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 48 hours in the fridge will yield extra-pillowy and airy focaccia, though if you are pressed for time, you can make this start-to-finish in 3 hours. This 4-ingredient recipe requires only 5 minutes of hands-on time. Video guidance below!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review:
“Love this recipe! I’ve made this so many times that I’ve lost count. Super simple and delicious. My family loves it. Whenever someone asks me for a focaccia recipe, I always show them this one. This recipe is awesome. Thank you for sharing!” — Lucy
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: focaccia is the bread recipe for beginners. Why? Because:
- The no-knead, 4-ingredient dough takes 5 minutes to mix together.
- It requires no special equipment, no tricky shaping technique, and no scoring.
- If you have a 9×13-inch baking pan and your fingertips (for dimpling), you’re good to go.
- It emerges soft and pillowy, olive oil-crusted, golden all around, and it’s completely irresistible.
In sum, it’s hard to beat focaccia in the effort-to-reward category. If you are intimidated by bread baking, this is the recipe I suggest making first, both for its simplicity and flavor. After all, this focaccia bread recipe is adapted from my mother’s simple peasant bread recipe, a recipe that has removed the fear of the bread baking process for many.
This post is organized as follows:
- Two Secrets for the Best Focaccia
- Four Tips for Success
- How This Focaccia Recipe Differs from Others
- Focaccia Ingredients
- How to Make Focaccia, Step by Step
- Adding Rosemary, Herbs and Other Toppings to your Focaccia Dough
- How to Make a Focaccia Bread Art
- Can I Skip the Overnight Rise?
PS: Once you master this simple focaccia, try your hand at this simple sourdough bread recipe, another recipe that requires minimal effort but yields spectacular results.
Two Secrets for the Best Focaccia
This focaccia emerges from the oven golden all around and pillowy inside, its surface dimpled with deep crevices, namely for two reasons:
- High hydration dough. This focaccia is 88% hydration.
- Long cold slow fermentation. This dough ferments in the fridge for at least 12 hours or for as long as three days.
Let’s explore each reason:
A high-hydration dough is a dough with a high proportion of water relative to the flour. A high proportion of water will create a light and air dough and ultimately a focaccia with beautiful air pockets throughout. (Incidentally, this is the secret to making excellent pizza dough, too.)
A cold fermentation is beneficial to dough because it slows the fermentation process down and during this long, cold fermentation, enzymes in both the flour and the yeast break down the starches in the flour into simple sugars. These sugars contribute both to flavor and to browning. Cool, right?
Furthermore, a long slow fermentation strengthens gluten, which will further promote a crumb structure with lots of air pockets throughout.
How This Focaccia Recipe Differs from Others
There are lots of focaccia bread recipes out there, so why make this one? This one differs from many of the recipes out there in two ways:
- The long, cold, refrigerator rise.
- The absence of sugar or honey or any sort of sweetener.
Why isn’t there any sweetener in this recipe? Simply stated, a sweetener is just not needed — the yeast, contrary to popular belief, does not need sugar to activate or thrive. Sugar will speed things up, but when you’re employing a long, slow rise, speed is not the name of the game.
As noted above, during the long, cold fermentation, enzymes in both the flour and the yeast will break down the starches in the flour into simple sugars, which will contribute both to flavor and to browning, rendering sugar unnecessary.
Four Tips for Success
- Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 24 hours in the fridge yields the best results. (You can leave the dough in the fridge for as long as 72 hours.)
- A buttered or parchment-lined pan in addition to the olive oil will prevent sticking. When I use Pyrex or other glass pans, butter plus oil is essential to prevent sticking. When I use my 9×13-inch USA Pan, I can get away with using olive oil alone.
- Count on 2 to 4 hours for the second rise. This will depend on the temperature of your kitchen and the time of year.
- 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.
Ingredients
- Flour: bread flour or all-purpose flour will work equally well here. If you live in a humid environment or abroad, I suggest trying to get your hands on bread flour. King Arthur Flour is my preference.
