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Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe
By Alexandra Stafford
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Last Updated: 12/13/2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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
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. Why?
- It’s a no-knead, 4-ingredient dough that 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.
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 18 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 long, cold fermentation is beneficial to dough because during a slow fermentation allows enzymes in both the flour and the yeast to 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.
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.
How to Make Focaccia Bread, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: 4 cups (512 g) flour, 2 teaspoons (12 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.
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.
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The Best, Easiest Focaccia Bread Recipe
- Total Time: 18 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
Description
Cold, refrigerated dough is the secret to making delicious focaccia! Allowing the dough to rest for a minimum of 18 to 24 hours (or up to 3 days) in the fridge will yield extra-pillowy and airy focaccia. However, if you are pressed for time, you can make this from 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.
- Salt: The rule of thumb with bread dough is that the weight of the salt should be 2 to 3% the weight of the flour. For this recipe, that is 10 to 15 grams. Do keep in mind that you sprinkle sea salt over the dough before baking, which adds to the saltiness. If you are sensitive to salt use 1o grams. If you are not, use 12 to 15 grams salt. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- 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 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 grams) kosher salt, see notes above
- 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. Cover the bowl, and let rest for 30 minutes, then stretch and fold the dough — this is an optional new step (9/17/2025), but if time permits, do it: I find it makes for an especially bubby focaccia. Fill a small bowl with water. Using a wet hand, grab an edge of the dough and pull it up and towards the center. Repeat this stretching and folding process, 8 to 10 times, moving your hand around the edge of the dough with every set of stretches and folds. As you stretch and fold, you should feel the dough transform from being sticky and shaggy to smooth and cohesive. Find video guidance here.
- Cold proof: Rub the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a lid (ideally) 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 not using a hard lid. 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.
Notes
To Make Muffin Tin Focaccia:
- Make the focaccia through step 3.
- Butter a muffin tin + 2 small ramekins or a crème brulée dish.
- Drizzle oil into each muffin well.
- Deflate the dough, then use two forks to portion it into small pieces, dropping the pieces into each well — each well will be 3/4 to nearly full. Drizzle with more oil. Turn each piece to coat in the oil.
- Let the dough rise again until it puffs above the rim, 30-45 minutes. Drizzle with more oil, then dimple. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh rosemary.
- Bake at 425ºF for roughly 20-25 minutes. If necessary, brush with more oil out of the oven.
- 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.
6,815 Comments on “Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe”
I made this dough (weighed out the bread flour) with the intention of making focaccia. I left it in the fridge for 27 hours. Then I decided to make pizza instead as the dough was essentially the same. It was absolutely wonderful. The crust had a light, airy yet chewy texture. I will never use a recipe other than this. I think the secret is just as you stated… handle the dough minimally. This pizza was better than any high-end restaurant made pizza I’ve ever had. I cannot thank you enough for the step by step instructions! If I could give it 10 stars I would!
Oh yay! Gloria, it’s so wonderful to hear this. Thank you so much for writing and for sharing all of this 🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕
Quick question – could I essentially “reverse” the two rises? As in: make the dough, let it rise for 1-3 hours at room temp, stretch the dough into a baking sheet, then proof overnight in the fridge? My goal is to be able to take the pan from the fridge, let it come to room temp, and throw it in the oven without having to mess with it (except for adding the dimples right before). Hopefully I explained that well enough, I’m new to baking! I basically just want to do all the work on day 1 and go straight to baking on day 2. Any thoughts you have would be helpful! Thank you so much!
Hi Carly! I think this will work well. The key will be to be sure the dough is coated in oil so that it doesn’t dry out in the fridge. If you have a large ziplock bag or if you have plastic wrap that you can wrap the pan with, do that, again to ensure the dough doesn’t dry out. I would remove it from the fridge a few hours before you plan on baking it… it may not need a ton of time, but I haven’t done this, so I can’t advise entirely. What you are going to look for is the dough looking nicely puffed; then you’ll want to dimple it, salt it, and bake it. Hope that all makes sense!
aaaargh…. I am so inept when it comes to dough. I want to make this foccacia so badly but I’m worried its not going to turn out. I measured my flour on a scale and added the rest of the ingredients. When I mixed it all together it was nothing like your picture. It was a really REALLY soft dough…wouldn’t hold any kind of shape. I added at least a cup more flour and finally gave up. Just stuck it in the fridge to see what happens.
Any thoughts on what the problem might be?? There isn’t a lot to it so I’m a bit confused how it could go so wrong??
