This no-knead Rosemary Focaccia is soft, chewy, & so easy to make! With just 6 ingredients required, you will love this vegan focaccia recipe that is perfect for beginners and experienced bakers alike.
A few months ago I shared my Vegan Garlic Pull-Apart Bread and you all went wild over it. This brand new rosemary and sea salt focaccia is just as delicious as that bread, but ten times easier to make. It requires no kneading, virtually no shaping, and is packed with flavor!
Ingredients:
Ingredient notes:
- Active Dried Yeast: I love baking with active dried yeast, but it does require the extra step of re-activating the yeast in warm water. If you'd prefer to use Instant Yeast that also works- just add it when you add the flour & salt instead.
- Olive Oil: I can't stress enough how important it is to bake this bread with high-quality olive oil. Since we use a fair amount, the flavor really shines through, so use olive oil you know you love.
How to make no knead vegan focaccia
Make the focaccia dough
First, re-active the yeast in warm water. Just make sure it's not too hot or you risk killing the yeast.
Then, add in the olive oil followed by the all-purpose flour and salt, and mix into a dough. I prefer using a spatula to mix the dough since it's pretty sticky. No kneading is required, but you want to make sure you mix the dough until no streaks of flour remain.
Form the focaccia dough into a loosely shaped ball and then coat it with olive oil. This helps to make sure the dough doesn't dry out during the first rise.
The first rise
Once the focaccia dough is coated with olive oil, cover it with plastic wrap and then add it to the fridge to proof. The dough tastes best when it has a really long first proof, about 10-24 hours.
I always make the dough the day before I plan on serving the bread and highly recommend sticking to this long proof time.
The second rise
The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and deflate it. It is a high hydration dough & pretty sticky, so you may want to coat your hands with olive oil before touching the dough.
Then, add the focaccia dough to a 9*13 inch pan coated with olive oil and lightly stretch it out in the pan.
It won't cover the full circumference of the pan at this point since the dough is pretty cold and a little stiff. However, just cover the dough and give it time (about 1-3 hours). Over that time, it will rise up and fill the pan perfectly!
Dimple the dough
Now comes the BEST part of making homemade focaccia bread! Remove the plastic wrap from the dough after the second rise and coat it with olive oil.
Lightly rub your hands in some extra olive oil so they don't stick, and then use your fingertips to dimple the dough. If any bubbles appear, let them be. This adds to the texture & gives this Italian focaccia bread that classic chewy texture!
Why do you dimple focaccia?
Dimples are super important to the structure of focaccia bread! The dimples actually help to keep the focaccia flat as it should be and hold in the olive oil to give it that perfect golden crust.
Add toppings & bake
As a final step, top the dough with fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt! I highly suggest using Maldon sea salt on top of the dough for the best flavor.
Then, add the focaccia to the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust has lightly browned on top and the bread is baked through. Once it's done, let it cool, & cut it into slices using a serrated knife to enjoy!
FAQ & Tips:
What can I do with rosemary focaccia?
Honestly, this focaccia is great all on its own!
However, if you're looking for a different way to eat it it can also be used as a sandwich bread or as the perfect dipping side for soup & stew dishes like my Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup or Vegan Lentil Stew.
Can I add different toppings to focaccia?
Of course! One of my favorite ways to bake this focaccia is with caramelized onions on top (you can find a recipe for them in my Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes).
Other great toppings include olives, garlic cloves, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, vegan pesto, or cheese!
How do I store focaccia?
Focaccia bread can be sliced and stored in a resealable container or bag for about 3-4 days at room temperature.
You can also freeze focaccia by slicing it and storing it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month. To defrost, you can let it thaw at room temperature and then reheat it in a pan to warm it up.
I am so excited for you to try this vegan No-Knead Rosemary Focaccia! With just 6 ingredients, it is the perfect easy appetizer, dinner party side, or sandwich bread.
-TSG
More bread recipes you will love:
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Rosemary Focaccia
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dried yeast
- 5 Tablespoons olive oil *make sure to add at specified times as amount varies at each step
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves only
- flaky sea salt optional, to top bread before baking
Instructions
Making the dough & first rise
- Begin by adding your warm water and yeast to a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to make sure the yeast is activated. You will be able to tell if it's bubbling and turns frothy. If using instant yeast, you can skip this step and add the yeast directly to the mix with the flour and salt.
- Next, add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil to the mixing bowl and stir to mix. Then, add in the all-purpose flour and salt and mix together until no streaks of flour remain. I prefer using a spatula for this step as it helps to mix this high-hydration & sticky dough, but a spoon also works.
- Once the dough is mixed, form it into a rough ball and coat with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then add to the fridge to proof for 10-16 hours. This extra-long rise is crucial for that yeasty & chewy focaccia flavor and texture.
Second rise
- Before removing the dough from the fridge grease a 9*13 inch pan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. This helps prevent any sticking and allows the focaccia to get a nice crust while baking. If your pan is not non-stick, you may want to add more olive oil or even a sheet of parchment paper before adding the dough.
- Next, remove the bowl of dough from the fridge. It should have risen substantially overnight. Lightly oil your hands to prevent sticking and then deflate the dough by pulling away the sides of the dough from the bowl and folding it into a loosely shaped ball.
- Add the deflated and folded dough to the 9*13 inch pan and gently pull it to stretch it out in the pan. It won't completely fill the pan at this point since the dough is cold, but rest assured it will after the next rise.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise another 2-3 hours at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size and completely fills the pan.
Baking the focaccia
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the pan and drizzle the final 1 Tablespoon of olive oil onto the dough. Lightly oil your hands again and then use all of your fingers to press into the dough and dimple it. Continue to do this until the dough is covered in little holes. If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow it to fill the pan.
- As a final step, top the dimpled dough with the fresh rosemary leaves and flaky sea salt before baking.
- Add the pan to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the focaccia is cooked through and browned on top and bottom.
- Let the focaccia cool in the pan for a few minutes, and then carefully transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to cut into 12 pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
- Rosemary and flaky sea salt work as a base topping for this recipe. However, feel free to experiment with other toppings. Some of my favorites include caramelized onion, olives, garlic cloves, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, vegan pesto, or cheese!
- Focaccia bread can be sliced and stored in a resealable container or bag for about 3-4 days at room temperature.
- You can also freeze focaccia by slicing it and storing it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month. To defrost, you can let it thaw at room temperature and then reheat it in a pan to warm it up.
- I don't recommend trying to make any of my yeasted bread recipes gluten-free as the structure of the bread does depend on some gluten forming.
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