- Yeast: SAF Instant Yeast is my preference, but active dry yeast works just as well. See recipe box for instructions on how to use active-dry yeast in place of instant.
- Salt: I say this all the time, but a big part of making a good loaf of bread comes down simply to using the right amount of salt given the amount of flour you are using by weight. It’s like anything: bread has to be well seasoned. At a minimum, use 10 grams (2 teaspoons) of salt for every 500 grams (4 cups) of flour. I highly recommend investing in some good, flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top of the focaccia dough — it tastes better than the more finely ground varieties of salt. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for the dough, but any salt you have on hand will work just fine for the dough.
- Water: There is a lot of water in this dough — it’s 88% hydration — and all of that water helps produce a light, airy, pillowy dough.
- Olive oil: Olive oil both in the bottom of the pan and on top of the dough is essential for encouraging nice browning, flavor, and that quintessential oiliness we all love about focaccia.
- Rosemary or other seasonings: Rosemary is a classic focaccia topping, and you can either sprinkle it over the dough before baking or you can chop it up and add it to the dough. Many people love sun-dried tomatoes and olives in their focaccia. See below for how to incorporate these other ingredients into your focaccia dough.
How to Make Focaccia Bread, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: 4 cups (512 g) flour, 2 teaspoons (10 g) salt, 2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast (SAF is my preference), 2 cups (455 g) water:
Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast first:
Add the water:
Use a spatula to stir the two together.
Slick the dough with olive oil…
… then cover the bowl preferably with a lid. or a cloth bowl cover. Stick the bowl in the fridge immediately; leave it there to rise for 12 to 18 hours (or for as long as three days).
NOTE: It is important the dough really be slicked with olive oil especially if you are using a cloth bowl cover or tea towel as opposed to plastic wrap or a lid. If you are using a tea towel, consider securing it with a rubber band to make a more airtight cover. If you do not slick the dough with enough oil, you risk the dough drying out and forming a crust over the top layer.
Remove from fridge, and remove the cover:
Deflate the dough and transfer to a prepared pan. I love this 9×13-inch USA pan. If you don’t have one you can use two 8- or 9-inch pie plates or something similar. If you are using glass baking dishes be sure to grease the dishes with butter before pouring a tablespoon of olive oil into each. (The butter will ensure the bread doesn’t stick.) Don’t touch the dough again for 2 to 4 hours depending on your environment.
After two to four hours, or when the dough looks like this…:
… it’s time to dimple it! You can simply use olive oil and salt — I recommend good, flaky sea salt for this. Note, the dough in the photo below spent three days in the fridge, and the dough was super bubbly!
if you are using rosemary, sprinkle it over the dough. Then pour two tablespoons of olive oil over the dough, and using your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt — again, something like Maldon is great here.
Transfer to oven immediately and bake at 425ºF for 25 minutes or until golden all around. Remove focaccia from pans and place on cooling racks.
How to Incorporate Rosemary, Herbs, and Other Ingredients & Toppings into Your Focaccia Dough
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is: How can I add other toppings or ingredients to my focaccia bread? You can do this in two ways:
- Add them on top as you would rosemary or other herbs. The key is to make sure the ingredients are slicked lightly with olive oil to ensure they do not burn in the oven. I like to sprinkle the rosemary over top of the dough, then drizzle it with olive oil, then dimple the dough.
- You can add them directly to the dough. In step one, when you whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast, add your ingredients — chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic — to the flour and toss to coat; then add the water.
How to Make Focaccia Bread Art
Pictured above is my “Ode to Spring” (🤣) Focaccia Bread Art (or Garden Scape). As noted above, the key with adding toppings is to slick them lightly with olive oil to ensure they don’t completely char. Keep in mind that some items will char, and a little charring is not a bad thing.
To make a focaccia bread art:
- Follow the recipe through the step in which you dimple the dough just before baking. Arrange your toppings — sliced peppers, asparagus, scallions, olives, tomatoes, onions, etc. — over top and dimple again, pressing the ingredients into the dough to embed them — you can be more aggressive than you think.
