Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe
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Cold, refrigerated dough is the secret to making delicious focaccia! Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 24 hours in the fridge yields the best results. This requires only 5 minutes of hands-on time to stir together flour, salt, instant yeast, and water. The focaccia will emerge from the oven pillowy and golden. Video guidance below!
A few summers ago, I bumped into Richard Bourdon at Berkshire Mountain Bakery. During our chat, he told me, among other things, he would never write a cookbook because he’s always changing his methods.
This shocked me, as I would have thought that after 30+ years of running his renowned bakery, he would know all there is to know about bread baking, that his formula would require zero tinkering.
But his admission also reassured me, because I, too, am constantly changing my bread recipes, and I likely won’t stop. For the past few months, I’ve been making the focaccia bread recipe from my cookbook Bread Toast Crumbs, but changing the method: using more yeast, using less yeast, doing longer, slower rises at room temperature, doing longer, slower rises in the refrigerator.
Before I share the details, let’s break this post down. This post is organized as follows:
What Makes The Best Focaccia?
I’ll spare you all the details of the various experiments and skip straight to what I’ve found creates the best focaccia, one that emerges golden all around, looking like a brain, its surface woven with a winding labyrinth of deep crevices: refrigerated dough.
This is nothing novel—many bakers extol the virtues of the cold fermentation process—and it came as no surprise to me either: it was, after all, past-prime Jim Lahey refrigerated dough that showed me how easy focaccia could be: place cold, several-days-old pizza dough in a well-oiled pan, let it rise for several hours or until it doubles, drizzle with more oil, dimple with your fingers, sprinkle with sea salt, then bake until done.
Employing a refrigerator rise takes time because the cold environment slows everything down initially, and during the second rise, the cold dough takes time to warm to room temperature. The overall effort, however, is very hands off, and the result is worth it. In sum, I’ve found:
- Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 24 hours in the fridge yields the best results.
- The amount of yeast doesn’t really matter.
- A buttered or parchment-lined pan in addition to the olive oil will prevent sticking. I’ve been baking the focaccia in two 9-inch Pyrex pie plates. Butter + oil is essential to prevent sticking. I also love my 9×13-inch USA Pan for this one.
- Count on 2 to 4 hours for the second rise.
- After the second rise, dimple the dough, then immediately stick the pans in the oven — this has been a critical difference for me in terms of keeping those desirable crevices. If you dimple and let the dough rise again even for 20 minutes before popping the pan in the oven, the crevices begin to dissolve. Note: The bread still tastes delicious without all of those crevices, but there’s something appetizing about the brain-like appearance … or is that just me?
Friends, the above video shows how to bake the focaccia in a 9×13-inch USA Pan and the below photo play-by-play offers the same instruction but for glass Pyrex pie plates. With my USA Pan, I do not need to butter before it before I oil it; with my Pyrex pie plates, butter is essential to prevent sticking. As always, I am here if you have questions.
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How to Make Focaccia, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: 4 cups (512 g) flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons instant yeast:
Add 2 cups lukewarm water:
Mix dough:
Cover bowl. You all have one of these, right? Stick bowl in the fridge immediately; leave it there to rise for 12 to 18 hours (or longer—I’ve left it there for two days).
Remove from fridge, and remove cover:
Deflate dough:
Butter or line with parchment paper two 8- or 9-inch pie plates or something similar; then pour a tablespoon of olive oil into each. (The butter/parchment will ensure the bread doesn’t stick.) Divide the dough in half and place each half into the prepare pans. Use your hands to turn the dough in the oil, creating a rough ball. Don’t touch the dough again for 2 to 4 hours depending on your environment.
When the dough looks like this…
…pour another tablespoon of olive oil over each round, and using your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, such as Maldon.
Transfer to oven immediately and bake at 425ºF for 25 minutes or until golden all around.
Focaccia brain.
Remove focaccia from pans and place on cooling racks.
Slab Sandwiches
One of my favorite thing to do with these rounds of focaccia (besides serving them with olive oil and dukkah) is to make a slab sandwich: simply halve the whole finished loaf of focaccia in half crosswise; fill it as you wish, close the sandwich; then slice and serve.
Here are three fun ideas:
- Prosciutto, Arugula & Mozzarella:
- Mashed Avocado, Pickled Beets and Turnips, Pea Shoots:
The Best, Easiest Focaccia Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 18 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 18 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves
Description
Cold, refrigerated dough is the secret to making delicious focaccia! Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 24 hours in the fridge yields the best result. This recipe requires only 5 minutes of hands-on time to stir together the flour, salt, instant yeast, and water. The focaccia will emerge from the oven pillowy and golden.
