Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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.
4,768 Comments on “Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe”
Hi Alexandra, I need your help! My dough is currently in the fridge. I put it there at around 3pm and it’s now 5.30 and it already doubled in the fridge. Like it’s a full bowl now. I’m not sure of I should keep it that way until tomorrow or rake it out, deflate it and put it back? Also my bowl is closed with the lid, so not sure what will happen once it’s all the way to the top. Thank you!
Hi! Definitely remove it, deflate it — with lightly oiled hands or a flexible bowl scraper — then re-cover it and return it to the fridge.
What size bowl are you using?
Thank you! The dough is deflated and back in the fridge. The bowl is 2qt/ 64oz.
OK, I usually use a 4-quart bowl for this amount of dough, and the dough will get close to the lid or touch the lid with that size bowl, but it won’t bust it open. Do you have a larger bowl? I’m worried you’re going to wake up to dough spilling out of your bowl. If you have a larger bowl but not lid, you can slick the dough with olive oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Hi Alexandra, thank you again for helping me through this process. As an unexperienced baler, I didn’t have a larger bowl, so I ended up using my pasta pot. 😆 Today I baked my focaccia, and ot turned out delicious. My family loved it! Thank you again! The process really is simple and I feel great about the result. ❤️
Oh hooray! Great to hear, Diana. Thanks so much for reporting back. It’s all about working with what we’ve got 🙂
OMG ITS DELICIOUS. Literally takes minimal efforts and it comes out sooooo good!!!
Great to hear Lydia! Thanks or writing 🙂
This is now the ONLY focaccia recipe I use. Hands down the absolute best.
Quick question: what’s the max time the dough can sit in the fridge? Food is my love language, and I want to gift a loaf to a friend of mine…the problem with focaccia is that it’s best when fresh…I don’t want to gift her something with a time constraint…wondering how long she’ll have m if I give her the dough and baking instructions.
Tim
So nice to hear, Tim. Thanks for writing 🙂
Such a fun gift idea! The dough can sit in the fridge for as long as 3 days.
So easy and so delicious! I made it totally by ingredient weight and it came out PERFECT!
This bread will make some amazing sandwiches!
Great to hear Leonard!
This recipe is the best. I’ve made it in one day and made it after letting it sit for up to three days. It’s best if you let it rest but still delicious if you are like me and can’t wait.
Great to hear, Cassandra!
I’ve made this several times now and it is foolproof and delicious! I’ve left mine in the fridge proofing for 3 days and no less then 2. It’s spectacular in flavor. There’s nothing I would change except I do add fresh chopped thyme along with chopped rosemary to the flour before mixing and proofing. I’ve also done a few pizza variations using the basic recipe. This is just the best!
Great to hear! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
I whipped this up yesterday really quickly and I let it proof in the fridge for about 20 hours, then prepped it for 4.. it turned out ok, was really dense so I don’t think I added enough oil or dimpled it as much as I probably should have. I put cherry tomatoes and rosemary on mine. It was a hit with the kids tho, so I’ll try again and hopefully I’ll have better results next time!
Hi! Are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour?
Unfortunately I don’t have a kitchen scale so I will get one and hopefully have more accurate measurements! I also used AP flour as it was all I had.
Got it! Yes, a scale will help and so will bread flour 🙂
Hi, my dough is currently in the fridge and I’m gonna leave it for its second rise in a couple of minutes, but I’m wondering: it says that for the second rise (2-4 hours) you don’t need to cover the dough. Wont dust and hairs get on it then? Would I be fine if I place another baking tray on top of it (but flipped ofc)? Or does the no covered rise actually do something that it wont do when covered? I have 3 dogs and 3 cats you see, I’m kinda scared that their hairs will get on😣 I wont see your response because I need to let it rise now, I will try it my way by covering with another tray
Update: I have found a better way I think, i have one of those drying racks with legs to stand, i put that on top of my baking tray and put a teatowel on top of that. So now theres still air, but no dust can fall on it!
Smart! For future reference, you absolutely can cover it — plastic wrap, a tea towel, etc. It’s just not necessary in this recipe because the dough is slicked in olive oil, which protects it.
I just made your focaccia sourdough recipe, using regular wholegrain spelt flour and my homegrown sourdough the was born in my kitchen and twenty years ago and I have been using it every week and feeding it ever since. Even with all these changes’ the bread still came out lovely and airy.
My husband never liked my bread (though the kids and grandkids do) but he really likes yours and has been praising it all morning. It is light and airy and the salt
and rosemary is scrumptious. Have already ordered your book from Amazon.
