Recipe: No-Knead Skillet Focaccia (2024)

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Sheela Prakash

Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor

Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.

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updated May 1, 2019

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Recipe: No-Knead Skillet Focaccia (1)

A simple no-knead rosemary focaccia recipe that's a perfect bread to serve at the dinner table.

Serves8 to 10Prep3 hours to 4 hoursCook20 minutes to 25 minutes

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Recipe: No-Knead Skillet Focaccia (2)

There’s something extra special about bringing warm, homemade bread to the table — perhaps it’s because it’s such an infrequent occurrence. If you’d like to start doing it more often, I suggest you start with this focaccia. It’s rich with olive oil (which keeps it extra moist), topped with fragrant rosemary, and baked in a skillet to give it a perfectly golden, crispy crust. Oh, and it comes together even easier than you could imagine.

A Fuss-Free Skillet Focaccia That’s Endlessly Adaptable

This focaccia recipe is as fuss-free as bread recipes go. The dough comes together quickly in the food processor, then is left to rise for a couple of hours while you prep the rest of dinner (or relax and sip a glass of wine). Return to it when it’s doubled in size, then stretch it out in an oven-safe skillet. Cast iron is best for achieving a super-crispy crust, but any oven-proof skillet will work. Drizzle it with extra-virgin olive oil and top with fresh rosemary and flaky salt, then bake until puffed and golden.

This recipe leaves so much room for experimentation, too. I’ve been making so much focaccia at home recently that I’ve quickly found out the sky’s the limit. I like playing around with different herbs from my garden, or sprinkling the top with sesame seeds. Chopped sun-dried tomatoes and thinly sliced lemon are also delicious, as is my current favorite: everything bagel seasoning.

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No-Knead Skillet Focaccia Recipe

A simple no-knead rosemary focaccia recipe that's a perfect bread to serve at the dinner table.

Prep time 3 hours to 4 hours

Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes

Serves 8 to 10

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 cups

    all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    salt

  • 1 teaspoon

    dry instant yeast

  • 3/4 cup

    lukewarm water

  • 3 tablespoons

    plus 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 2 teaspoons

    coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. Place the flour, salt, and yeast in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse to combine. Add the water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Pulse until a rough ball of dough forms, about 15 (2-second) pulses.

  2. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large bowl. Flour your hands, scoop the dough out of the food processor, and form into a smooth ball. Place the ball of dough in the oiled bowl and turn it so it's coated on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it sit at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.

  3. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron or other ovenproof skillet and rub it over the bottom and sides. Punch down the dough and place the dough in the skillet. Using your fingertips, coax and stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the skillet and reach all the way to the edges. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rest at warm room temperature until puffed and slightly risen, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450°F.

  4. Use you fingertips to gently dimple the surface of the dough. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the dough so that it pools in some of the indentations. Sprinkle with the rosemary and flaky salt.

  5. Place in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 400°F. Bake until lightly golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

  6. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Focaccia is best eaten when warm, but is also good at room temperature. If the crust gets too soft, reheat in a 350°F oven to crisp it up.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The dough can also be left in the covered bowl to rise overnight in the refrigerator — the slower rise actually provides extra flavor. In the morning, transfer the cold dough to the skillet and allow it to warm up a little, about 20 minutes, before stretching it and proceeding with the recipe.

Storage: The focaccia is best the day it is made but can be stored, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to 1 day. The crust will soften, but it can be warmed and crisped in a 350°F oven for a few minutes. Leftover focaccia also freezes exceptionally well. Let it defrost at room temperature and then reheat in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.

Topping options: There is tons of experimentation to be had when it comes to focaccia toppings. Aside from rosemary, other herbs like thyme and oregano, thinly sliced lemons, pitted chopped olives, thick slices of fresh garlic or shallots, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, and even everything bagel seasoning are great topping options.

Filed in:

baked goods

Baking

Bread

Dairy-Free

dinner

Recipe: No-Knead Skillet Focaccia (2024)

FAQs

What is the best pan for focaccia? ›

I like to use a deep pan (as opposed to a baking sheet) so the focaccia doesn't dry out too fast in the oven. My preferred pans: 9″ x 13″ USA Pan Rectangular Cake Pan.