Adapted from the focaccia recipe in Bread Toast Crumbs.
A few notes:
- I’ve been baking the focaccia in two 9-inch Pyrex pie plates. Butter + oil is essential to prevent sticking.
- Other pan options include: A 9×13-inch pan — do not split the dough in half, if you use this option, which will create a thicker focaccia (I love this USA pan for this one). A 13×18-inch rimmed sheet pan — this creates a thinner focaccia, which is great for slab sandwiches.
- As always, for best results, use a digital scale to measure the flour.
- I love SAF instant yeast. I buy it in bulk, transfer it to a quart storage container, and store it in my fridge for months. You can store it in the freezer also.
- If you are using active-dry yeast, simply sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water and let it stand for 15 minutes or until it gets foamy; then proceed with the recipe.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose or bread flour here with great results. If you live in a humid environment, I would suggest using bread flour. If you are in Canada or the UK, also consider using bread flour or consider holding back some of the water. Reference the video for how the texture of the bread should look; then add water back as needed.
- Plan ahead: While you certainly could make this more quickly, it turns out especially well if you mix the dough the day before you plan on baking it. The second rise, too, takes 2 to 4 hours.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (512 g) all-purpose flour or bread flour, see notes above
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast, see notes above if using active dry
- 2 cups (455 g) lukewarm water, made by combining 1/2 cup boiling water with 1 1/2 cups cold water
- butter for greasing
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Rub the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator immediately for at least 12 hours.
- Line two 8- or 9-inch pie plates or a 9×13-inch pan (see notes above) with parchment paper or grease with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray. (Note: This greasing step may seem excessive, but with some pans, it is imperative to do so to prevent sticking. With my USA pans, I can get away with olive oil alone; with my glass baking dishes, butter is a must.)
- Pour a tablespoon of oil into the center of each pan or 2 tablespoons of oil if using the 9×13-inch pan. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. Use the forks to split the dough into two equal pieces (or do not split if using the 9×13-inch pan). Place one piece into one of the prepared pans. Roll the dough ball in the oil to coat it all over, forming a rough ball. Repeat with the remaining piece. Let the dough balls rest for 3 to 4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425°F. Pour another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough. Rub your hands lightly in the oil to coat, then, using all of your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples. If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt all over.
- Transfer the pans to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer the focaccia to cooling racks. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving; let it cool completely if you are halving it with the intention of making a sandwich.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: bread, focaccia, overnight, refrigerator, cold, dough
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
891 Comments on “Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe”
I have been trying to bake bread since the pandemic lock down with terrible results. I was watching your video and the way the dough bubbles and burst under your finger when you do the dimpling … I thought let me cut the recipe in half and “try it”. Wow, just wow. When I did the dimpling and I felt the soft dough underneath my fingers I knew I might actually make a loaf I want to eat. Thank you, thank you. It was fantastic!
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So nice to hear this, Laura!! Isn’t dimpling so much fun? I love that step so much. So glad this worked out. Thanks for writing!
hi, I have made this a few times and love this recipe. If I were to add carmelized onions, when would I do this?
thanks
Lorrain
Hi Lorrain, Great to hear! If you want to add them as a topping, add them before you dimple the dough just before baking — as you dimple, you’ll help embed the onions into the dough. If you want to add them to the dough itself, you can toss them in with the flour, salt, and yeast. Just be sure they are completely cool before adding them to the dough.
This was my first time making focaccia. I followed the recipe and tips, baked them in two pyrex pie plates and they came out perfect and delicious. Airy and springy. I used pink sea salt and a sprinkle of dried rosemary. My dough was a little wetter than in the video so next time i may add a bit more flour but i think the key is having kind of wet dough and refrigeration overnight. I will be making this all the time now. Love it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and all your tips and tricks
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So nice to hear all of this! Thanks so much for writing, and yes you are right: wet dough + fridge rise is key for focaccia 🙂
So delicious and so easy! First time making focaccia and it couldn’t have been simpler. Thank you for the helpful, straightforward recipe and video. My family of four ate the entire loaf at dinner! Will definitely make again.
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So wonderful to hear this, Jess! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
I love your book and your peasant bread is a go-to in my house!