- Brush the entire surface with olive oil; then sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake as directed.
PS: How to Make Focaccia Slab Sandwiches
Can I Make this Overnight Focaccia Without the Overnight Rise?
Yes, you can. In fact, in my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs, I do not employ an overnight rise. Start-to-finish it can be made in about three hours. The finished bread will not be as pillowy, but it will still be light, airy, and delicious.
To skip the overnight rise, simply let the mixed dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1.5 to 2 hours. Then proceed with the recipe, knowing the second rise will only take about 30 minutes.
The Best, Easiest Focaccia Bread Recipe
- 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 (or for as long as 3 days) in the fridge will yield extra-pillowy and airy focaccia, though if you are pressed for time, you can make this start-to-finish in 3 hours. This 4-ingredient recipe requires only 5 minutes of hands-on time. Video guidance below!
Adapted from the focaccia recipe in Bread Toast Crumbs.
A few notes:
- 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.
- If you are short on time and need to make the focaccia tonight: Let the mixed dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1.5 to 2 hours. Then proceed with the recipe, knowing the second rise will only take about 30 minutes.
- You can use various pans to make this focaccia such as: two 9-inch Pyrex pie plates. (Use butter + oil to prevent sticking.) One 9×13-inch pan, such as this USA pan — do not split the dough in half, if you use this option, which will create a thicker focaccia . 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 and water.
- 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.
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
- 1 to 2 teaspoons whole rosemary leaves, optional
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, cloth bowl cover, or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator immediately for at least 12 hours or for as long as three days. (See notes above if you need to skip the overnight rise for time purposes.) NOTE: It is important the dough really be slicked with olive oil especially if you are using a cloth bowl cover or tea towel as opposed to plastic wrap or a hard lid. If you are using a tea towel, consider securing it with a rubber band to make a more airtight cover. If you do not slick the dough with enough oil, you risk the dough drying out and forming a crust over the top layer.
- 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 (Note: no need to cover for this room temperature rise).
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425°F. If using the rosemary, sprinkle it over the dough. Pour a tablespoon of oil over each round of dough (or two tablespoons if using a 9×13-inch pan). 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 or pan to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. Remove the pans or pan from the oven and transfer the focaccia to a cooling rack. 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.
- To store the focaccia: When it has completely cooled, transfer it to an airtight bag or vessel and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. Otherwise, freeze it for up to 3 months. Always reheat it on subsequent days to revive its crust: 350ºF for 15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 18 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
5,168 Comments on “Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe”
I have been letting the dough go through a two hour rise and then put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days before baking. My wife loves this recipe. Thanks!
Great to hear, Daniel! Thanks for writing!
Wow! One word
This recipe was so easy and fool-proof
I’m so glad I found it
My bread turned out amazing and the overnight fridge rise made it so fluffy it was delicious
🤤 😊😊😊10/10 recommend and I will be using this recipe always
Hooray! Great to hear, Shannon. Thanks for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
If I double the recipe, can I make a thicker focaccia like for sandwich bread in a 9×13 or should I just make a huge sheet pan of it instead? My friend loved this thicker focaccia at a coffee shop we went to, and I was trying to recreate that level of thickness if at all possible. Any notes or help would be be amazing!
If you double it for a 9×13-inch pan, it will be nice and thick! Go for it. You may need to increase the bake time slightly.
I made this, using 1/3 of the ingredients and baked for 10 minutes.
Was perfect! Will be baking this regularly now
Great to hear! Thanks for writing and sharing these notes 🙂
I’ve made some bread …but this is freaking amazing. Use it for our pizza dough as well. Salt and rosemary with grape tomatoes is our go to for bread and anchovies pizza.
Great to hear, George! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this.
I have read the recipe and the comments and am sold on making this focaccia bread. If I am using a larger sheet pan should I double the recipe to have it on the thicker side?
Also, does the larger pan need a different temperature or different bake time?
