How to Make No Knead FOCACCIA BREAD like an Italian
Focaccia is a classic Italian bread celebrated for its aromatic rosemary fragrance, airy texture, and crust richly infused with EVOO. Traditionally, making this beloved bread involves laborious kneading to achieve the perfect amount of pillowy-ness. However, in this No Knead Focaccia Bread recipe, we remove the need for stand mixers and kneading. Instead, just follow a few simple, fool-proof steps that will have you swearing off bakery queues for good.
This isn’t just any focaccia. In fact, it’s made with my baker friend Anthony Silvio and lavished with a sprinkle of raw sugar, rosemary, and juicy, organic, grapes.
Thanks to Anthony, the real star of the show is Stracciatella cheese from Vannella Cheese. Indeed, it’s utterly creamy, dreamily lush, and absolutely divine. Imagine the soft, stringy mozzarella at the heart of burrata, swirled with fresh cream.
Forget the hard work of kneading; this method involves four simple rounds of stretching and folding, which results in the bubbliest, airiest focaccia you’ve ever tasted. However, the toughest part is the wait—letting the dough proof for 8 to 24 hours is crucial, and the secret to unlocking that spectacular flavour and perfect texture. Wait until you hear the crunch as you slice through that golden crust.
Watch How to Make No Knead FOCACCIA BREAD like an Italian
This homemade No Knead Focaccia Bread beats any bakery
Anthony’s Tips
Chill, Don’t Freeze
Use water that’s cool but not cold for your dough. Water that’s too chilly can slow down yeast activity, while room temperature water can speed it up too much, so somewhere in the middle is perfect.
No Flour Left Behind
Always scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing your ingredients. This ensures you’re incorporating every bit of flour and, leaving nothing behind.
EVOO, the Secret Hero
Being generous with the EVOO not only enriches the flavour of your No Knead Focaccia Bread but also tenderizes the crumb of your focaccia. It’s the secret to that delightful texture that’s soft inside with a crisp edge.
Patience Pays Off
Fermenting the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours enhances its flavour and texture. If you have time, letting it ferment up to 24 hours will develop even more complex tastes and a better rise. Try to wait or make ahead if you can.
Grape Expectations
Select high-quality, organic grapes for your topping. Not only are organic grapes free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, but they also have a sweeter taste that beautifully complements the savory dough.
How to Serve No Knead Focaccia Bread
Once your focaccia is beautifully golden, take it out of the casserole dish and put it onto a chopping board. Slice it up, place the slices on a small plate and add a heap of stracciatella on top… dig in while it’s piping hot!
No Knead Focaccia Bread
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Large-sized mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Plastic film
- Cast iron casserole dish (26cm x 35cm / 10 inches x 14 inches)
- knife
- Chopping-board
Ingredients
For the dough
- 430g /15oz cool water
- 7g /0.2oz dry yeast
- 540g /19oz plain flour
- 11g /0.3oz sea salt
- 12g /0/4oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil, EVOO
Toppings
- 30g /1oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil, EVOO
- 30g /1oz raw sugar
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 300g /10.5oz red seedless grapes, organic
- 250g /8.8oz Stracciatella cheese
Instructions
- Pour the water into the mixing bowl and stir in the dry yeast so it starts to dissolve.
- Add the flour, sea salt, and EVOO to the bowl and mix until well incorporated. Then cover the bowl with plastic film and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- After resting, lightly oil your hands with EVOO. Gently lift the dough from the bottom, stretch it, and fold it onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the folding three more times, totaling four folds. Cover again with plastic film and rest for another 30 minutes.
- On a workbench, stretch and fold the dough from top to bottom, bottom to top, left to the right, right to the left to give it structure. Shape the dough into a ball, lifting it gently.
- Grease the bowl with EVOO, ensuring the sides are coated. Place the dough back and turn it to coat evenly with oil. Again, Cover with plastic film and ferment in the fridge for at least 8 hours. If you can last, up to 24-hour will mean an even better result.
- Once fermented, line your casserole dish with EVOO, making sure it is spread all over.
- Place the dough in the dish. Slowly stretch the dough with your fingers and make sure the dough fits across the entire base.
- Using the tips of all your fingers, gently press down on the dough to poke holes from bottom to top.
- Sprinkle raw sugar, then tear rosemary leaves and scatter them over the top. Then put the grapes on top, pressing them in gently.
- Finally, the magic touch, drizzle with EVOO and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F), then once the dough has rested, give it a final poke with oiled fingers before baking it in the oven for 15 minutes at 210°C (410°F).
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Want to know more no-knead recipes? Please check these out.
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