Thanks for any help! It looks soooo yummy i really want it to work
Hi LuAnn! Bummer to hear this. Questions for you: what type of flour are you using? And did you measure the water on the scale?
Yikes mine turned out HORRIBLE. I used gluten free flour which was to be one to one ration with regular flour. I will try using reg flour. But it never seemed to raise and looked like crumbled play doh???
Any suggestions.
Hi Beveryly! Gluten-free flour is a different animal … you unfortunately can’t use a one-to-one swap with wheat flour. I have one gluten-free bread recipe on my site that people have great success with. Here it is: gluten-free peasant bread.
I’ve tried this several times and it has come out beautifully each time. I wanted to know can I use 00 flour (the ones used for pizza) and if so how would it change the texture of the focaccia?
Hi Meg! Great to hear. You may find that with 00 flour, the dough is wetter, so I would suggest holding back some of the water. If the dough looks stiff, add the reserved water slowly until it looks right. You may find you don’t need to alter the recipe at all. Recently, due to the change of seasons, I find all of my doughs to be on the stiffer side.
Is it open if I leave the dough in the frig for 48 hours?
It should be fine. You may want to go in there once and deflate/punch down the dough. Be sure its surface is slicked with oil so that the dough doesn’t dry out. Ideally if it’s going to be in the fridge that long, it should be in a vessel that’s lidded.
Hi Alexandra! Started making this, really excited just a quick question: could I use aluminum trays (2x 8inch square trays) if I do not have the alternatives you listed? Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas!
Hi Olga! Sorry just seeing this! The trays you mention should be just fine. Hope it turned out OK!
Ended up using aluminum trays and it worked well, thanks for your feedback. Love this recipe, so easy to follow and it tasted delicious!!
Wonderful to hear this, Olga!
made the recipe and cooked it in my brick oven. 8 minutes rotating every 2 minutes at 350-425 degrees. Everyone LOVED it!!! best comment was “I could eat just this for the rest of my life, an I would be very happy…”
Oh that sounds amazing, Linda! So great to hear this. My mom cooks her focaccia on her grill in a cast-iron skillet and it comes out so well. Why is it more fun to cook bread outside??
Hi Ali! I just made the dough and put it in the fridge 😊. I made your Challah recipe yesterday and it came out fantastic so now it got me inspired to try this one. I wanted to ask you, how would you go about adding black olives and rosemary? I thought about adding them into the dough during the last 2-4 hour rise but then I wonder if they’ll interfere? I guess the alternative would be to put them as toppings? But then I wonder if they’ll interfere with the brain holes!? Thank you!
Hi Valentina! So sorry for the delay here. What did you end up doing? Next time, I would add them right into the dry ingredients and toss them to coat. The issue some people run into with toppings such as olives is that the toppings tend to burn a bit.
I ended up only topping with rosemary and eating the olives aside with the arugula and prosciutto and burrata and cherry tomatoes! It came out GREAT. my husband was in awe. Said it reminded him of his childhood bakery’s focaccia in Italy. 😊 THANK YOU!
Oh my goodness, amazing! I love this 🙂 🙂 🙂
I am wondering if I missed something… I even used a digital scale but my dough came out very dry and floury…. I tried to add a little more lukewarm water but this made it very sticky … HELP lol. I really want to try this!
He Leah! What type of flour are you using? Sticky is OK — it’s definitely a sticky dough. Did you end up baking it?
Happy New Year! I tried your recipe and it tasted amazing. I just got one question. After the overnight fridge fermentation, should i deflate/fold the dought right after i take it out of the fridge or should i wait for the dough to get to the room temp and then fold it. Thank you.
Hi Mike! Happy New Year and sorry for the delay here. You can deflate the dough right away — no need to let it get to room temperature first.
So grateful for this super-easy, ridiculously delicious, crazy-addictive recipe. My family requests it back-to-back-to-back. I just use a sheet pan + parchment for the full recipe, easy-peasy. (It’s also so very forgiving. No extra room in my fridge for a bread bowl, so I tuck it outside in the BBQ, where twice it has partially frozen overnight. No worries, just let it defrost in the bowl until moving onto the next step. Still perfect.)
Oh my goodness, I love this 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much for writing, Kristin! And thanks for sharing all of your tips/notes, too.