Finally, if I am making more than two pans at one time and can only cook two at a time, can I just redimple the dough if it is sitting out about 30 minutes longer than the other dough?
Thank you so much!
Hi! Yes, possibly double it depending on how large the larger sheet pan is?
Same time but possibly a longer bake time if you double the recipe… rely on the visual cues of the surface looking evenly golden brown before removing.
Yes, you can re-dimple the dough — cover the dough with plastic wrap as it sits out so that the surface doesn’t dry out.
Hi! I plan on baking this today. However I only have a 9×9 pan. Do I cut this in half and change the baking time/temperature? Help! My husband comes home tomorrow and I would like to have it ready for tomorrow afternoon!
Yes, cut the recipe in half. Same baking temperature. You may need less time… just keep an eye on it towards the end. It’s very forgiving, however, if you over bake it.
I tried this recipe for the first time. I was looking for a good focaccia recipe. This is not a just good recipe…this is a GREAT recipe! Already working on my 2nd batch. This time using roasted garlic. Husband and family love it. Thanks, I will be using this for years to come.
Amazing! Love this idea so much 🙂
Making this today! If I want to add things like sundried tomatoes, etc.. at what point do I add those? Any tips on your favorite additions?
Sun-dried tomatoes tend to burn so they are best added into the dough itself — toss them with the flour, salt, and yeast; then add the water.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it does not rise as much as the one you have shown on your website. What’s the trick to get it to rise higher? Should I add more yeast?
Are you using a scale to measure?
What type of flour are you using?
What size bowl are you using for the first rise?
What kind of yeast are you using?
I would not add more yeast — 2 teaspoons is plenty.
I started making this yesterday. It’s baked today. I love fresh bread of any kind. My family kept coming around saying what smells so good.
This recipe was easy to follow and so delicious. Will make again.
Great to hear, Pamela! Thanks for writing 🙂
I have made this recipe a few times and it is consistently 5 star! The last time I made it I added garlic confit(which was made with rosemary), grilled onions, and kalamata olives and fresh rosemary! So good!!
Yum! Coincidentally, I made this last night with garlic confit… so good! Thanks for writing 🙂
This was so delicious, almost reminded me of a crumpet because of the crispy exterior and fluffy moist interior. My only error was not properly prepping my baking dish as it did get stuck to the bottom. But delish either way!
Great to hear, Emily! Thanks so much for writing. Generous buttering + olive oil should work next time 🙂
My guests went wild and took half the focaccia home with them! I topped this terrific bread with roasted cherry tomatoes and black olives. I have a focaccia nearing 40 hours in my fridge and will top it with roasted sun-dried tomatoes, dill, smoked salt and oregano. Next, I will use 00 Italian bread flour. Note: I used the Lloyd’s 9 x 13 inch pan without any problem.
Great to hear, Anne! Thanks so much for writing and sharing these notes. Love that Lloyd pan!
How do you store leftover focaccia?
Will try to make this in the fall
Looks delicious!
Thank you!
Airtight bag or vessel at room temperature for up to 3 days. Otherwise, freeze it for up to 3 months.
Do you think if I cut the recipe in half and use an 8×8 pan it would work? I don’t want too thick. Also when I’ve made it before I always think I have plenty of olive oil but it does get a crust on the top. Any suggestions?
Yes, half a recipe + an 8×8 inch pan will work great. When you say “crust” are you referring to when the dough is making its first rise? Or second?
When I pull it out of the fridge after the first rise.
OK, do you have a bowl with a lid? That will really prevent the crust from forming.
My favorite foccacia recipe!! Thank you for sharing! ❤️ Currently doing 2 pand – roasted garlic with chunks of mozzarella and the other one will have thin slices of green apple and brie with balsamic drizzle ontop.
I just bought the Lloyd’s 14×14 pan! Should I do1.5x the recipe to fit it? Or should i double it for a thicker slice? And will the 14 x14 need a lot more time to bake, do you think?
I think 1.5x the recipe will be sufficient, but if you want a thicker focaccia, then double it. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking… just rely on the visual cues before removing it.
