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.
4,844 Comments on “Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe”
Hi Ali – I made the bread and had it last night. It was really good. Mine did not have as many big bubbles in the bread as yours. I am curious.
Would it work if I do only 2 cups of flour and cut the ingredients in half? Thank you very much for sharing your recipe.
Hi and yes!
Also: are you using a scale to measure? And are you using bread flour?
My guests are overwhelmed by this wonderful recipe. I add halved cherry tomatoes and olives and sprinkle with Italian seasonings. This is a great bread to bring to a party.
Yum! That sounds amazing, Anne 🙂
Hi there. I will be making focaccia this weekend and would love to try your recipe. Can I use 00 flour? If so, do I need to make any adjustments to measurements?
hi there!
i never, ever leave comments on recipes, but this is a WONDERFUL recipe. i have made this bread for my family and friends twice, and the loaf is gone within a few hours!
also, i wanted to try making this dough into a sweet focaccia (i want to make a cinnamon roll inspired loaf), should i put a cinnamon sugar mixture onto the dough when i do the dimpling before baking the loaf?
thank you so much!
Great to hear, Meg!
I have never tried a sweet version, but the ones I have seen online (mostly on IG) do call for sprinkling the dough heavily with cinnamon and sugar. I might lower the baking temp to 350 to ensure it doesn’t burn.
First time trying foccacia. I just tasted my dough before putting in the fridge, and it’s SO salty. I’ve just realized that I used 2 teaspoons of table salt rather than kosher salt…forgetting that table salt measurements are quite different than kosher. I should have used closer to one teaspoon if using table salt. I am making this for a family gathering tomorrow so I hope it’s still edible! I won’t be adding any salt on top I guess 🙁 Maybe a note added about this might be helpful. 🙂
Hi
I just started the first part , but I used active yeast which required me to add sugar to activate it. Will that be ok ? I followed the instructions on the packet.
Yes! Should be fine 🙂
Good. Work perfectly. Thank you.
Great to hear!
Love this recipe, I’ve made it a few times and always comes out so good! Do you think it would come out well if you were to mix cheese into the dough? Cheesey focaccia sounds amazing!
Yes, delicious! You can add the cheese with the flour.
I did the same thing as a previous commenter and did 2 tps on table salt. I was following along with the directions step by step and added ingredients as they were listed there. I didn’t look at just the ingredients list until after and saw it was kosher salt. That’s what I get for getting too excited. I wonder how that other person’s bread came out? I guess I’m about to find out for myself though 🤷♀️ whoops. Next time I’ll be sure to make it with kosher.
It should be fine!!
I made this for the first time last week and it was AWESOME! I used a glass 9×13 pan and rubbed it with unsalted butter, 30ish minutes in my unpredictable oven. I’m making it again to bring to a family brunch this weekend. Would this pair well with fruit spreads, even with the salt on top? I’m trying to be a little fancier than just bringing bread to a party lol
Great to hear, Angell! And yes, absolutely re fruit spreads. Go for it!
We love this recipe! I’ve made it at least 10 times in several variations. Today I’m baking it in 9×13 glass dish topped with an Italian seasoning blend. Once it’s cooled, I’ll split it horizontally, spread the bottom half with pesto, sliced grilled chicken, fresh tomato slices, and sliced mozzarella cheese. Put the top on, then reheat it to warm it up. Serving for dinner with a cucumber salad. GREAT recipe. Thanks for sharing.
YUM!!! That sounds insane… thank so much for writing and sharing all of this, Susan 🙂
This bread is a game changer. Life changing, really. My family goes crazy over it. Thanks so much for sharing. Just such a beautiful, pick me up, kind of bread.
Great to hear, Jenny! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Super easy, delish, and very pretty if you bake with some cheese, dill, and cherry tomatoes on the stem/branch.
I absolutely love your easy focaccia bread recipe. I’m wondering if I could add a cinnamon/sugar/ground cloves/melted butter to the top before baking to turn it into a sweet side to breakfast? Any suggestions?
I’ve seen this done on TikTok/Instagram, but I haven’t personally done it, so I don’t know how to advise. The answer is yes, and you’ll definitely want to reduce the oven temperature so that it doesn’t burn, but I can’t advise on quantities of ingredients bc I haven’t experimented.
