Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread

Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread. This is a focaccia recipe with simple ingredients, yet mega taste! Made by mixing flour, salt and yeast (no kneading necessary), infused with a healthy dose of olive oil and topped with red onion, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. It’s dangerously tasty and addictive.

Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread

With summer quickly approaching, I wanted to make a fuss-free recipe you can count on to feed a crowd. And this focaccia recipe certainly delivers on the promise.

This Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread is light and pillowy. It’s perfectly salted, and oiled for mega flavour. The freshly baked focaccia bread can be enjoyed solely on it’s own with no toppings at all. But a few simple toppings take it to the next level. Decorated with red onion, green olives, and sun-dried tomato, with fresh rosemary to sprinkle is a combo that just can’t be beat!

This focaccia is certainly a recipe you’ll be creating time and again for your loved ones – vegan or not, everyone loves this bread!

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How to make the dough

Making your own homemade dough might sound tricky. But it couldn’t be more simple, especially for this Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread. The dough is made simply by combining the following ingredients:

1. Flour
2. Yeast
3. Salt
4. Water
5. Agave
6. Olive oil

It’s that easy, and get this – you don’t even have to knead it! Mix the ingredients together in a bowl, cover, and let nature do it’s magic.

The only “hard” part about this recipe is time. You’ll want to make sure after preparing the dough to give it plenty of time to ferment.  I like to give my dough two days to ferment (i.e. sitting in the fridge in a bowl), but 12 hours is sufficient.

You can tell the dough is activating when it starts to rise in size, and form little bubbles. This means the dough is fermenting, to form beautiful pockets of air for plush dough when cooked.

Apart from time, there isn’t anything tricky about making homemade dough. Simply combine the ingredients and wait. And I can promise you it’s worth it. There is nothing better than a homemade soft, warm and pillowy bread! Once you give it a try, you’ll never go back to buying the store-bought.

The toppings

As I mentioned, this focaccia is good enough to eat “naked,” without toppings. But the few simple toppings I’ve added to decorate this bread is a knockout.

For this recipe I’ve sprinkled with dough with red onion, olives, sun-dried tomato, and fresh rosemary. It’s a premium combo that’s flavour rich and wholesome.

However, this focaccia dough is open to interpretation, and you can add whatever toppings you like. Feel free to get creative, and mix up the toppings for a different focaccia every time. Caramelized onion and fennel would be delicious, or keep it simple with garlic and rosemary.

Chef Approved

Even though the recipe for this Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread is plain and simple, I’ve given this recipe my “Chef” stamp of approval.

That’s for two reasons. The first being that this recipe takes time to prepare (1-2 days for the dough to ferment) and so it’s not as straight forward as a simple toss-in-a-bowl-and-go. You’ll want to be prepared.

The second and more important reason for it’s Chef stamp of approval, however, is that this Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread is most certainly a recipe to impress!! If you want to blow your loved ones away, and look like a master chef, than this recipe is for you.

In fact, I just made this focaccia for a get together with my girlfriends and it was a HUGE hit!! It has even been requested again for our next get together.

There is no doubt that walking into a room with a homemade focaccia, freshly baked, will win a crowd and be the talk of the party. No doubt you’ll be leaving with a clean plate.

Vegan or not, everyone appreciates this focaccia recipe.

A few tips for this Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread:

The steps for this No-Knead Focaccia Bread is simple, but I’ve got a few ingredients to make sure you achieve a flawless bake.

First, check the expiry date on your yeast!! Yeast is a pantry item that doesn’t get used everyday, and it’s possible it might have expired. I know it sounds like an obvious tip, but I have fallen victim of using expired yeast many a time. And the outcome is a dud.

In fact, my first attempt at making this focaccia was a flop for the exact reason that my yeast was 8 months expired! And I hadn’t even noticed. It’s a good rule of thumb to check the expiry dates on your yeast before starting to ensure it’s fresh. Otherwise your dough won’t rise and it will be a huge let down. (Especially when planning to feed a large crowd. There’s nothing worse than having to order a pizza. While explaining to your guests that your yeast was to blame. Yes – this did happened to me).

