No-Knead Overnight Focaccia
Focaccia can be a platform for appetizers or sandwiches. This recipe, taken exactly from Alexandra Cooks is a tasty, pillowy bread that can be made plain or with herbs incorporated, according to your preference. It's incredibly easy, requires no kneading, and is fun - who doesn't like squishing their fingers through soft dough?
According the Alexandra, cold, refrigerated dough is the secret to making delicious focaccia. Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 24 hours in the fridge will yield extra-pillowy and airy focaccia, although 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. She provides step-by step video guidance on her site. Check out her instructions if you want to divide the dough into 2 smaller focaccia.
She also offers helpful hints:
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 on the same day: Let the mixed dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Then proceed with the recipe, knowing the second rise will only take about 30 minutes.
Use butter + oil to prevent sticking, You can use various pans to make this focaccia such as: one 9×13-inch pan, or a 13 x 8 inch rimmed baking sheet — this creates a thinner focaccia, which is great for slab sandwiches.
Another Focaccia, Artistic Focaccia, and Italian Bread (Pane di Terni) Back to Yeast Breads.
Ingredients
4 cups (512 g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt
2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast or 1/10 lb. cake yeast
2 cups (455 g) lukewarm water
butter for greasing
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, more as needed
Flaky sea salt
1 to 2 teaspoons whole rosemary leaves, optional
Method
Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and the yeast. Add the water. Add any extra herbs you want to include. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball.
Rub the surface of the dough thoroughly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a hard lid, a damp tea towel, cloth bowl cover or plastic wrap. 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 using a cloth bowl cover or tea towel as opposed to plastic wrap or a hard 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.
Grease the 9 x 13 inch pan with butter or line a 9×13-inch pan (see notes above) with parchment paper (Note: This greasing step may seem excessive, but it is imperative to do so to prevent sticking.
Then pour 2 tablespoons of oil in the 9×13-inch pan.
Deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl with your fingers and pulling it toward the centre. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball.
Roll the dough ball in the oil in the pan to coat it all over, forming a rough ball. Let the dough ball rest, covered with a towel, for 3 to 4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425°F.
Pour two tablespoons of oil over the dough. 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, or herbs, according to your taste.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. Remove the 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.
Focaccia can be a platform for appetizers or sandwiches. This recipe, taken exactly from Alexandra Cooks is a tasty, pillowy bread that can be made plain or with herbs incorporated, according to your preference. It's incredibly easy, requires no kneading, and is fun - who doesn't like squishing their fingers through soft dough?
According the Alexandra, cold, refrigerated dough is the secret to making delicious focaccia. Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 24 hours in the fridge will yield extra-pillowy and airy focaccia, although 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. She provides step-by step video guidance on her site. Check out her instructions if you want to divide the dough into 2 smaller focaccia.
She also offers helpful hints:
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 on the same day: Let the mixed dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Then proceed with the recipe, knowing the second rise will only take about 30 minutes.
Use butter + oil to prevent sticking, You can use various pans to make this focaccia such as: one 9×13-inch pan, or a 13 x 8 inch rimmed baking sheet — this creates a thinner focaccia, which is great for slab sandwiches.
Another Focaccia, Artistic Focaccia, and Italian Bread (Pane di Terni) Back to Yeast Breads.
Ingredients
4 cups (512 g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt
2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast or 1/10 lb. cake yeast
2 cups (455 g) lukewarm water
butter for greasing
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, more as needed
Flaky sea salt
1 to 2 teaspoons whole rosemary leaves, optional
Method
Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and the yeast. Add the water. Add any extra herbs you want to include. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball.
Rub the surface of the dough thoroughly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a hard lid, a damp tea towel, cloth bowl cover or plastic wrap. 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 using a cloth bowl cover or tea towel as opposed to plastic wrap or a hard 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.
Grease the 9 x 13 inch pan with butter or line a 9×13-inch pan (see notes above) with parchment paper (Note: This greasing step may seem excessive, but it is imperative to do so to prevent sticking.
Then pour 2 tablespoons of oil in the 9×13-inch pan.
Deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl with your fingers and pulling it toward the centre. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball.
Roll the dough ball in the oil in the pan to coat it all over, forming a rough ball. Let the dough ball rest, covered with a towel, for 3 to 4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425°F.
Pour two tablespoons of oil over the dough. 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, or herbs, according to your taste.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. Remove the 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.