For this recipe, can I replace the yeast with Active Dry? If so, is there something I should do differently? Thanks!
So nice to hear this, Deirdre! And yes: sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water and let it stand for 15 minutes or until it gets foamy; then proceed with the recipe. Good luck!
Hi Ali, I may have missed this in your instructions, but are you covering the baking vessel for the second rise?
Hi Grace! No need to cover, but be sure the dough is coated in oil so that it doesn’t dry out. If you want to cover the pan lightly with a towel, too — some people do bc of fruit flies – you can, but the coating in oil is more essential.
best bread i’ve ever made. sooo worth it to wait 24 hours, it makes all the difference. will use less oil next time though.
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So nice to hear this, Kylie!! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Made this recipe today . It was so good. My search for a good foccacia ends here. I previously tried the sourdough foccacia too but they were dense. But very happy with this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
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So nice to hear this, Shweta! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
I have always been too lazy to review recipes I find on blogs, but this was so good I felt compelled that people should know about. This was my first time making focaccia and it turned out wonderful! I made this for friends and we almost devoured the whole thing right away. This recipe is truly the best, easiest focaccia!
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So great to hear this, Ryan! Thanks so much for taking the time to write and review! Glad your friends approved, too.
Hi Alexandra, I live in the tropics, where the humidity can go up to 100%, and I struggled with the recipe for a while. I used to watch the video with utter envy at how easily you did the stretch and fold, and how you would just scrape out the dough and fold it into shape. And your wonderful rise! So jealous. Mine would be this super wet mess and be quite flat despite lots of bubble action. Well, I finally cracked it by experimenting with the hydration. I now use 60g of starter and 380g of water and while still tricky to handle (I have to use my scraper), the dough has lots of bubbles and a good rise. I stud my loaf with olives and Rosemary sprigs, and sprinkle over Maldon salt. I make it at least once a week for home and to give away. It is really yummy and I have gotten heaps of compliments. Thank you! I really do think your recipe is the best out there.
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So great to hear this, Anna! I know baking in very humid climates can be very challenging, and I’m so happy to hear you have been able to adapt this recipe to get it to work for you! Olives and rosemary sound absolutely delicious 🙂 🙂 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I’ll be sending it to my hungry daughter who adores focaccia. In order to try to recreate her favorite focaccia, I’ll be attempting to add rosemary and olives. Would it make sense to add the rosemary at the beginning with the flour and yeast then add the olives after deflating the overnight-risen dough, or just add any mix-ins at the very beginning? Thanks!
Hi Mary! You can take two approaches: you can either dimple the ingredients into the dough at the final step before baking, when you dimple the dough with your oiled fingers and add the sea salt (I would go light on the sea salt if you add olives). OR you can add the mix-ins with the dry ingredients at the very beginning.
Hi Alexandra
I saw your video for this recipe om YouTube and it by far looked the best out of all of the different ones. One question: do you really not knead the dough in the beginning? I looks so delicious but that‘s the only step that makes me nervous (because I‘m so used to kneading bread dough)
I really don’t knead! There’s no need, I promise 🙂
Hi, thank you so much for the recipe, this looks incredible and insanely easy to make, so much that I already made the dough and placed it in the fridge. I have an important question though: I would like to make focaccia art and I will only have time to decorate it the day before I plan to bake it. If it’s possible to do so, would it be better to take the dough out of the fridge, transfer it to the baking tray and decorate it straight away with the toppings without letting it rise to then transfer it back to the fridge for another day or so and go ahead ith the 3-4 hours proofing on the following day, before baking? Or would it be better to let it rise like in the recipe before decorating it to then put it back in the fridge and maybe simply let it come at room temp or 1 hour or so before baking, if not baking straight away? Thank you so so much for your time, it would be so appreciated if you could help! And keep up the amazing work of course. 🙂
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Hi Irene!
I have to confess, I have yet to make a focaccia “garden” or any other decorative focaccias. But regarding your questions, I don’t know how to advise, because when you take it out of the fridge, you kind of form it into a ball, get it into the pan, and let it rise. At this point, the dough is very cold and not easy to extend, so you wouldn’t really be able to top it.
So I think this option is best: “Or would it be better to let it rise like in the recipe before decorating it to then put it back in the fridge and maybe simply let it come at room temp or 1 hour or so before baking, if not baking straight away?”
