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!
Shockingly easy No Knead Focaccia. If you're not a bread baker, hold tight because you are about to become one!
Good bread is one of my favourite foods, especially when it is 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 difficult. And that can be right. Some breads are difficult to make.
But, this easy focaccia is different. It is virtually fool proof. If you are able to put some ingredients in a bowl and stir them all together then you've got this. There is nothing more to it than that.
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.
Ingredients
Success tip - Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavour.
How to 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 be risen and 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, then bake.
It really is that easy! The only hands on time needed is a couple of minutes to mix the flour, yeast, salt and water together 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 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!
How long can you let no knead bread rise?
Because you aren't kneading the bread, time is needed to develop the gluten. The sweet spot is about 8 hours in an 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's 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 fridges 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.
Variations
Go with the rosemary and sea salt option or switch things up. Some ideas include:
- Whole cherry tomatoes 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
How to serve
This no knead rosemary focaccia is wonderful served warm from the oven or cool. 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) and makes the most wonderful paninis.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating Tips
No Knead Focaccia Bread is best on the day it's baked but leftovers can be wrapped and kept for a day or two. They are best warmed before eating though. I like to wrap them in foil then pop them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes on about 350° F. Or if you are in a hurry you can microwave for 20 or 30 seconds.
The bread also freezes well. Wrap very well and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Most popular bread recipes
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
No Knead Focaccia
Author:Ingredients
- 500g (4 cups) 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)
- 10g (1 very full tablespoon) instant yeast or quick rise yeast . , (if you only have active yeast see recipe notes)
- 10g (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 450mls (1¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons) COLD water not warm water
- 2 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary
- flaky sea salt for scattering
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, yeast and salt then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the water and mix well until you can see no more dry flour and you have a wet, slightly lumpy looking mess. Make sure to scrape right into the bottom of the bowl. (See my picture in the collage near the top of my 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 - 40 minutes.
- When done it will be starting to go golden brown in places on the top. If you want it a little crustier you can bake it for another 5 minutes but no longer as otherwise it will become dry.
- Remove from the oven, lift out using the paper as handles and place on a cooling rack.
- Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
Bonnie says
This looks fantastic and I definitely want to try making it!
I'm fairly new to eating vegan but I've always heard white flour isn't good for you, please comment and thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I don't recommend using wholewheat flour (or any other type) for this recipe. The flavour doesn't work as well and it won't end up as light and fluffy. Focaccia is traditionally made with white flour and it's what works best for no-knead breads like this. Health-wise, no white flour isn't as healthy as whole grain flour but the aim of the recipe isn't to be healthy, it's for it to taste good and I can assure you that this tastes amazing! Hope that helps!
Char says
Came out absolutely perfect and taste great!!
Joy says
Would a loaf pan work - and if so, what would the cooking time be? Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
No it wouldn't for this loaf. It needs to be a shallow pan to cook properly. It's such a wet dough and wouldn't work well in a loaf shape. You can use a regular big baking tray though like you'd use to cook oven fries or something on. Just follow the instructions as they are but line the baking tray with parchment paper and tip/scrape the dough out onto it. Use damp hands or rub them in oil, to spread the dough out so it's no more than an inch thick all over. It's hard work because it keeps springing back but you'll get there. Oil and herbs as per the recipe, and bake probably for 5 minutes less than it says. Just keep an eye on it towards the end and remove when golden and crusty around the edges.
Joy says
Thank you so much for the detailed response. I will try per your suggestion!
Anne says
This bread is amazing and so easy to make. I put some Italian seasoning in the dough and also on top. This will be a regular for dinner parties - my guests were very impressed. ???
Chaz Nicholas says
Curious why 10 grams of yeast is a very full tablespoon but 10 grams of salt is 2 teaspoons?
A Virtual Vegan says
Because they are different things. Every ingredient has a different volume and density. Like 2 teaspoons of water would be heavier than 2 teaspoons of flour. There's the feathers and rocks example too which demonstrates it well. 1 kg of rocks would barely be any but 1kg of feathers would be a huge amount.
Natasha says
This is such an amazing, fool-proof recipe! I've made it several times and added 1/2 tsp onion powder and 1/2 tsp oregano to the dry mix. Also decorate it with tomatoes, rosemary, and bell peppers! Would this recipe work with 100% whole wheat flour?
A Virtual Vegan says
It won't be anywhere near as good with wholewheat flour. It would be a lot heavier and denser and also focaccia lends itself to white flour really well. The flavours just work better with it than they do with wholewheat flour. Hope that helps!
Ana Lisa says
This bread is just...WOW! I followed the directions exactly as written, let it proof for 8 hours, and used an 8x8 pan. It was my first time ever using yeast, and I had no problems whatsoever. I made this because I'm attending a virtual wine-tasting workshop this evening and I need something to munch on. This is perfect! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Ah that's awesome! I'm so pleased you're enjoying it. A side of wine sounds just perfect. Enjoy your virtual wine-tasting. That sounds so fun!
klvdm says
Absolutely the best! I never do breads because of the kneading needed but this came out as a nice surprise! Thanks so much!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you. So pleased you enjoyed it!