Hi! This turned out beautifully! However, it stuck to the bottom of my 9X13 metal pan. Do you think I should add butter to the bottom of my pan next time?
Yes… olive oil alone with some pans will not prevent sticking. I always recommend butter + olive oil regardless of what pan you are using because butter adds flavor and promotes browning in addition to preventing sticking.
This bread is delicious and so easy! Thank you for the recipe and the video!
Great to hear, Lori! Thanks for writing 🙂
I loved the outcome. The focaccia is as expected, such a classic. What I didn’t like, is the way you overcomplicated the recipe writing style, where I had to TRIPLE check everything.
I don’t know if your writing style has changed, since this is an old recipe, but I would love less swaying from the recipe (such as explaining how to make lukewarm water) and more concentrating on the original recipe.
Also, the notes being too high up on the page and then having to go back and forth all the time, really made me not like the recipe style.
Sorry for the unfiltered honestly, the focaccia is great, but your writing style needs some fine tuning.
Hello:
I wanted to send you a picture of the slab sandwich we made, but I don’t see a way to attach an image. I will just tell you that the BLT slab sandwich we made was fantastic. We cut the 13 by 9 loaf in half along the width. Then we cut that half into 3 equal sized pieces. We put a total of 12 ounces of bacon, iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced tomato, and mayo. They were just outstanding. Thanks again for your help.
Oh that sounds fantastic! I’m so happy to hear this Alan. I wish there were a way to attach pictures here, too. Thanks for reporting back and sharing!
For years I’ve wanted to master the focaccia. Finally I succeeded because this recipe is foolproof!
I recommend watching the videos to understand the process better. Although baking is chemistry, there’s a bit of art to it as well.
Great to hear, Krissy 🙂 Thanks for writing!
Super delicious bread. I have made it many times now and vary the toppings. Very very easy to make.
Great to hear, Lesley! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
I am obsessed with this recipe. I worked as a baker a few years ago and they made a focaccia with a spicy tomato sauce on top and I had a hankering and wanted to try to do it myself. I was absolutely shook on how easy this was and the lack of actual hands on time. The first time I made it, my husband and I finished the pan in a day.. was a pretty solid recreation and took me back to those times which was nice. I had an another dough prepped the following night lol. I currently have another dough simmering in the fridge now and going to confit some garlic to include, using that garlicky oil in the pan and to dimple and prob top some of it with the garlic! I’m excited. I think I’ll try to cook it a hair longer to get the bottom more golden. Thank you for this recipe!
Awww so nice to read all of this, Shannon! So glad you were able to re-create that focaccia with spicy tomato sauce, and I hope your garlic confit variations are just as successful. A few week ago I did a garlic confit variation and it was heavenly. Thanks for writing!
Hi, Ali. I love this recipe and have had great success with both AP and bread flour. I want to try King Arthur ’00’ Pizza Flour next…anything I should adjust? Thanks.
I worry about using KAF 00 flour for a few reasons: I think it will make the dough much wetter, I don’t think you’ll get as good of a spring, and I worry about the browning, too. Of course, it is worth a shot, and I would love to hear how it goes if you give it a go, so please report back if you do. My only thought would be to reduce the water again because 00 flour makes for much wetter, stickier doughs.
Soooo good soooooo easy and incredibly impressive! Your guests will be singing your praises and hoping for another invitation! Here’s my question my daughter has celiac disease and I always make the gluten free version of everything I am serving so she doesn’t feel like she’s missing out. Can this be made using GF flour ??? I’m praying for a yes because it’s that good and that easy. Thank you Alexandra !
Great to hear Grace! The trouble with gf baking and gf flours is that all gf flours absorb water a little differently, so it’s not as easy as making a 1:1 swap. I might try using this gf peasant bread recipe but baking it in a 9×13-inch pan with olive oil drizzled over the top.
Love your recipes! The focaccia was easy to make and tasted delicious! Wanted to try making it for a party next week, so I was thinking to make it in a half sheet pan. Any advice on measurements/instructions? I’ll line the tray with parchment, so that should help with sticking. Thanks!
Hi SJ! If you bake it on a half sheet pan, the focaccia will be thinner… is that what you are looking for? Or are you wanting to scale the recipe up so that it is the same thickness as when it is baked in a 9×13-inch pan?
Wanted to scale up! 🙂
Hope I’m not too late here! I think if you do 1.5x the recipe, it will be perfect.
I made this recipe this week. I have never made foccacia before. Absolutely delicious and so easy. This could be dangerous!
