Your Go-To Focaccia Recipe | No Knead / Easy / Delicious
If you want bakery-style focaccia without the fuss, this is the recipe to bookmark. It is a no-knead vegan dough that you mix in a single bowl, let rise on the counter, then dimple with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and flaky salt before baking until golden. No stand mixer and no complicated shaping, just a soft, airy crumb and a crisp, oil-kissed top after about 20 to 30 minutes in the oven.
I will be upfront: I do not really like making bread, and I always prefer baking something else instead. I felt that way even when we were stuck in the house during quarantine. But focaccia is different. I could make this focaccia every single day, with different variations depending on my mood and the rest of the menu I am putting together. To me it is more than a plain side, it is full of flavor and you can mix and adapt it however you like.
What goes into this focaccia
The dough itself keeps things simple. You need active dry yeast, flour, lukewarm water, a little brown sugar, sea salt, and good extra-virgin olive oil. A few notes on the ingredients that matter most:
- Yeast: I use active dry yeast. Check the expiration date before you start, because expired yeast will not activate and the dough will not rise.
- Flour: I combine all-purpose and whole-wheat flour 50-50 for a bit more character, but you can use all-purpose on its own for a lighter, fluffier crumb.
- Brown sugar: just a couple of teaspoons. It feeds the yeast and helps it bloom, so do not skip it.
- Olive oil: extra-virgin, and do not be shy with it. It greases the bowl and the tray, gets drizzled over the top, and is what gives focaccia its signature richness and crisp edges.
- Toppings: flaky sea salt, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and mixed seeds for texture. I like to keep it classic.
How to make no-knead focaccia
Here is the part I love most: there is no kneading at all. A long, slow rise does the work for you, developing gluten through time and hydration instead of muscle. That is why a wet, oil-slicked dough and four unhurried hours give you those big, open air pockets without any effort.
Trust me when I say this focaccia is easy to make, even if it looks a little intimidating at first. The rhythm goes like this: stir the yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water together and let it sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. Add the flour and salt and mix with a spatula. Move the dough to an oiled bowl, coat it all over, cover it, and let it rise at room temperature until doubled, around 4 hours. Spread it onto an oiled tray with your fingers, poke deep dimples all over, tuck in the cherry tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and scatter over flaky salt and seeds. Bake at 220C for about 20 to 30 minutes until golden, then finish with fresh basil.
Tips for getting it right
- Watch the yeast bloom. After 5 minutes your yeast mixture should look foamy and creamy. If nothing happens, the yeast is dead or expired, so start over with a fresh batch rather than wasting your flour.
- Keep the water lukewarm, never hot. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast before it has a chance to work. Aim for barely warm to the touch.
- Wet or oil your hands before spreading the dough. It is a sticky, high-hydration dough, and damp or oiled fingers keep it from clinging to you as you press it into the tray.
- Dimple deeply. Push your fingertips almost to the bottom of the tray. Those wells hold the olive oil and toppings and give focaccia its classic dimpled look.
- Let the color guide you. The focaccia is ready when the top is evenly golden. Because ovens vary, start checking around the 20-minute mark.
Topping ideas and variations
My go-to combination is cherry tomatoes, basil, and mixed seeds, but focaccia is a blank canvas. If you are not a fan of warm tomatoes (I have heard plenty of people are not), swap them for strips of red bell pepper or a mix of black and green olives. Change the toppings with your mood and with whatever else is on the table, and you will never get bored of it.
What to serve with focaccia
Focaccia is happiest torn and shared. I love it warm from the oven with a dip alongside, like a bowl of basil pesto hummus for scooping. It is also the perfect companion to a comforting soup such as cream of parsnip soup, or served next to a bright summer salad to round out a light meal. Set it out as part of a bigger Italian-inspired spread and it will disappear fast.
Storing and making it ahead
Focaccia is at its very best on baking day, still slightly warm, when the top is crisp and the inside is pillowy. I will admit it: I often eat it plain, exactly as it is, right out of the oven. If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, and warm slices in the oven for a few minutes to bring back the crust. You can also freeze cooled pieces and reheat them straight from frozen. Once you are comfortable with this dough, try turning the same base into a quick skillet pizza on another night.
If you bake this focaccia, come back and leave a star rating, then tell me in the comments which toppings you went with. I am always curious whether you kept it classic with cherry tomatoes and basil or went rogue with olives and peppers.
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Your Go-To Focaccia Recipe
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough:
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 450 g all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour you can also combine them, like I did, 50-50
- 300 ml water lukewarm
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 for greasing the bowl + 2 (for greasing the tray) + 2 Tbsp (for drizzling)
Toppings:
- flaky sea salt
- cherry tomatoes
- fresh basil
- mixed seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the dry yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water. Let sit for 5 minutes, until it gets foamy/creamy. – Make sure you check the yeast expiration date before using it. It will not activate if it's expired.
- Add the flour and salt. Mix well using a spatula.
- Grease a separate bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and pour the dough into it. Turn it and coat it on all sides in oil, then cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature until it doubles its size (~4 hours).
- Grease an oven tray with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
- Transfer the dough to the oven dish and spread it with your fingers. You should either water or grease your hands, to ease the process.
- Once it is evenly spread out onto the tray, start poking it with your fingers to form some holes. Add the cherry tomatoes in those holes, drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top, and some mixed seeds.
- Heat the oven at 220C.
- Bake focaccia until golden – for about 20-30 minutes. Serve with fresh basil on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This focaccia is made entirely from plant-based ingredients: yeast, flour, water, brown sugar, sea salt, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, basil, and mixed seeds. There is no egg, dairy, or honey in the dough or the toppings, so it is suitable for a vegan diet.
No, this is a no-knead recipe. Instead of kneading, a long room-temperature rise of about 4 hours develops the gluten through time and hydration. You simply mix the wet, oil-coated dough, let it rise until doubled, then spread and dimple it in the tray.
The most common cause is inactive yeast. Always check the expiration date, and after mixing the yeast with sugar and lukewarm water, wait 5 minutes to confirm it turns foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is dead and you should start again. Water that is too hot can also kill the yeast, so keep it just lukewarm.
All-purpose flour gives a light, fluffy crumb and works perfectly on its own. In this recipe I combine all-purpose and whole-wheat flour 50-50 for a bit more flavor and texture. You can adjust the ratio to your taste, keeping in mind that more whole-wheat flour makes a denser loaf.
My classic choice is cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, flaky sea salt, and mixed seeds. If you do not like warm tomatoes, red bell pepper strips or a mix of black and green olives work beautifully instead. Focaccia is very adaptable, so use whatever suits your mood and the rest of your menu.
Focaccia is best on the day it is baked, while the top is still crisp. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, and reheat slices in the oven for a few minutes to revive the crust. You can also freeze cooled pieces and warm them straight from frozen.
will definitely make again, it’s so easy!