Second, is to ensure you give the dough enough time to ferment. It’s best to prepare the dough the night before. I even like to give it up to two days to work it’s magic. I find both with pizza and focaccia, day 2 is the “sweet spot” for a light and fluffy dough.

It’s also important to mention that making your own dough is not as intimidating as it sounds. As you can see the ingredients are simple, and all you really need is time for the dough to ferment. I’m certain you can get it perfect in your first attempt. And the more you make your own focaccia dough, the more confident you’ll get.

Other recipes you might like:

If you’re digging this Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread, you might also like to try these crowd pleasing dishes:

• Eggplant and Lentil Vegan Meatballs
• Peanut Satay Noodles
• Vegan Fig and Arugula Pizza
• The Ultimate Baked Falafels
• Vegan Pesto and Pineapple Pizza

Shop my kitchen:

I’m always asked what items I like to use in the kitchen. So, I’ve included my favourites for making this Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread below.

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl


Rose Gold Measuring Cups and Spoons

Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet (2 Pack), Silver

Not my exact baking pan, but very close

So there we have it. A moist, soft and pillowy homemade focaccia bread with simple toppings for a flavourful feast! It’s a recipe to please a crowd, whether they’re vegan or not. I’m sure you’ll be making it time and again.

And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

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5 from 1 vote

Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread

This easy no-knead focaccia bread is an absolute crowd-pleaser! Soft and pillowy homemade dough, infused with oil, salt and simple toppings. Vegan or not, you will love this focaccia.

Category Appetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian, refined-sugar free, soy-free, vegan

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 12 people

Author Hannah Sunderani

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
• 2 tbsp sea salt , finely ground, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 tbsp agave (optional)
• 1/3 cup olive oil plus more for drizzle
• 1 small red onion , thinly sliced(around 70g)
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes , chopped(around 100g)
• 1/3 cup green olives , chopped(around 50g)
• 2-3 fresh rosemary sprigs (around 10g)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl combine flour, salt and yeast. In a jug combine warm water and agave to dissolve. Then pour liquid over the flour mixture. Stir to combine until you have a sticky dough (the warm water makes it sticky and wet).
• In a clean mixing bowl add 1/3 cup olive oil, and transfer dough to bowl. Roll the dough to coat in olive oil. Cover the bowl tightly with wrap and transfer to the fridge overnight, or for up to two days.* (Make sure the bowl is big enough for the dough to double in size).
• Remove dough from fridge and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer dough onto tray and push out with hands as best you can to cover tray entirely. Wait 30 mins to 1 hour for the dough to come to room temperature. It should soften and rise considerably. (Time is dependant on how warm your home is. In the Winter it will take longer than Summer).
• Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Pat focaccia dough again to ensure it's the same thickness throughout (about 1-inch thick). Then dimple the entire dough by pushing your fingers into the dough like you're playing piano. (If you have long nails you can do this with your knuckles). Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper.
• Decorate focaccia with thinly sliced red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and rosemary. Bake for approx. 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes

*When making the dough, I find two days wait time in the fridge is the best for a thick, light and bubbly dough. However, it will definitely work with one day (i.e. preparing the night before - 10-12 hours wait time).

The dough will rise a bit in the fridge so make sure that your bowl is big enough for it to double in size.

This focaccia freezes well. So if you're feeding a smaller group, feel free to freeze half the focaccia after baking. Let cool entirely and then wrap tightly in tin foil. It will keep in fridge for up to two weeks. When ready to eat remove from fridge and let thaw entirely.

Nutrition information is a rough estimate. (Per serving, divided between 12 people).

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1210mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

Approvals

 

Allergies

VEGAN – VEGETARIAN – DAIRY-FREE – SOY-FREE – NUT-FREE