Great to hear, Cathie! Thanks for writing 🙂
If it gets dry on top do I have to start over? Or can I remove the top layer and bake a smaller loaf?
At what step did it get dry? In the fridge? Or while proofing in the pan? You can deflate the dough and do some stretches and folds to incorporate/help dissolve the dry spots into the dough. You’ll still need to do a long rise following this re-working of the dough.
Absolutely incredible!!!!So I highly recommend to mix all the ingredients and let the dough proof in fridge for 3 days and take it out for second proof for 4 hours in your warmest room of the house or just somewhere where it does not have the ac vent hitting it with cool air. Oh and don’t be shy with the olive oil or finishing salt sprinkle . I made this many times and the closer you can let the dough do its first proof in the fridge to the 3 day mark , the better it will taste . And the 3 toppings I used are cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and fresh rosemary are best combination according to many people who tried it . I can’t even believe that I could make a bread like this, it’s amazing and even better than I could ever get at a bakery . My hubby says it’s most due to the cherry tomatoes . Th for this home staple recipe
Great to hear! Thanks for writing and sharing all of your notes. All sounds delicious 🙂
I’m a new baker and love your bread recipes. I’ve made this focaccia several times with rosemary or pesto – delicious! They’ve all come out perfectly.
Lately, my oven temperature has not been consistent unless I use convection. Is it possible to bake the focaccia using convection and if so, should I adjust either the temperature and/or baking time?
Great to hear, Cathy! Definitely use convection if that has been working for you. I’d just keep an eye on it to make sure it isn’t browning too quickly — check after 10-15 minutes, then adjust temperature as needed.
I made your same day Focaccia recipe using active bubbly starter and it was PERFECT. Can I use starter in this recipe instead of Instant yeast?
Yes!
Thanks so much ..,I made this yesterday using active bubbly starter… and it was PERFECT. So easy. Many times I have my active starter ready to be baked but it’s late at night…now I know I can mix everything in put in fridge until the next day.
Great to hear Renu! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Perfect focaccia, super easy, I make this for special dinners, and quick soup/salad meals. Makes me look like a chef.
Great to hear, Brandi! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Hi Ali
What are the metric measurements for this? Really keen to make this recipe but I’m Australian!
Thanks
Hi! They’re right in the recipe box 🙂
Would gluten free flour work in this recipe? I’m thinking of trying King Arthur GF bread flour.
1:1 flour substitutions don’t always work as well as they say. I might consider using this recipe but baking it in a 9×13-inch pan and dimpling/drizzling with olive oil/salt before baking.
First time baking bread, this recipe was a breeze. I split the dough into two, and made two smaller loaves, they turned out amazing.
One thing I will say for other first timers, having a scale to weigh out the ingredients would have been super helpful. I just measured the dry ingredients buy volume, and my dough was not coming together, had to keep sprinkling flour until it came together. I was stressing out, but the end product was great.
Needless to say, I bought a kitchen scale and will be giving this a second run with exact weights!
Hooray for investing in a scale Billy! Once you start baking by weight, you’ll never go back. Thanks for writing and sharing your notes 🙂
I have made this a few times now for dinner parties, and as a gift for someone. Most recently, I incorporated sun dried tomatoes. Incredible!
I am going to make a pesto version next. My plan is work pesto in during step 1 (before adding water), and then rubbing some on top before dimpling and baking.
That sounds fantastic! Report back once you make the pesto version 🙂 Sun-dried tomatoes sound fantastic.
Hello: I made the Focaccia Bread and the family pretty much ate the whole loaf at one sitting. For our gluten free friend, can I make this using the same recipe and technique, but simply substitute C4C flour? Thanks a million!
Great to hear!
1:1 flour substitutions don’t always work as well as they say. I might consider using this recipe but baking it in a 9×13-inch pan and dimpling/drizzling with olive oil/salt before baking.
Thank you! I made this for my partner’s birthday, he wanted a bbq brisket sandwich for lunch and I thought this would be great for it.
Oh my lord.
Soooo good!
I did an overnight rise in a big square Tupperware and then baked in a large roasting tray lined with baking paper, used some coarse sea salt and rosemary from the garden.
My darling said it was the best sandwich he had ever had in his life!
Yay!
Second recipe I have used of yours this week, thank you so much!
Awwww, it’s so nice to read this. That sandwich sounds divine! Thanks so much for writing and sharing 🙂
I have absolutely never commented on a recipe before. But, this focaccia is so good that it deserves this rating. I left it in the fridge for a day and a half and I have never had bread this crispy, this perfect, and beautiful. Thank you so much!
Wonderful to hear this, Elle! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