This was the best and easiest focaccia recipe I’ve ever had, the whole family loved it! I put garlic and pepper on it as well and it was delicious.
Great to hear, Kam! Thanks for writing 🙂
thx your recipe was extremely easy and cam out fantastic
Great to hear, Kevin! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
So good! And so easy! I add cooked sausage and egg to the top as it cooks and it is a great grab and go breakfast!
Amazing!! I am very intrigued by this idea. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Will it help to develop gluten if I stretch and fold it once or twice whilst it’s proofing in the fridge?
Hi! You shouldn’t need to do any stretches and folds… the long slow rise develops gluten, plus this is such a high hydration dough that stretches and folds won’t really do much but perhaps frustrate you because the dough is so wet and sticky. Have you made it already without doing the streches and folds or are you making it for the first time?
Hi Ali, I’m excited to try this recipe. I have a gold SAF yeast on hand, will that work? Or should I really get the red one?
Another thing, when you said “olive oil” is it just plain olive oil and not EVOO?
Thanks!
The gold should be fine! I think it’s formulated for sweet doughs, which this is not, but I still think it should be fine. Give it a go! And I use extra-virgin olive oil always. Sorry that’s not clear!
Your focaccia recipe is the only one I use! I don’t have enough good things to say, and everyone always asks for the recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!
So nice to hear this, Grace! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
We love this recipe, it comes out perfect every single time. Lately I’ve been halfing the recipe and baking in two 6-in rounds with parchment. Makes a great sandwich when cut in half!
Yum! Love this idea. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Wonderful bread! And so so easy. I loved it so much I baked more the next day and gave away to friends. It’s got a wonderful crunchy crust and is so yummy.
Great to hear, Carla! Thanks for writing 🙂
Hi! Just an update on my previous review. After mistakenly using table salt I panicked and made a second dough just in case this time with kosher as directed. They both came out beyond delicious! The saltier one stayed in the fridge for 3 days and I covered it with fresh garlic, parm, and parsley. The second dough I cooked after 24 hours with rosemary and herbs. We used that one for caprese sliders. So anyone reading comments who made the same mistake and added table salt instead of kosher, fear not! You will still have amazing bread! Thank you so much for this recipe, it will now forever live in my recipe box. I couldn’t off the top of my head spell focaccia so it’s just called Ali bread 😀
I’m so happy to read all of this, Rose! Thanks so much for taking the time to report back. All of it sounds so good, and I appreciate your encouragement to others, too 🙂 🙂 🙂
Can I use a 9″ x 13″ casserole pan to cook the bread in? (I don’t have a metal pan)
Yes! Just be sure to grease it will with butter before adding oil to the pan.
This focaccia recipe is absolutely foolproof! I have made it multiple times now and it ALWAYS turns out fabulous! For my latest experiment I did a half recipe on Friday and used it to make Detroit-style pan pizza. It was absolutely delicious. As long as you follow the recipe and have fresh yeast this recipe will never let you down.
I highly recommend spraying the pan with nonstick spray if you don’t have a USA Pan. A well seasoned cast iron 9×13 pan will also work without needing the spray. Thank you for another great recipe, Ali!
Great to hear, Sherry! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this 🙂 🙂 🙂
This focaccia is amazing. My friends are thrilled when I present it. I also enjoy making it, dimpling it in the pan and placing cherry tomatoes and black olives on it. I love your book also.
So nice to read all of this, Anne! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
This is such an easy recipe and produces great results everytime. It’s one of my go to recipes now
Great to hear, Laurel! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi. How would I convert this to a sourdough recipe using starter instead of the yeast? Let it rise to 30% at room temp and then cold proof?
Hi! I have a sourdough focaccia recipe: Simple Sourdough Focaccia: A Beginner’s Guide
Curious if I can use a dark 9×13 pan? My understanding is to adjust (reduce) the cook temp by 25 degrees. Is that correct?
It’s so hard to know until you experiment. I think reducing the temp is a good idea, but if you find that the top isn’t browning to your liking you could increase the temp at the very end to get some browning. Good luck!
Hi! My dough isn’t doing a second rise in the cooking pan…. I’ve had it at room temperature from 10am and it’s almost 5pm…… should I just scratch this batch and start over?
Hmmm… I’m probably too late here, but it sounds as though something might have been up with your yeast. Did the dough rise in the fridge during the first rise?