Wait! What? Focaccia you don't need to knead? Yes! This super easy No Knead Focaccia is virtually foolproof. As long as you are able to stir some ingredients together in a bowl & turn on the oven you can do it. And nothing, and I mean nothing, can beat the smell & taste of fresh focaccia straight from the oven! ♡
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. And as much as I love it, I realize that when it comes to yeast and bread baking a lot of people have some kind of irrational fear.
I guess it stems from the fact that there is so much room for error. Everything is so variable with traditional bread making and no matter how good a recipe is, it takes practise to be able to get good results.
Reader feedback
This Easy No Knead Focaccia Bread is different though. It is virtually fool proof and gets fantastic feedback from readers.
Liz said - "We made this focaccia bread yesterday and it turned out amazing! We followed the recipe exactly, My teenage boys and I ate almost the entire loaf warm out of the oven. Sooo good! Glad I found your recipe!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mary Ann said - "Could not believe how easy this recipe was. Even better than that…it was absolutely delicious. It made me look like a real star in the kitchen!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rachel said - "WOW is this delish! I followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out perfect both times! Only problem I have is NOT eating the whole thing in on one sitting…!!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
Fresh homemade focaccia, here we come!
How to make No Knead Focaccia
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
You can make this Easy No Knead Focaccia Bread in a few easy steps:
All you need is a large bowl, a spoon, a metal pan 9like an 8 x 8 inch square, or an 8 x 12 inch, or a round 8 or 9 inch cake pan) and some patience.
Step 1 - Put the dry ingredients and the oil into a bowl and mix them together. There's no need to be neat like me ... just throw it all in ...mine's just for photo purposes! ;O)
Step 2 - Add the water.
Step 3 - Mix it all up with a spoon to the point that you can't see any dry flour.
Step 4 - Cover & leave at room temperature for up to 8 hours until it looks puffy, bubbly and swollen.
Step 5 - Scrape the dough out and into a lined pan, flattening it out as best you can.
Step 6 - Dimple the dough and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt then bake.
Step 7 - Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
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 have to leave the mixed up focaccia dough to rest for at least seven hours but up to nine will be ok and it's all completely hands off/mind off it time.
Patience is everything when you make bread. It is impossible to get immediate results but every minute spent waiting is so worth it. I promise!
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 an 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.
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.
How to serve
This rosemary focaccia is wonderful served warm from the oven or completely cooled. It makes the perfect accompaniment to soups like my Vegan Potato Soup, my Easy Tomato Basil Soup, or my Red Lentil Soup with Lemon. Or stews, pasta dishes 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
This 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.
Want more easy bread recipes?
For more great bread recipes, check out these very popular reader favourites:
- Easy Flatbread Recipe
- No Knead Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
- Easy Whole Wheat Bread
- Homemade Pita Bread
- Sourdough Starter
📖 Recipe
No Knead Focaccia
Author:
Ingredients
- 500 g / 3¾ cups plus 4 ½ teaspoons 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)
- 10 g / 1 very full tablespoon instant yeast or quick rise yeast . , (if you only have active yeast see recipe notes)
- 10 g / 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (see the recipe notes if you limit your oil intake)
- 450 mls / 1¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons / 15.2 U.S oz COLD water not warm water
- 60 mls / 4 tablespoons good olive oil for drizzling Just drizzle as much as you feel comfortable with on top - I like a bit more ;O
- 2 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary
- sea salt flakes or crystals 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 or a clean shower cap and leave on the kitchen counter for a minimum of 7 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 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.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Alan says
Hi Mel, what’s the reason the baking tin needs to be metal and not silicone? Could I use a Pyrex baking dish? I’ve made this recipe numerous times and love it but since I never deviate from your bread recipes, I used a cast iron Lodge skillet to bake in which did give great results! But I’m just curious about the specific need to avoid silicone.
Melanie McDonald says
Silicone is not my material of choice for baking bread, cakes or muffins in. It doesn't radiate or hold heat like metal does so you don't get as good results. Bread (and cakes) cooked in a metal pan will have a better oven spring (rise) which means the texture will, in turn, be better (lighter) and the bread/cake will get a more golden crust.
That instant and radiating heat is so important.
You could use Pyrex. It would be a better choice than silicone but again it doesn't radiate heat like metal does. Cast iron is a great choice though. I often bake my focaccia in a cast-iron skillet because I love the crusty bottom it gives.
You can bake this focaccia on a regular old baking sheet too if you want to. Line it with parchment paper if you aren't sure if it will stick, and pour the dough on and spread it out with oiled fingers. It will end up a bit thinner so won't need quite as long in the oven. Knock off 5 to 7 minutes.
Hope that helps!
Janice says
This looks sooo delicious! Can it be make with gluten-free flours? Besides being allergic to dairy & eggs, I can't have gluten. :-( I get so hungry for "regular" food.
A Virtual Vegan says
It hasn't been tested with gluten-free flour. I doubt very much it would work though. Sorry :O(
I have been working on some gluten-free bread recipes but they aren't going so well right now though. Hopefully one day I'll have something good enough to share!
