Can I prepare the dough in advance?

Yes! This recipe is incredibly flexible and you can put the dough in the fridge overnight and bake it the next day. You can either do this straight after mixing or after the first rise. It will just take a little bit longer to do the second rise the next day (allow another 40 minutes) so just keep that in mind. Think of the fridge as putting the breaks on your dough whenever you need it.

What if I only have active dry yeast?

No problem - just mix the 2 teaspoons of the active yeast with 200ml of the lukewarm water and let sit for 10 minutes before adding with the rest of the ingredients.

What's the best way to store focaccia?

I like to store my focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature - it will last at least 4 days this way. Freshen it up in the toaster after the second day if you like.

I don't like chilli, what else can I top the focaccia with?

This is where you can get creative! I love combinations like sundried tomatoes with thyme, Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and garlic or simply sea salt and rosemary.

Can I freeze the focaccia?

Definitely! It's best the day you bake it, but I like to slice chunks in half and then freeze them in zip-lock bags. Then you can just pop in the toaster to defrost whenever you'd like a piece.

Why is my focaccia dense?

There are a couple of reasons you might end up with dense focaccia: - for the best accuracy when doing any kind of baking, use a scale to measure your ingredients by weight, rather than relying on conversion to cups. That's because in general, measuring by cups isn't consistent - the way you pack the flour into a cup can have a big impact on the actual weight. Baking is precise so if your measurements are off, you risk getting a different result. - you may not have let your dough rise long enough (or let it rise for too long). Make sure you're taking a photo of the dough rising to compare, rather than just relying on time. - check your yeast. Make sure your yeast is active by dissolving 1 teaspoon in a little water (about 1/2 a cup) along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir it and let it sit for 10 minutes. If it's active and thriving, it'll look bubbly and foamy. If it's dead, the yeast won't properly dissolve and it won't foam up.

Easy No-Knead Chilli Cheese Focaccia

Description

If you’re new to bread making, this super easy no knead focaccia is the best place to start. Just mix your ingredients then let it rest and do its thing. No fancy ingredients, no special equipment and you’ll be enjoying the most deliciously soft focaccia in no time.

Remember, if you’re looking for cup measurements, just use the ‘Units’ section below and click on ‘US’.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the focaccia –

600g white bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
535g lukewarm water
3 tablespoons chilli oil (to top – if you don’t like chilli or don’t have chilli oil, use olive oil)
1/2 cup grated mozzarella or cheese of your choice (blue cheese is also delicious)
Extra olive oil for the pan and to top the rising dough (you’ll need 2 tablespoons for the pan and 1 tablespoon to drizzle over your dough before it rises).

Essential equipment –

I’m making my focaccia in this 24cm/9.5″ x 35cm/14″ deep sided, non-stick oven tray. But, you can use something that’s a similar size so don’t worry too much. If your tray is smaller, your focaccia will end up thicker and will take a little longer to cook, so just keep an eye on it. Similarly, if your tray is larger, your focaccia will end up thinner and may cook a little faster. Shallow-sided trays work fine as well, just make sure it has a little bit of a lip or your dough will be spilling everywhere when it’s rising!

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Instructions

Mix the dough. Add 600g bread flour, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of instant yeast to a bowl then add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 535g lukewarm water. Give it a really good mix with a large wooden spoon until a shaggy dough starts to form, and there are no dry patches of flour. It’s going to look wet, but don’t worry! Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for two minutes.
Perform three sets of stretch and folds. Now you’re not kneading the dough, but you do need to develop a little strength so you end up with a lovely airy focaccia at the end. But this really is simple. You’re going to give the dough some ‘stretch and folds’. With a wet hand in a ‘C’ shape, pick up a section of the dough and fold it back onto itself. Rotate the bowl and do this 4 more times, going all around the dough. Cover the bowl for another three minutes, then do the stretch and fold process again. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for two more minutes, before repeating the stretch and folds one more time.
Give the dough its first rise. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the dough, then with wet hands, lift it up and turn the dough over to coat it in the oil. This is going to make transferring it from the bowl to your oven pan a lot easier and will stop it from drying out. Cover the bowl with cling film and let rise until doubled. This really will depend on the temperature of your kitchen – in summer it can take 45 minutes, but can take 1.5 hours, or more in winter for me. Watch the dough, rather than the clock. You want it to be puffy, with visible air bubbles on the top. PRO TIP: Take a photo of the dough so you can easily compare and see how much it’s risen!
Transfer the dough to the pan. Drizzle your large pan with another tablespoon of olive oil then tip the risen dough onto it, carefully using your hands to release it from the bowl if needed. Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil on top of the dough, then leave it uncovered to rise again, stretching out the dough gently in the corners to form a rough rectangle. Again, I recommend taking a photo of the dough as you transfer it to the pan so you can easily compare – it will roughly take another 45 minutes. You’re looking for it to have again almost doubled, and be really pressing against the sides of the tin. PRO TIP: You can do the ‘poke test’ to see if your dough is ready to be baked. With an oiled finger, gently press into the dough. If the dough bounces back right away, it needs more time. If it slowly bounces back, it’s ready to go. If it doesn’t bounce back at all, it may be over-proofed (focaccia is forgiving though, so don’t worry if this happens, it will still bake well!)
Top your focaccia. When the dough is rising in the pan, heat your oven to 410F/210C fan. When the dough is super wobbly, jiggly with lots of visible bubbles and doubled in size again, it’s time to bake. Drizzle the 3 tablespoons of chilli oil all over the top of the dough then using oiled fingers, dimple the dough all over. Pretend you’re playing the piano on the dough, pressing right to the bottom of the dough! Finish with scattering the grated mozzarella and 1 teaspoon of flaky salt all over the dough.
Bake the bread. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden, and crispy and you can see that the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan. Let sit for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a large cooling rack.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: You can store the focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, but it’s best the day it’s baked. It also freezes really well. I like to cut small sections in half (so that they’ll fit in the toaster) and then freeze so I have lovely fresh bread ready to be easily defrosted in the toaster whenever you get a focaccia craving.

TOPPING IDEAS: Switch up your toppings – chilli oil is a real favourite for me but you can let your creative juices fly. Chopped sundried tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, olives, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, za’atar – you can have fun with it!

MAKE AHEAD: The best thing about this recipe is that it’s super flexible – you can make the whole thing in a couple of hours or pop the dough in the fridge for the first rise then finish it later or the next day, do the first rise at room temperature then pop in the fridge for the second, do both rising times in the fridge – it’s great for working around busy schedules.

Prep Time: 10
Rising Time: 120
Cook Time: 30
Category: bread
Method: oven
Cuisine: italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 200g

Keywords: foccacia, bread, easy bread, easy foccacia, foccacia recipe, bread recipe