Easy (NO KNEAD) Overnight Focaccia
Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 400 g warm water
- 1 tsp sugar any sugar is fine
- 4 g instant dried yeast approx 1 tsp
- 1 tsp salt
- 500 g high grade flour
- A generous glug of olive oil 1-2 tbsp + extra for drizzling into the tray
- sprinkle of sea salt optional
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. The sugar acts as food for the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and leave to ferment for 5 -10 minutes.
- Whisk briefly before adding in the salt and plain flour. Mix with a spoon/fork until all the flour has been incorporated, the dough will be very sticky at this stage. Cover with a tea towel and rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Drizzle with a generous glug of olive oil and incorporate. The best way to do this is to coat your fingertips with oil and fold the dough in on itself until the oil has just been incorporated, it shouldn’t take more than a minute or two. Shape the dough into a ball by tucking the bottom under, and place it back into the bowl (if it is super sticky, you can drizzle your hands and the outside of the dough with extra oil). Cover the bowl tightly with glad wrap and place into the fridge overnight. It is important to wrap your bowl tightly, if there are any gaps it can cause a crusty skin to form on the outside of your dough.
The following day
- Generously grease your baking tray/dish with olive oil. Shape the dough back into a ball by tucking the bottom of the dough in on itself. Pop the dough into the tray, toss it in the oil to fully coat and firmly press it into the shape of the tray. Don’t worry if it doesn’t reach the edges, we just want to help it rise evenly into the tray. Cover tightly with glad wrap and leave in a warm place for an hour or until the dough is at room temp and has doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C.
- Once the dough has proofed, drizzle it generously with oil again. Dab your finger tips into the oil to grease them, then press firmly into the dough to create dimples. This helps get that delicious olive oil down into the bread and to create a nice levelled bake. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut down the edges of the dough, this helps ensure there is a layer of oil between the dough and the sides of the tray, giving it a lovely crispy crust.
- Sprinkle with sea salt, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden and crispy. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Don’t be shy with the olive oil, if at any point the dough is sticking to your fingers you can add a little more!
- I used a 23cm x 28cm baking tin but you can use any shape or size you like you may just need to adjust the cooking time. It’ll need less time if you use a larger tray and more time if you use a smaller tray.
- You can actually leave the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days! In fact, I find leaving the dough in the fridge for 2 nights creates the perfect bubbly, chewy focaccia, but who really wants to wait that long???