Janice Spencer says
We use no oil. Can I leave out the oil entirely?
A Virtual Vegan says
You can omit the oil. Obviously it will affect the flavour though, but if you're used to oil-free it will likely be ok for you. Warning though, oil acts as a softener and preservative in bread so the bread will be crustier (not necessarily a bad thing!) and it will stale a lot quicker. Hope that helps!
Hannah says
I can’t believe a bread this delicious came out of my oven! I’ve tried and failed a lot of bread recipes so it was really fun to have this one turn out so well, especially with such little effort on my part. When I woke up to bake it this morning I forgot about the 4 tbsp recommended amount for drizzling and instead just remembered to be as generous as I was comfortable with and I was very comfortable haha. Thanks for the great recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! The more olive oil the better in my opinion! ;O)
Melissa says
The most delicious and easy bread - we have it almost every week!
Joyce says
Hi Melanie,
I have made this wonderful bread many times. It is always delicious. I have made it with lots of variations - topped with onions, garlic, olives, Parmesan, other cheeses, etc. Always wonderful. You recipe says to let it rise at least seven hours. Mine doubles or triples in size in 2-4 hours. I’m afraid it will fall if I let it continue to rise, so I cook it. Is it supposed to fall? Should I go ahead and let it continue. Thank you for your answer and for the terrific recipe. ( And all your great recipes)
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you're enjoying it! If it's working how you're doing it then I'd stick with it. If you live somewhere particularly warm then it could be speeding things up. My kitchen is about 19-20°C for comparison.
Hannah says
Mine doubled really quickly too but I let it set out for the rest of the time anyways because I really wanted it to turn out and mine didn’t fall at all :)
Kim says
This focaccia recipe looks and sounds easy and great. I am not a baker and I am in the US so not used to baking in grams. I know the conversions are not exact
I just want to make sure that 10g to 1 tablespoon yeast and 10g to 2 teaspoons of salt is correct since baking needs to be precise
A Virtual Vegan says
The ingredients are listed in cups and teaspoons/tablespoons etc as well as grams and I always measure them both ways myself and don't use an online conversion tool like some websites, so they are as accurate as it gets.
Make it as written using those amounts and it will be fine.
I do always recommend using a scale for baking though if you want the very best results.
Melissa says
Sorry for the silly question, but is this temp for fan forced oven? It's proving now and I'm so excited to bake it soon!
A Virtual Vegan says
The temperatures given in my recipes are always based on a regular oven and not a fan oven. A recipe will always say if the temperature given is for a fan oven.
Bread (and cakes etc) don't bake as well in a fan oven, so if possible I recommend turning the fan function off if you have that ability. With most modern ovens you can. If you can't, then lower the temperature by 25 °C and keep an eye on it towards the end in case it's ready a few minutes early.
Melissa says
Ours only has a grill or fan forced option (it's not a great oven) but it still worked! We usually have to bump up the temp and cook things longer anyway so it worked out perfectly in the end. I've made this SO many times since then, it's a brilliant recipe, thank you!
Monica says
Wow wow wow... umm yeah so I just made this and it is the best damn bread ever!! My dough was a lot more moist an I used a cookie sheet. It did take about 42 minutes maybe bc it was a wetter dough , I also added tomatoes on top. I do not know why but it brought the flavor to the next level!
A Virtual Vegan says
Tomatoes on top are so good! Glad you enjoyed it!
Krista Marsh says
Making this for the 2nd time now and added some oregano to the dough. I used Smoked Wood Infused Olive Oil for the bread and on top, used 1 Tbsp of Herbs de Provence and 1 Tbsp Rosemary. Amazing! Looking forward to making it again and switching it up a little bit. Thanks for sharing your incredible recipe.
Patience says
This recipe has become a legend in my neighborhood! We live 2 hours from stores, so fresh bread is amazing to have. My neighbors will ask “are you making the bread” or “I hear you made some bread for someone else, where is my loaf” haha I’ve started giving them away as gifts.
I make 2 loafs every other week. I roast a handful of garlic and mix in the huge chunks.
I currently have three loafs waiting to be cooked.
Thank you so much for this staple that will live with my family forever.
A Virtual Vegan says
I love this! I'm so pleased that you and your neighbourhood are enjoying the recipe so much and thanks so much for coming back to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
ja says
Perfect! added some fried shallots on top as per another recipe and family loved it. Thanks :)
Sarah L says
I honest to god make this once a week - it is AMAZING! I found the recipe maybe 2 years ago, and it is a staple. I usually double the recipe and bake it on a baking sheet with sides, and parchment underneath. Trader Joe’s garlic salt or rosemary and salt is really good on it. 10/10 would recommend!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Sarah. I'm really pleased you're enjoying the recipe!
Norizah Abidin says
I have made this!
Ruthanne Jeffords says
This recipe is amazing! Five minutes at night to mix the dough, another five minutes in the morning to prepare it for the oven -- and then you have delicious fresh bread!