Thank you for the recipe! It looks delicious… my dough is currently resting in the fridge overnight, if I wanted to “decorate” with veggies (the garden/underwater scenes and whatnot) like onions and tomatoes, do you recommend putting the veggies in right after the second rise? I’ve seen comments online that doing this makes the dough puff up too much and swallow the decorations… would a 30-min wait time be better (before placing the veggies and then baking)? Any general advice/things I should do differently if looking to decorate?
Hi Annika! I would wait until you dimple the dough. When it’s time, dimple the dough gently; then arrange your toppings; then dimple again to nestle the toppings into the dough. I think that should work — I don’t think the dough will swallow the decorations.
I’m not sure I’m getting to you in time… let me know what you did and how it turned out. Thanks!
You did get to me in time, thank you! It ended up tasting really nice! The top wasn’t as brown or uniform as your recipe, probably having to do with the second rise–I left it for 4 hours but it still didn’t seem as puffy as yours, does humidity affect rise? (I also did add veggies so I’m sure that affected the bake), I will definitely be trying again and making more batches in the future!
Hi Annika! Great to hear. Humidity can affect rise in that in more humid environments, your dough may be wetter — did your dough feel on the wet side? If so, you can start with less water next time around. If a dough is too wet, it can bake up too dense. Good luck on future endeavors!
Hi Ali, I made this last night and had some issues last night that I assume were user error. My dough didn’t really rise in the oven and resulted in a very thin bread. I didn’t have two pie plates or two 9x13in pans, so I used a 13×18 cookie sheet to bake the bread. I figured this would result in a slightly thinner bread as you put in your post, but this was two thin to real cut in half which leads me to think that it was not right. Also the dough didn’t brown on top like you’d expect so I ended up overcooking it waiting for that golden brown color to appear. Mine was a very pale gold color. My dough looked like your pictures up to the point where I put it in the oven, so I am not sure where I went wrong. In summary these were my main issues: bread didn’t brown on the top and was very thin. I would love to try it again so any help you can give me would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Laurie! Bummer to hear this.
OK, questions: what type of flour are you using? It’s not bleached, is it? Are you confident in the freshness of your yeast? When you pulled the dough from the fridge, had it risen at all? And after the dough spend 4 hours or so at room temperature, had it bubbled up?
Hi Alexandra, thanks so much for your fast reply. I am not sure about the flour. I bough all-purpose unbleached flour to use but my roommate had an open bag and I foolishly used that without thinking or checking to make sure it matched what the recipe called for. Rookie mistake by an inexperienced baker! The yeast I used I had just purchased and well before the expiation date and opened right before I used it. The dough did rise a good amount in the refrigerator over night. After the 4 hours are room temperature I am not sure if it bubbled up, I am very new to baking so I am not sure what I need to look out for at this step.
Hi Laurie,
Great to hear your yeast was fresh. I’m not sure what to advise from here, but it’s possible it’s the type of flour you are using.
You note that you don’t have two 9×13-inch pans, but do you have one? You can bake this recipe in one 9×13-inch pan.
Can I use bread flour for this recipe and would it be a one to one substitution with all purpose flour? Would I need to change the quantities of water, yeast, or olive oil if using bread flour?
Yes, use the same amount!
Hi Ali,
My dough turned out very wet. I use the measuring cups, should I weigh everything instead?
Thanks
WG
Weiging is best, Wendy! That said, it is a very wet, sticky dough. It may be fine … unless the dough was more like a batter. Reference the video regarding texture.
I made this recipe many times and it is delicious !!! I also eat the bread several hours later and the texture is crispy and chewy. Is there any way I can cook it in Le Creuset Dutch oven ?
Hi again! Yes! Just be sure to grease it well — it would be a shame for it to stick. How large is the DO?
Helen
I baked this bread and it is delicious !!! Even after many hours, the texture is soft, chewy and crispy at the same time and so delicious !!! I was wondering, can I bake it in Le Creuset Dutch oven and would I need to change anything in terms of rising the dough, oven temperature and the ingredients ???
Hi Helen! Wonderful to hear this. Yes, you definitely can. Just be sure to grease it well — it would be a shame for it to stick. How large is the DO?
Hi Alexandra,
I made your focaccia bread in the Le Cruset Dutch oven, following your instructions. It is delicious, crispy, chewy and tender at the same time !!! I end up baking with lid on for 30 minutes and lid off for 10 minutes. Thank you for a yummy recipe. !!!
Oh wonderful! Great to hear, Helen. Thanks for reporting back!
