Easy No Knead Focaccia Bread Recipe

This easy no knead focaccia bread recipe is golden and crisp on the outside, with a soft, fluffy, chewy center and plenty of olive oil, rosemary, and flaky sea salt. It's a simple homemade focacciamade without a stand mixer, dough hook, or any special bread-making equipment. 

This homemade focaccia bread is the kind of simple bake that feels special every time - golden and crisp on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle, and perfect for tearing, dipping, or slicing into sandwiches.

You don't need a stand mixer, dough hook, or any special bread-making equipment for this easy no knead focaccia bread recipe - just a large bowl, a spoon, a baking pan, and a little patience while the dough rises.

And don't feel intimidated by the number of steps! We've simply broken the recipe down into easy-to-follow stages, with step-by-step photos to guide you along the way.

Scroll down for helpful chef's tips, topping ideas, storage instructions, and the full recipe card.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This No Knead Focaccia Bread Recipe
• What Is Focaccia Bread?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Best Flour for Focaccia
• How to Make No Knead Focaccia Bread
• Focaccia Toppings
• What to Serve with Focaccia Bread
• Storage Instructions
• More Bread Recipes to Try
• Easy No Knead Focaccia Bread Recipe

Why You'll Love This No Knead Focaccia Bread Recipe

• No kneading required - This is an easy no knead focaccia recipe that uses simple folds instead of traditional kneading.
• No special equipment needed - You don't need a stand mixer, dough hook, or bread machine. Just a large bowl, spoon, baking pan, and your hands.
• Beginner-friendly - The dough is simple to mix, easy to handle, and very forgiving.
• Mostly hands-off - The recipe takes about 4 hours from start to finish, but only about 20-25 minutes is active hands-on time.

What Is Focaccia Bread?

Focaccia bread has its roots in Italy, especially in Liguria, where Focaccia Genovese is one of the most well-known styles. The word focaccia is pronounced foh-KAH-chah, and it's often topped simply with olive oil, flaky sea salt, and rosemary.

At its heart, focaccia is a rustic Italian flatbread made with flour, yeast, water, salt, and plenty of olive oil. It's usually baked in a tray or sheet pan until golden, with a soft, airy middle, crisp edges, and that classic dimpled surface. Serve it warm for tearing and dipping, slice it into squares for soups and salads, or use it as a flavorful bread for sandwiches.

Ingredients You'll Need

This homemade focaccia bread recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, but each one plays an important role in the final texture and flavor.

• Lukewarm water - Helps activate the yeast and hydrate the dough. The water should be warm, not hot, around 27°C to 35°C (80°F to 95°F).
• Instant yeast - Gives the focaccia its rise and airy texture. Instant yeast is easy to use because it can be mixed directly into the dough.
• Honey or maple syrup - Feeds the yeast and helps the dough rise. Maple syrup works well if you want to keep the recipe fully vegan.
• Extra virgin olive oil - Adds flavor, richness, and helps create those golden, crisp edges. Use a good-quality olive oil because the flavor really comes through.
• Fine sea salt - Seasons the dough from the inside.
• White bread flour - Gives the focaccia structure and chew. Bread flour helps create that soft, fluffy, slightly chewy texture.
• Flaky sea salt - Sprinkled over the top before baking for crunch and flavor.
• Fresh rosemary - Adds classic rosemary focaccia flavor and a beautiful aroma as the bread bakes.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Best Flour for Focaccia

Bread flour is our favorite flour for focaccia because it has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour. This helps create a stronger dough with a soft, chewy texture and beautiful air bubbles.

You can use all-purpose flour in a pinch, but the focaccia may be softer with a more 'cakey' texture. For the best texture, especially in a fluffy focaccia recipe, we recommend using white bread flour.

How to Make No Knead Focaccia Bread

Mix the Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lukewarm water, instant yeast, honey or maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, and fine sea salt.
• Add the sifted bread flour and mix with a spoon until all the flour is incorporated. The dough will look sticky and shaggy, but there should be no dry patches of flour remaining.
• Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Chef's Tip: Focaccia is a high-hydration dough, which means it has a higher ratio of water to flour than many standard bread doughs. It should feel soft, sticky, and a little loose, so don't be tempted to add extra flour. That extra moisture helps create the light, airy texture and beautiful bubbles focaccia is known for

 Stretch and Fold the Dough

• After the dough has rested, wet your hand lightly with water. Gently loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl.
• Imagine the bowl like a clock face. Grab the dough from the 12 o'clock position, gently stretch it upward, then fold it down over the center toward 6 o'clock. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you've worked your way around the dough.
• Cover the bowl and let it rest for another 15 minutes, then repeat the stretch-and-fold process once more.

Chef's Tip: Stretching and folding helps strengthen the dough without kneading. Be gentle - you want to build structure without tearing the dough

First rise (bulk fermentation)

• After the second set of stretch and folds, shape the dough into a ball, and place it seam side down into the bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1½ hours.

Prepare the Pan

• Grease a large baking pan, about 30 x 40 cm (11 x 15 inches), with a little olive oil. Line it with parchment paper, then drizzle 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) olive oil over the parchment and spread it evenly with a pastry brush.

Chef's Tip: The olive oil in the pan helps create that crisp, golden focaccia base. Don't be shy here - focaccia loves olive oil.

Transfer the Dough to the Pan

• Gently tip the dough into the prepared pan. Oil your hands, then fold the dough over itself in thirds, like folding a letter.
• Flip the dough seam-side down so the smooth side is on top.

