. The liquid quantity should be ok as it is.
Forest Grace says
So delicious! It was hard to stop,eating it ! And so easy to make ..
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! We tend to eat the whole thing between 3 of us with dinner when I make it!
mindy says
This was so easy to make and my family loved this bread.
LJ Bryan says
I loved making this bread! I plan on using diced red onion in my next batch! This was the first time I ever made bread by myself. Great texture & flavor! I did add an extra TBSP of water & am so pleased with the results.
My housemate is gluten free and was just in awe of the finished product. If anyone has a gluten free recipe for this I am hoping you will share it.
eileen says
Great .... 'bake' - but at what temperature????
A Virtual Vegan says
It says what temperature to cook it on in the recipe card. You need to read through it to get the ingredient quantities and full instructions. It's important this recipe is followed exactly for it to work.
Kaitlyn says
This has become a regular favorite for me, and I thought I should share that I've made this on a baking sheet and it's worked out fine. I shaped it slightly in the pan when dimpling (of course it's still quite irregular), used a bunch of olive oil and baked it for about 25 minutes as opposed to 37. Turned out perfectly. Might be a good alternative for anyone who doesn't have an 8x8 or would rather their focaccia be a little thinner.
Kaitlyn Modz says
Update: I've made this recipe now with 50% wholemeal bread flour, and it worked perfectly. I did, however, have to add an extra 125 mL or so of water to get it to the right consistency (wholemeal flour is very absorbent).
Mike S. says
I've been looking for this "holey" bread since forever! Baked mine in a rather deep 8x8 pan, so it didn't brown like yours, but still, it's delicious! Am thinking of doublimg the recipe for 2 loaves of bread (I usually make 2 at a time).
Question: would it hurt to let this dough rise a bit for making loaves? Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I think the dough is probably a bit wet to make a proper loaf shape. You wouldn't be able to shape it. It would probably bake up ok but be a little flat in the pan. I don't think it would dome up nicely. If you were to reduce the water a bit to make a stiffer dough it would probably work better. I'll have to try to perfect a no knead sandwich type loaf at some point!
Mike S. says
Cool! Thanks!
Linda says
Any thoughts on making this gluten free?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never made gluten-free bread so I have no idea I'm afraid.
Hope Marshall says
This was amazing, thank you so much!!!
Katie McVay says
This turned out fantastic!!! I used regular active yeast, subbed about 1 cup whole wheat flour, and let it sit for only 7 hours. Even with these changes it was extremely delicious and fluffy. I will be making this often. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Katie!
Bev says
Is that a combination of all purpose and wheat flour?? Or completely change to wheat flour?
Melanie McDonald says
I don't recommend using all whole wheat for this recipe. You will not get a good result. Up to half whole wheat and the rest all purpose should be ok although I haven't tested it myself.
Elyssa says
This recipe was absolutely a hit with my friends and family. Instead of salt and herbs, I grated some Asiago cheese on top and it complimented the bread nicely. Perfect for a sandwich bread. It was deeelicious!! Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I will use this as my go-to bread recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed it Elyssa!
Stephanie says
I finally found the perfect Focaccia bread after trying many other recipes. I have made it twice and both times it turned out amazing. I did just sprinkle the top with fresh Rosemary and Sea Salt and I had to add more water than the recipe called for both times I made it. Second time for a crispier bottom, I baked it in a rod iron skillet with plenty of olive oil to help get it out of the pan after baking. Delish!!!
Thank for sharing!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome! I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Dawn Lucas says
This bread was ridiculous. ..and I was a bit worried never having made bread this way before but it turned out perfect. My husband loves it. He was wondering if you can add anything to it while it's rising like sundried tomato. Have you ever added anything? He does not like rosemary so I did garlic powder with parsley in addition to the salt. Thank you again.
A Virtual Vegan says
As the page opened I saw "this bread is ridiculous..." and thought you were going to say you hated it. Ha ha! How nice to find it's the opposite. I'm so glad you both enjoyed it!
You have to be a bit careful about what you add while it's rising as it could upset the yeast and make them not work so well or it could excite them too much and make it rise too fast. Once it's finished rising though and you scrape it into the pan, you can add whatever you like. Just push whatever it is into the dough with your finger all over the top then bake. Whole raw cherry tomatoes are amazing pushed into it, sun-dried would be too, as are olives, artichokes, roasted garlic cloves, shredded sautéed onions, ....You can use whatever takes your fancy. Have fun experimenting! Oh, and if you want a really naughty sweet version, this is basically the same recipe but made into a really naughty cinnamon roll type pull apart bread! https://avirtualvegan.com/no-knead-cinnamon-pull-apart-bread/
Nina says
Hi, what would be a good price to sell this for by the slice? Thank you
Cindy says
Do you think the rosemary focaccia bread could be made without the oil?
Thanks for your help!
Cindy
A Virtual Vegan says
You can definitely make it without the oil. I do sometimes when I'm trying to be good. It will be a little drier as the oil makes it moist and it will stay paler. It will also go stale more quickly because oil acts as a preservative in bread. It's still a good accompaniment to soup or stews, pasta etc though but is really at it's best eaten while warm from the oven.
becca says
hi, was wondering if anyone has tried making this with gluten free flour? if so how did it come out?
Jemma says
All I can say is thank you for this recipe, I made it today for the first time and it turned out great and I’ve never made bread before! So simple, anyone could make this!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Jemma! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I love that so many people who have never made bread before are able to do it so easily!
Leah says
(Edited because I forgot to add a rating)
I’ve been making this every week for Shabbat and my family loves it. I used to bake challah every week and it was really labor intensive, but now I just make this and everyone likes it way better! I leave out the rosemary because we eat the bread with a lot of dips.
Is there a whole wheat blend version that you use? I’ve been doing a 3:1 white/wheat blend that has been turning out pretty ok. I like the flavor of wheat bread better.
Thanks for the recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Leah, I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipe. I have made challah a few times times and I can see why you turn to this recipe instead. It's much less work! I have never made a whole-wheat version of this bread because my son refuses to eat whole-wheat bread and this recipe is his favourite. But there is no reason why it wouldn't work. You should be able to go up to 50% whole-wheat with no problems. Any more than that and it might end up too heavy. Whole-wheat flour though is generally more absorbent than regular all purpose so you will probably need to up the water a bit. It's hard to say by how much without trying it. If you have made it with all all purpose flour you will know what the dough texture is like. You will need to replicate that with the whole-wheat. Maybe an extra 1/4 of a cup if I had to guess? Good luck!