I’ve used this recipe several times now and it turns out great. A curious question though: My dimpling doesn’t stay even when placed in the oven immediately after dimpling. Am I not proofing the dough enough? I don’t want to overproof and the finger poke test always seem “inconclusive”. Since my kitchen is around 60 degrees, I’ve let the dough proof from 2-1/2 to 3 hrs. The important note is that despite the lack of dimples, no one has complained when gifted with a round of focaccia! It’s wet and cold in Seattle right now. To account for the humidity, I often hold back about 2 tablespoons (28g) water when mixing and add in as needed. This may help with the too wet dough issue from some commenters.
Hi Wendy! Great to hear all of this! A few thoughts: Be more aggressive with the dimpling — you would be surprised by how aggressive you can be. Since you’ve tried 3 hours, maybe try 4. My kitchen is about the same temperature in the winter, and I find 3-4 hours for the second rise is about right. Finally, you could consider holding back those 2 tablespoons (or more) of water and seeing if using a teensy bit less water makes a difference.
This is my go-to bread. I make it at least twice a month. It is so delicious. I stick to the basic recipe, but one day I may branch out and add some toppings.
So nice to hear this, Deborah! Thanks for writing 🙂
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you very much for your prompt response. From the last email I ask about baking your foccacia bread in a dutch oven, my Le Creuset Dutch oven is 4 and a half quarts. The texture of the bread is so good, chewy and airy which I love !!!
So when I bake in the dutch oven, I follow the recipe exactly and with the same oven temperature. Do I bake with covered lid or no lid?
Hi Helen! No lid. The only time you’d want to bake with the lid on is if you were trying to make one of those super crusty boules, which require preheating the DO, then carefully lowering the bread into the hot vessel; then baking covered for some of the time and uncovered for the last 10-15 minutes or so.
Regarding the size, this will likely be a pretty thick focaccia — just keep in mind. The shape will be a little different than what you’ve baked in the past. Be sure to grease the DO well with butter. Hope it turns out great!
Can I cover with pan with plastic wrap during the 3-4 hr rise?
Yes!
Wonderful! Works every time and sooo delicious I always have some frozen!
Wonderful to hear this, Teresa!
I’m making this for a party but I want to bake it just before it’s served at the party. Do you think traveling with the dough uncooked in pans will deflate the second rise???
Hi Leah! How long is the drive? It should be fine… can you secure the pans with towels or something to ensure they’re not jumping all over the place?
Hi! I thought I’d be able to find this answer in the comments but for some reason I can’t. I only have active dry yeast so should I add extra or change how I do this? I’m so excited to try this recipe!
Hi! To use active dry yeast here, simply sprinkle it over the lukewarm water and let it stand for 15 minutes or so; then proceed with the recipe. Good luck!
This was so so good I shared with my family. This is my new go to bread to make yum and easy thank you
Wonderful to hear this, Denise!
Delicious and so easy to make! Thanks!
Wonderful to hear, Linda! Thanks for writing 🙂
Hey Alexandra! I’m in love with how effortless this recipe is, thank you for sharing it 🙂
Just wondering what the shelf life is and what would be the best way to store & reheat it?
Hi Anisa! It will keep at room temperature for at least a week — I store it in an airtight bag or vessel. Always re-heat on days 2 and beyond — it will revive beautifully in the oven or toaster or toaster oven.
Shut the focaccia up! This recipe is amazing! My husband won’t stop harassing me to make it! I’ve made it twice now in the past 2 days since I made it the first time a couple weeks ago.
The ingredients couldn’t be any simpler, but this recipe is all about technique. I use a 9×13 glass pirex baking dish, buttered and parchment paper lined. Comes out so crispy and golden on the bottom.
This bread could make a nona cry! Might try to make into a pizza dough on a sheet pan next.
Decided to make your banana bread next since this turned out so well. Don’t remember the last time I made one.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Oh yay! So great to hear this, Erika! You are so right about technique. Hope you love the banana bread, too! It’s one of my faves.
Hi Ali,
I baked the focaccia last weekend to go with mussels in a tomato, garlic wine sauce. My son and family was here for the weekend and all of us loved the bread. By the time we ate leftovers for lunch the next day all the bread was gone. It came together so easily and was such a joy to work with. My 6 year old granddaughter helped me with the dimpling prior to baking.
Thank you for all the you share.
So nice to hear this, Bruce! My 6-yr old daughter loves helping with bread baking as well. Your mussels sound amazing. Mussels are one of my absolute favorite meals, and I don’t make them enough. Thank you for your kind words.