What is the best flour for focaccia? ›

Flour - I used a mixture of bread flour and All-purpose flour (high grade or strong and plain if you're not in the US). Bread flour is slightly higher in protein than All-purpose, so gives the focaccia just a little more chew. I love the mix of both, but just AP flour works just fine too!

Does focaccia need kneading? ›

This focaccia recipe is a no-knead recipe, so it's super easy to make and delivers next-level results. It requires no special equipment such as a stand mixer. I know many of you like big bubbles in bread as much as I do.

Which olive oil is best for focaccia? ›

Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil and don't be shy with it – this is a recipe that relies heavily on extra virgin olive oil not just for the taste but also for the texture and that golden and crunchy crust. It's important we are not skimping on the quality which is why I recommend using Rich Glen olive oil.

What are the two types of focaccia? ›

Venetian focaccia is sweet, baked for Easter and resembles the traditional Christmas cake panettone. Sugar and butter are used instead of olive oil and salt. Focaccia barese, which is common in Puglia in southern Italy, is made with durum wheat flour and topped with salt, rosemary, tomatoes or olives.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour for focaccia? ›

Herb Oil – Made with olive oil, fresh or dry herbs, kosher salt, black pepper, and minced garlic. Bread Flour – Using bread flour gives the focaccia a chewy texture; you can substitute all-purpose flour without ruining the recipe, but your bread will be significantly lighter and missing that characteristic texture.

Why is my focaccia not fluffy? ›

Why is my focaccia not fluffy or chewy? It could be the type of flour you used. The best flour to use to make focaccia bread is bread flour which gives you fluffy baked bread. Or, it could also be because you did not knead the dough enough for the gluten to form a structure which can result in flat or dense bread.

Why does focaccia use so much olive oil? ›

Now, focaccia uses plenty of olive oil, not only in the dough, but for kneading, proofing, in the baking pan, and on the bread's surface before baking. All this fat means the texture is light, moist and springy, the crust emerges golden and crisp, plus the center stays soft for days afterwards.

Should you punch down focaccia dough? ›

It's an important step: When the dough is punched down, the yeast cells are redistributed. They form a closer bond with the moisture and sugar, which aids fermentation and improves the second rise.

Can you let focaccia dough rise too long? ›

The longer you allow the dough to rise, the more air and spongy the bread will be. Overnight Dough: Proofing the dough for 9-14 hours overnight in the fridge is my preferred method, because of the slower fermentation. This process yields a better focaccia texture and taste.

How wet should my focaccia dough be? ›

This dough will be very, very wet – almost like cake mix. If you can, wet your hands (to stop them sticking) and fold the dough over a little, just to see what a dough of this wetness (or 'hydration') feels like.

Why do you poke focaccia dough? ›

A well-proofed dough will have lots of air bubbles and. rises quickly. Massaging adds dimples that keep your. focaccia flat, as it should be.

What to put on focaccia before baking? ›

Add roasted garlic and rosemary: Before the final dimpling dot the top of the dough with roasted garlic cloves and rosemary. Season it with another drizzle of olive oil and flaky sea salt. Bake the focaccia: It only takes about 20-30 minutes for focaccia to cook.

Can I use a glass pan to bake focaccia? ›

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.

What size tray for focaccia? ›

Oil a rectangle, shallow tin (25 x 35cm). Tip the dough onto the work surface, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

How do you keep focaccia from sticking to the pan? ›

On the day you are ready to bake: Use a 13x9 metal baking pan or half size baking sheet, and pour a small amount of olive oil into the dish. Rub this to coat every surface to ensure there is nowhere the focaccia can stick.

Can you bake focaccia in a ceramic pan? ›

Our GreenLife Ceramic Nonstick Cake Pan easily doubles as a baking dish for our crisp and chewy focaccia. Plus, the extra nonstick coating makes cleanup incredibly quick and simple.

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