This no-knead focaccia recipe yields bread that is effortlessly fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside, bringing bakery-quality bread straight to your kitchen. Baked in a cast-iron skillet, it gets a lovely golden, slightly crunchy crust. The center stays light and airy.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- The perfect homemade focaccia bread for beginners to make. While it does require time to make, the steps are incredibly simple.
- Easily customize this no-knead bread recipe with your favorite toppings.
- You can enjoy your skillet focaccia as a side dish with many main dishes. Or, make it a satisfying meal by adding some hearty toppings.
This Italian oven-baked bread is light and crispy, soft and chewy. While hard to believe, this appetizing bread tastes even better than it looks!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- All-purpose flour - A sturdy flour that I used in most of my baking.
- Whole wheat flour - This offers more nutrients for the yeast to feed on compared to other white flours.
- Kosher salt
- Instant yeast or active dry yeast– I like to use instant yeast since you don't need to proof the yeast.
- Warm water - The temperature should be warm to activate the yeast, but not too hot.
- Toppings – I love adding Kalamata olives and roasted red sweet peppers to my no-knead focaccia. You can also try onions, shredded cheese, crumbled feta, or even pieces of bacon to make it your own!
- Fresh herbs – Fresh rosemary or thyme leaves are great to add subtle flavor.
- Garlic - Thinly sliced to add to the top of the skillet focaccia for depth of flavor.
- Olive oil - Drizzle it over Italian focaccia bread before baking. This helps create a crispy outer texture and a lovely golden color.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Stir 2 cups of all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt, and the yeast in a large bowl.
- Stir in the warm water until the mixture is moistened. The dough should be sticky and soft.
- Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Stir the remaining 1 cup of all-purpose flour into the dough with the help of a fork.
- Spread the dough slightly in a lightly greased 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
- Loosely cover the bread dough with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature for about 1.5 to 2 hours, until it’s puffy.
- While the oven preheats, sprinkle olives, roasted pepper, rosemary, and garlic over the bread. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the assembled bread and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Place the cast iron skillet on a stove burner and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Transfer it to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
- Cool the freshly baked skillet focaccia slightly in a skillet on a wire rack.
- Drizzle the bread with the remaining oil and enjoy it warm!
🥫 Storage
This homemade focaccia bread is best enjoyed the day you make it. If you have leftovers, wrap them in plastic wrap or foil. Store them at room temperature. This will keep your no-knead focaccia fresh for 2-3 days.
For longer storage, wrap the bread tightly with plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer for 3-6 months. Thaw the bread at room temperature.
Reheat leftover focaccia bread in the oven before serving again.
📚 Variations
- Use dried herbs instead of fresh for convenience.
- You can use tomatoes, onions, or shredded cheese as great toppings. They work well with olives and peppers or can be used instead.
- While I've made this focaccia in a cast iron skillet, you can also make it in a sheet pan or focaccia pan.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Drizzling olive oil and sprinkling salt adds amazing flavor to this no-knead focaccia. It also helps create those crispy outer edges. Don't skimp on these ingredients!
- Make sure that the temperature of your water is warm (about 100-110 degrees F), but not hotter than this. The yeast requires the warmth to be activated, but will be killed if the temperature is too high.
- Give yourself enough time in the day to make the dough. While this no-knead bread recipe is so easy to make, it does require a few hours of resting and rising time.
🤔 FAQs
The dough must be well hydrated to keep it light and airy. It's also very important to allow the dough to rest and rise sufficiently so that you get that thickness which is soft and chewy. Lastly, don't skimp on the olive oil and salt - they add flavor and help the outer edges of the bread to crisp.
Skillet-baked no-knead Italian focaccia is typically more moist with a richer olive oil flavor. It's also baked flat on a sheet pan or skillet, not a loaf pan. Focaccia is usually topped with ingredients while regular bread is typically left plain.
There are many regional variations of focaccia, but two stand out. Focaccia Barese is thicker and more rustic, with a crunchy bottom. Focaccia Genovese is thin, crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside.
All-purpose flour is best for soft focaccia with a light and airy texture. I've also added whole wheat flour into this easy focaccia recipe for added structure and a chewy texture.
To make fluffy focaccia, use the right amount of flour and water. Give the dough enough time to rest and rise. Also, be careful not to overwork the dough.
📗 Related Recipes
- Focaccia Pizza –This homemade focaccia pizza begins with a soft and tasty focaccia dough. It makes the perfect base for all your favorite toppings. Once you try making pizza from scratch, it might become a new favorite tradition in your kitchen!
- Sourdough Focaccia With Grapes – Soft and airy, this sourdough focaccia has crispy edges and a golden-brown crust. It's topped with sweet red grapes and fragrant rosemary. Enjoy the delightful combination of flavors! Whether enjoyed as a snack, side dish, or sandwich bread, it’s a simple yet irresistible treat!
- Focaccia Pugliese – This classic bread comes from Italy’s Puglia region. It's light and crispy. It's topped with juicy cherry tomatoes and briny Kalamata olives. A sprinkle of salt and parmesan adds the finishing touch. Perfect as a side or on its own!
🍽 What to serve with No-Knead Focaccia
Serve this Italian focaccia warm from the oven with spreads and dips, such as homemade hummus, baba ghanoush, or Garlic Olive Oil Bread Dip. It's also perfect alongside tomato bisque, chicken cacciatore, or venison chili!
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Mixing bowls
- Dry measuring cups
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden mixing spoon
- Cast iron skillet - You could also use a sheet pan or focaccia pan.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
If you've ever thought pane fatto in casa (homemade bread) was too much work, this no-knead focaccia recipe is here to prove you wrong! It's molto facile (super easy), and it gives you bakery-quality results. You'll get a perfectly crispy outer crust and a soft, fluffy interior. The roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, and rosemary bring so much flavor. You'll want to grab a piece as soon as it comes out of the forno (oven).
Make it for snacking, pair it with soup and salad, or tp it like a white pizza for a thick, crusty delight. However you enjoy it, one thing's for sure: once you try this focaccia, you'll be making it again and again. So grab that cast iron skillet, and cuciniamo (let's bake)! Buon appetito!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
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📖 Recipe
No Knead Skillet Focaccia Recipe
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 3 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cup warm water 120°F to 130°F
- ¼ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
- ¼ cup chopped roasted red sweet pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or thyme leaves
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, 1 ½ tsp. of the salt, and the yeast.
- Stir in the warm water until the mixture is moistened (the dough will be sticky and soft).
- Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature 2 hours.
- Lightly grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
- Using a fork, stir the remaining 1 cup of all-purpose flour into the dough. Gather dough with your hands and spread slightly in a prepared skillet.
- Cover loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until puffy (1 ½ to 2 hours).
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Sprinkle dough with olives, roasted pepper, rosemary, and garlic. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the oil and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ tsp. salt.
- Place the cast iron skillet on a stove burner and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
- Transfer to oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
- Cool slightly in a skillet on a wire rack. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Serve warm.
Nutrition
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