Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread (2024)

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With less than 10-minutes of hands-on time and no-kneading, the nameRidiculously Easy Focaccia Bread says it all! Almost. It's also ridiculously delicious!

I feel like I'm introducing you to an old friend, as I write about this fabulous, super easy focaccia bread. I've been making it for years now and no one ever seems to grow tired of it. It's perfect to accompany a nice dinner, for lunch sandwiches, for dipping in oil, for the best pizza ever, even for breakfast (yes, we even have a fabulous breakfast adaptation with cinnamon and raisins!).

The Ridiculously Easy label

The first time I made this easy focaccia bread I was thrilled with the results and knew that it had to go into our Café Ridiculously Easy Series. How does a recipe get labeled “ridiculously easy”? Well, here at The Café, it has to have certain characteristics to earn that prestigious label:

1. A recipe that takes minimal effort and minimal hands-on time to put together. (Resting, rising or chilling time is not taken into consideration.)
2. It’s also one that produces fabulous, super delicious results, ie, results that “appear” to have taken lots of time, talent, prowess and/or hard work.
3. Ridiculously easy recipes have to work well on those busy days when time is short and expectations are high.
4. And last, ridiculously easy recipes are perfect for entertaining, mostly because of the first two characteristics. They take the stress out of dinner parties and gatherings of families and/or friends and allow you more time to enjoy your guests. Bottom line? They are super simple, something anyone can do. (Shhhh! We’ll keep that part our secret.)

To sum it up briefly, these are the recipes that make you look like a kitchen rock star with minimal effort on your part!

An easy technique

I know, you might be looking at the pictures of this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread and thinking that I'm spoofing you about the "easy" part, right? I don't blame you - but it's true! Let me convince you by sharing (in a nutshell) how it comes together:

• Combine flour, instant yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water and stir until the flour is well incorporated. Cover it up, pop the bowl into the refrigerator and forget about it until the next day.
• About two hours before baking time, lightly grease two pans with a bit of soft butter, line them with parchment paper and give each a drizzle of olive oil. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, divide the dough in two and plop it in the prepared pans. Now forget about it again as you putter around the house, catch up on emails, make some phone calls or whatever it is you need to do.
• After two hours, the dough will have filled the pans and be almost ready to bake. Top the dough with another drizzle of olive oil and have some fun with your fingers, poking holes in the soft dough (for that classic dimpled focaccia texture). Sprinkle the top with sea salt and/or herbs and you're done on your end.

• Now the oven does the magic, transforming the fluffy dough into crisp, golden circles of deliciousness that are perfect for sandwiches, with soups or to fill your dinner bread basket.

If you're still a bit dubious about how easy this bread is to make, we've put together a little video to demonstrate it:

See what I mean, so easy! Ridiculously easy!

Did you notice there's NO KNEADING? In the past, I always thought that you had to do a lot of work, including kneading to achieve a beautiful, rustic, richly flavored bread with lots of big, irregular holes.

In fact, the folks at King Arthur Flour have reported that one of the most common questions they get on their baker's hotline is "How do I get those big, irregular holes in my bread?" They devote a whole article to the complexity of how to achieve this texture - but guess what? With thisRidiculously Easy Focaccia Bread it (magically) just "happens".

Another thing I love about thiseasy focaccia bread - in comparison to every other focaccia bread that I've made; this one has minimal fat. Each loaf (which makes 6-8 sandwiches or 8 generous bread servings) has only 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you google "focaccia bread" you'll see that most recipes have much more oil. One popular recipe from The Food Network includes a whole cup of olive oil - yikes!

How do you cut focaccia?

This is a question that people often ask. Since this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia bread is made in round baking pans, there are several options for cutting. I like to cut it in long strips which are perfect for dunking in oil, sauces or soups.

You can also cut it into wedges like a pie. One other suggestion is to cut it into three wide strips in one direction then turn the round loaf 90 degrees and cut it again in 3 wide strips yielding varying sized pieces.

Expect rave reviews!