What is the best way to store it, if it doesn’t all get eaten straight away haha
Hi! To store the focaccia: When it has completely cooled, transfer it to an airtight bag or vessel and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. Otherwise, freeze it for up to 3 months. Always reheat it on subsequent days to revive its crust: 350ºF for 15 minutes.
This recipe said sourdough focaccia bread. This is not sourdough I cannot find anything about a Sourdough ingredient in this recipe. I don’t understand.
Here’s the sourdough focaccia recipe: Simple Sourdough Focaccia: A Beginner’s Guide
Used this a dough as the base for a pizza. First time ever making bread and it turned out divine!
Wish I could give more stars. The recipe and instructions were so easy to follow and understand.
Great to hear, Syd! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Super crunchy crust. Simple to make and delicious. Love it!
Great to hear, Cindy!
The bread that sparkles my interest in bread baking :). I’ve just noticed: You didn’t employ the classic stretch and fold method?
No need to here! Just mix, and stash it in the fridge 🙂
Im really excited to try this out! Wanted to check if it’s beat to have my oven with or without a fan?
I do not use a fan (or what I would call convection bake… assuming this is the same?). If you have issues with browning, you could try using the fan at the end.
This recipe is great I added cracked Black Pepper and some herbs to the dry mixture. Left it in the fridge for 3 days. Then topped with thin sliced onion, tomato, pepperoni and a little pecorino and shredded mozzarella. Adding the butter to the bottom of the pan gives a little more flavor.
Yum to all of the above! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this, Anita 🙂
Love this recipe
Sounds so delicious! I currently have the dough in the fridge now. However it did not seem to form in to a ball as well as yours did in the video. Do you have any idea why? I read the suggestion of using bread flour and perhaps I should have held back some of the water. I live around the mid-Atlantic for reference. Thanks!
Nevermind, it still turned out amazing anyways! Thanks!
Oh good! Great to hear 🙂
Hi! Are you using a scale to measure? But yes: bread flour + less water will help 🙂
Made this recipe for the first time. I’ll say it was a huge hit at a huge family 4th of July gathering! I added rosemary and Parmesan to the dough and it turned out perfectly. Everyone loved it. It was chewy and airy and delicious! I forgot to add salt to the top before baking. I would add more Parmesan and rosemary next time, but this is now my favorite focaccia recipe of all time.
Great to hear, Brenda! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of these notes. Sounds delicious!
HELP I want this to work, I followed to a T. It came out hard and as it cooled was more a brick like texture, lol. My ingredients were not expired. Can you help me?
Did you use a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using? Did you watch the video? And did your dough look similar to the dough in the video at the various phases?
I have the dough in the fridge. I can leave it in there for 12 hours although I would rather leave it for less but in the morning, I don’t have 3-4 hours more…I have to top and bake. What should I expect? Or what will I miss out on from having to cut the 3-4 hours after leaving it in the fridge for 12?
If you don’t do the 3-4 hours at room temperature, the finished focaccia will likely be on the dense side — not light and airy. What did you end up doing? How did it turn out?
I tired this and LOVE the taste and the crust!! my only issue is for some reason my base is moist ? Any suggestions on what i did wrong?
Hi! What material is the pan you are using?
This was delicious very easy to make. Had family over for dinner they took all the leftovers home. Took some to work for a co worker she said it tasted as good as what you get in a restaurant.
Great to hear, Cindy! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
I made this focaccia for the first time and was very pleased with the result. I left it in the fridge to rise for 18 hours and then 4 hours and it was beautiful.
My guests absolutely loved it and asked me for the recipe. I will make it again.
Great to hear, Maureen! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
I have tried a lot of your recipes, they are always perfect!! I bought 2 of your cookbooks, Bread Toast & Crumbs , gave 1 to my daughter in law & I kept 1.. She is always making the recipes.. she loves the book!! Thank you Ali for always making me feel like a good cook!!
Awww thank you, Christie! It’s so nice to read all of this. Please thank your DIL, too 💕💕💕💕