Gwen says
Quite literally the BEST bread I have ever eaten in my entire life & sooooooo easy to make! THANK YOU for this amazing recipe I make once a week minimum! It's absolutely DELISH!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Gwen! It's a weekly occurrence here too!
b says
Did not expand as it should have...fair. I know how to make a good one...
Emily F. says
So easy and fantastic. Lots of olive oil and the maldon sea salt with the rosemary is so good!
Joy says
Ah I missed my opportunity then as I made the dough this morning. Will try the next time! And will def add in the cherry tomatoes. Thanks!
Joy says
This was so foolproof and fabulous!! Thank you so much. If I were to add sundried tomatoes, when do you suggest I do this? I tried to add on top with the rosemary but the tomatoes burned.
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you're enjoying it! You could mix the sundried tomatoes right into the dough in the beginning. It will be fine like that. Maybe some caramelized onions or roasted garlic cloves too. That would be a nice combo.
One of my favourite ways to make this is to stick whole cherry tomatoes into the top of the dough once it's in the pan. They become so sweet and delicious and don't burn because they have so much moisture in them. Hope that helps and have fin experimenting with it!
j says
Works perfectly every time...we all love it!
CC says
Hello,can I use all purposes gluten free flour?
Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
No sorry. This recipe will only work with all purpose flour, bread flour or 50/50 whole wheat flour all purpose/bread. It needs the gluten to be successful. I would advise looking for an already gluten-free focaccia recipe rather than trying to adapt this one. Hope that helps!
CC says
Thank you,it does!
I wanted to try yours because it looks delicious and like the one I used to eat in Italy when I was a kid! :)
Lakshmi says
Hi! Is there any way to do this without the yeast please? There’s still no yeast anywhere it would seem!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
You would be able to use sourdough starter instead of yeast but the recipe would need tweaking (flour and water quantity) and the timings would also likely need to be adjusted by quite a lot. You'd be better off finding a recipe that already uses sourdough starter rather than adapting this one. That's the only thing that will work in a focaccia other than yeast.
Christine Mcmahan says
I’m going to leave the yeast out try it with my sourdough starter But I haven’t done it yet. I’ll post back after I try it.
Angela says
Since we’ve been in pandemic lockdown, I’ve made this every morning for my family. It’s super easy, and this recipe is going to be our go-to forever!
Here are my small savoury tweaks to this perfect bread:
I let it rise for closer to 10 hours. I mix it around 11pm, go to bed, and then bake between 8-9am.
I add one minced garlic clove to the olive oil that’s mixed in to the dough.
I add 1 tablespoon of onion powder and 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary directly in to the dry ingredients before mixing. And the other tablespoon of rosemary goes on top before baking. That way, not all the rosemary falls off when eating it!
I put 3 tablespoons, not 4, of oil on top before baking. I’ve tested both - not much of a difference between them, so why not save oil? I wouldn’t recommend anything lower than 3 though.
I bake for 37 minutes at 400 in a convection oven.
Thank you for this recipe. It’s something that we all look forward to every morning in these difficult times. Much love to you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks so much Angela. Glad you're enjoying the recipe!
Lisa says
Can you make this with instant yeast? If so how long do you let it rise?
A Virtual Vegan says
It's made with Instant Yeast already!
Claire Maye says
This recipe is so easy - and it always works for me. My family love it. It has been our lockdown pleasure. Thank you for introducing me to such an easy way to make bread.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you and your family are enjoying it Claire!
Shivangi says
Hi, it’s been 5 hrs but the dough has already doubled in size as the temperature here is around 35c. As I can’t bake it right now, Can I put it in the refrigerator for the next 4hrs to slow it down till I am ready to bake. Will it affect the baking process. Any precautions . Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
When it's that warm yeast work crazy quick as you've found out! Yes you can refrigerate it. Cover it with a damp towel or cling wrap. It should be ok as long as it hasn't over-proofed already. Then pop it in the oven straight from the fridge.
If you make the recipe again and the temp is the same you could mix it up then leave it to proof the whole time in the fridge. Just take it out a little while before you want to bake if it hasn't increased in volume much.
Hope that helps!
Shivangi says
Thanks for the response. I checked the dough, it has flattened partially in the refrigerator, do I let it sit out for a while?
A Virtual Vegan says
If it's flattened then it is probably a bit over-proofed. I'd get it in the oven right away and keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully it will turn out ok. If you make this recipe again, because of the temperature where you are, be ready to bake it just before it's doubled in size which sounds like it will be at the 4.5 hour mark. Hope it turns out ok!