Second rise

• Cover the pan with an inverted tray or large container (avoid plastic wrap or towels, which will stick). Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1½ hours.

Dimple and top

• Preheat your oven to 220°C (430°F).
• Oil your hands and gently press your fingers into the dough to create dimples, but be careful not to pop the bubbles.(You want beautiful bubbles!) Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chopped rosemary. 

Chef's Tip: Press gently when dimpling the dough. You want to create those classic focaccia pockets without knocking out all the beautiful air bubbles.

Bake

• Bake the focaccia on the middle oven rack for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bottom is crisp. (Ovens vary, so start checking from around 18 minutes.)
• When the focaccia comes out of the oven, brush the top with a little more olive oil for a glossy, flavorful finish.

Cool and serve

• Let the focaccia cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing. (Ps. This is the really hard part… lol)

Focaccia Toppings

One of the best things about homemade focaccia is how easy it is to customize. Keep it simple with rosemary and sea salt, or add toppings depending on the season, occasion, or what you're serving it with.

• Classic rosemary focaccia - Keep it simple with fresh rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, and flaky sea salt.
• Tomato and olive toppings - Try fresh or roasted cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, green olives, or a mix of Mediterranean olives.
• Garlic and onion toppings - Add thinly sliced fresh garlic, sweet roasted garlic, caramelized onions, or thinly sliced red onion.
• Cheese toppings - Try parmesan, mozzarella, goat cheese, feta, or marinated mozzarella balls.
• Antipasto-style toppings - Marinated artichokes, roasted peppers, preserved lemon, anchovies, and pesto swirls all work beautifully with focaccia.
• Sweet and savory toppings - Grapes or figs pair especially well with rosemary, olive oil, and flaky sea salt.
• Extra flavor boosters - Add Italian seasoning, chili flakes for heat, za'atar or dukkah for a Middle Eastern-inspired twist, or thinly sliced potatoes for a heartier focaccia.

What to Serve with Focaccia Bread

This homemade focaccia bread is one of those recipes that goes with almost everything. Serve it warm for dipping, alongside soups and salads, or slice it open and use it for Italian-style sandwiches.

• Antipasto and charcuterie boards - Add warm focaccia to an antipasto platter with olives, cured meats, cheese, and marinated vegetables. It's also perfect with our Caprese skewers, marinated Mozzarella balls, or Charcuterie board.
• Dips and sauces - Focaccia is made for tearing and dipping. Serve it with our olive oil bread dip, basil pesto, Napolitana sauce, Arrabbiata sauce, or olive tapenade.
• Soups - A slice of focaccia is perfect for soaking up a cozy bowl of soup. Try it with our Italian chickpea soup, Minestrone soup, rotisserie chicken orzo soup, or Italian bean soup.
• Fresh salads - Pair focaccia with our tomato Caprese salad, vegetarian Italian pasta salad, Mediterranean chicken salad, or a simple arugula salad for an easy lunch or light dinner.
• Pasta and Italian mains - Serve it alongside our baked Caprese chicken, pesto chicken and zucchini lasagna, Italian meatballs in tomato sauce, or our meaty Italian lasagna.
• Focaccia sandwiches - Slice leftover focaccia and turn it into sandwiches. Try our Caprese sandwich, Chicken Caprese sandwich, or a focaccia sandwich with salami, mozzarella, and pesto. It's also delicious with roasted vegetables, prosciutto and arugula, or grilled chicken and basil pesto.

Storage Instructions

This focaccia is at its best warm and fresh from the oven, but leftovers store well if wrapped properly.

How to Store Leftover Focaccia

• Store leftover focaccia at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. 
• Wrap focaccia portions tightly in plastic wrap, then add a layer of foil. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days

How to Freeze Focaccia

• Cut the focaccia into portions and flash freeze the pieces on a lined baking sheet until frozen.
• Once frozen, wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap, then in a layer of foil. Place the wrapped pieces in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

How to Reheat Focaccia

• If frozen, defrost the focaccia first.
• Place the focaccia on a lined baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Warm in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through.
• For a crisper texture, uncover for the last few minutes of reheating.

Make Ahead: Overnight Focaccia Dough

• You can make this focaccia dough ahead of time and let it slow ferment in the fridge overnight. This is a great option if you want freshly baked focaccia the next day or prefer to split the recipe into two stages.
• After the stretch-and-fold steps, cover the dough well and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, transfer the dough to your prepared pan and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Do the book fold, then cover and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours, or until puffy and airy.
• Then dimple, top, and bake as directed. Refer to the recipe card for the full step-by-step instructions.

Chef's Tip: Cold dough needs time to warm up and relax before baking. If the dough feels tight or springs back when you try to fold or dimple it, let it rest a little longer before continuing.

More Bread Recipes to Try

If you love baking simple homemade bread recipes, here are a few more to try:

• Easy No Knead Bread Recipe - A simple crusty bread made with only a few ingredients.
• Easy Pita Bread Recipe - Soft homemade pita bread, perfect with dips, mezze, and Mediterranean-style meals.
• Moroccan Bread Recipe - A traditional-style Moroccan bread that's wonderful with tagines, stews, and soups.
• Soft & Fluffy Turkish Flatbread - A tender, stovetop flatbread that's perfect for wraps, dips, and mezze platters.

This easy no knead focaccia bread recipe is one of those simple homemade breads that feels special every time. It's golden, fluffy, chewy, rich with olive oil, and perfect for serving with everything from soup and pasta to antipasto and sandwiches.

Give it a try and let us know in the comments how it turned out! Don't forget to Pin it for later or share it with a friend.

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The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.