But, are you going to dimple it? The problem I foresee is that as the dough rises, the toppings are going to potentially pop off, and if you don’t dimple the dough, the dough is going to bake into a huge puffed mass.
Would Tipo “00” Caputo flour work for this recipe? I would like to make this for Easter dinner.
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Hi Debbie! Yes, I might cut back some of the water or at least hold it back. Are you using a scale? If so, hold back 25-50 grams of water. Reference the video for the texture of the dough, and add the water back in as needed until it resembles the dough in the video.
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you for your quick response and tips. I do use a scale and will scale back the water as needed. Your video is excellent and I will watch it again before making the dough today. My son and I are excited to learn how to make focaccia bread!
Many thanks!
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Oh wonderful! I hope it turns out well, Debbie! Have fun baking with your son 🙂
Hi Ali!
Thank you so much for this super easy recipe! I’m making focaccia bread for the first time and, like Irene, I was hoping to make a focaccia garden for Easter brunch. Any tips? I already have the dough in the fridge and was hoping I could add the “garden” details just after the second rise (dimpling a little bit) and prior to putting it into the oven. Do you think it will work? Thanks for your help!
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Hi! Yes, I would add the “garden” after the second rise, and I would use your fingers to dimple and press the ingredients into the dough to secure their place — you can be more aggressive than you think when dimpling. After you top the focaccia and dimple it, get it into the oven immediately!
the easiest AND most tasty bread recipe ever! my friends LOVE it! the bread is always gobbled up, and I try to resist eating more but it’s really hard. Friends have asked for the recipe. Give the recipe a try, you won’t regret it!
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Wonderful to hear this, Elena! Thanks so much for writing!
Made this last weekend and it was incredible! So easy and delicious! Wanting to make it again this week… wondering if i could leave it for longer than 2-4 hours on the second rise? If i take it out of the fridge in the morning before work and come home to bake it… what do you think?
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Hi Vanessa! Great to hear this! I worry about you leaving the dough out all day …I think it might overproof and then not spring in the oven. What you can do is this:
1. Mix the dough; stick it in the fridge.
2. After 18 -24 hours, remove it, deflate it and get it into your prepared pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and return to the fridge until you are ready to bake it.
3. When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven, and let your dough rest at room temperature. Dimple the cold dough, season with sea salt and bake it.
You have to plan more days in advance for this method, but it will ensure your dough won’t overproof.
Let me know if you have questions.
Thanks Ali!! It worked an absolute treat! Did it exactly as you said and it was perfect 🙂 perfect for mid week dinners!
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Oh yay!! So nice to hear this, Vanessa!!
Love this recipe! Dimpling is so therapeutic! Do you think it would work to use 8″round pans? Or 9″. I’d like a slightly thicker loaf and I like the idea of smaller rounds vs. the large rectangle.
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Hi Nancy! Yes, definitely. If you like a thicker loaf, use two 8-inch pans.
Hi Ali, looking forward to making this recipe! It looks great. Just two questions: Would a 9-inch round springform pan work? And, the 2-4 hours for the second rise – what should we use as a judgement to decide how long? Thanks!
Hi! Yes, definitely, but I would use this pan if you split the dough in half during step 3. If you bake the entire loaf in this pan, it will be very thick. Yes, 2-4 hours for the second rise. In terms of judging, the dough will nearly double in volume. If you reference the photos above that have the pie plates, you can see the photo that shows the two rounds of dough just placed in the pie plates and the photo after that one that shows the dough after 4 hours — it’s filling the pie plates and is very puffy.
This recipe called for too much water so I had to adjust.
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Hi Kat! Are you using a scale? Where are you located? Outside the US? Humid environment?
This recipe looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it out! Do you have any recommendations of adjustments to make this a high altitude recipe? I want to make this bread but live at 11,000 feet above sea level.
I appreciate any advice you have!!
Hi Kristina! I have never baked at altitude, but one of my good friends has, and this is the advice she has given me:
Use a scale so you ensure you are measuring precisely.
If the dough feels dry after mixing (reference the video), add more water (as much as 32 grams or a quarter cup). It might not feel dry bc this is such a wet dough, but keep it in mind.
Try decreasing the yeast to 1.5 teaspoons.
I rarely comment on any recipe I tried. This recipe is exceptional. I usually use a machine to knead the dough because I do not like a feeling of wet and sticky dough on my hand. To be honest, this is the easiest focaccia I ever made.
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So great to hear this, NV! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