I just baked a perfectly soft and fluffy, satisfyingly chewy and light as air focaccia studded with cherry tomatoes, rosemary and flaky salt. 

Believe me when I tell you that this shockingly easy no-knead focaccia requires no bread making skill. You will be amazed by the wonders of yeast. 

Letting the dough do its first rise in the fridge for 8–24 hours means improved flavour and helps when you need to handle the dough. If you want to speed up the process, leave the dough covered at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours. This will still make for a spectacular sandwich bread. 

I know that all I need is a big hunk of focaccia, olive oil and balsamic and I’m set. 

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5 from 1 vote

Shockingly Easy No-Knead Focaccia

This focaccia is perfectly soft and fluffy, satisfyingly chewy and light as air. 

Course Side Dish

Ingredients

• 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp. honey
• 5 cups (625g) all-purpose flour
• 5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tbsp Morton kosher salt
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• fresh rosemary
• flaky sea salt

Instructions

• Whisk active dry yeast, 2 tsp honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again.
• Add 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour and 5 tsp Diamond Crystal or 1 tbsp Morton kosher salt and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
• Pour 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. This dough is going to rise! Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. If you’re in a rush, you can also let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours.
• Generously butter a 13×9″ baking pan, for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, or an 18×13″ rimmed baking sheet, for focaccia that’s thinner, crispier, and great for snacking. Don’t skip this step, it will ensure that the focaccia doesn’t stick. Pour 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil into the centre of the pan.
• Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball.
• Transfer dough to prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.
• Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 450°F.
• To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready.
• Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you probably won’t need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan).
• Place cherry tomatoes in the depressions and drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt.
• Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.

Notes

To see the original recipe from Bon Appetit tap this link