Have I convinced you? Are you ready to feel like a little Italian breadmaker? You probably have everything you need to make thisRidiculously Easy Focaccia Bread. Whip up a batch of dough tonight and tomorrow your family just might think they've been transported to a wonderfulPanificio(the Italian word for bakery) as the incredibly delicious fragrance of baking bread wafts through the house!

Café Tips for making this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread

• I like to use bread flour if I have it - but it isn't necessary. Bread flour is higher in protein and is supposed to create more stability, form, and rise in the dough, allowing it to lift and hold shape. I have used both bread flour and all-purpose flour with good results.
• I use one of these Danish Whisks to easily mix up my dough. They're inexpensive and make whipping up any dough super simple. With this particular brand, you get two professional-grade whisks. Keep one for yourself and give the other to a baking friend. He/she will think quite fondly of you every time they mix a batch of dough!
• While we're talking about mixing the dough, make sure all of the flour is well incorporated and there are not any little pockets of dry flour. I always stir it up until I think it's well mixed and then stir a little more.
• You can cut this easy focaccia bread into wedges or crossways, into strips. I love cutting it in strips, crisping it up in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and serving it with soup. Just brush the cut sides of the bread lightly with olive oil then heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the bread and cook on both sides until golden. Delish!
• Be sure to grease your pan (with butter) and line with parchment paper. An easy way to line your pans with parchment? Take a piece of parchment slightly larger than the diameter of your pan. Fold it in half and then in quarters. Fold the quarter in half and then in half one last time. You will end up with a long skinny triangular-shaped wedge. Turn the pan you want to line upside down. Place the tip of your parchment paper triangle at the approximate center of the pan and lay it flat so the unfolded edges are lying over the edge of the pan. Trim the paper with a scissors, about a quarter inch in from the edge of the pan. Unfold and line your pan with the circle you created.

• This recipe calls for Instant Yeast which isalso called Rapid Rise Yeast. It's quite magical as it doesn't require proofing like regular yeast does. Don't try to use regular yeast in this recipe. You can find Instant or Rapid Rise Yeast at most grocery stores, right next to the regular yeast. You can also buy it in bulk and store it indefinitely in the freezer. It's infinitely cheaper buying yeast in bulk vs purchasing it in the little packets.
• Don't worry about exact time with the initial rising of this easy focaccia bread. I have done as little as eight hours and as much as 24. Your results will be wonderful as long as it rises at least 8 hours. The second rise (in the pan) should be at least 2 hours (or until the dough has nicely risen). If your kitchen is really warm, it may take a bit less time. Rather than using an exact time, use the appearance of the dough as your guide - it should be close to filling the pan.
• Don't be shy when you "dimple" the dough, just before baking. You want to poke your fingers in all the way to the bottom of the pan and actually make little holes with your fingers. This will ensure nice deep dimples that won't disappear in the oven.

• Dry or fresh herbs can be used to top this bread. I like to use dry Italian seasoning or fresh rosemary or thyme. Chives and sage would also be delicious.
• Use flaky sea salt to top this bread. It gives a nice little crunch and a pretty presentation. I like Maldon. It's more expensive than kosher or regular salt but a box will go a long way. Use it as a "finishing" salt rather than using everyday salt.
• As mentioned above, this Easy Focaccia Bread is fabulous as a dinner bread, with salads, for sandwiches, for a dipping bread... Sometimes I drizzle a little oil in a sauté pan, add the focaccia and let it cook over medium heat until it's golden and crisp. So good! It's fabulous to serve with soup, like thisRoasted Red Pepper Soup.

• And if you love focaccia, I've adapted this recipe a bit to result in a little healthier version with a portion of whole wheat flour and lots of delicious, nutritious seeds. You can check the recipe out here: Ridiculously Easy Seeded Focaccia.

• And last but definitely not least, we have a sweet version of this focaccia that takes only 2 hours, start to finish with 10 minutes of hands-on time. Check out this Ridiculously Easy Cinnamon Raisin Focaccia for an incredibly delicious breakfast/brunch treat!

Thought for the day:

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
and on Your wondrous works.
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
and I will declare Your greatness.
They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
and shall sing of Your righteousness.
Psalm 145:5-7

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Is He Worthy?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.