“The coolest things in life are things that you have not done before. That’s the key to life: new things always. “- Afrojack.

In my little over a year of blogging , this is my first bread post ! I haven’t forayed much into savoury baking – on and off the blog. Blame it on a tad bit of yeastophobia or the impatience to wait through provings . But some encouraging nudging from some of you has made me want to explore this part of baking as well . And I rarely turn down an opportunity to try something new. 

This no-knead foccacia from the Bake or Break blog caught my eye last week and it seemed the perfect recipe to get my feet wet . It’s so simple and the result is quite gratifying .If like me you are a newbie breadie , this recipe is a good place to start. Hell, even if you are a regular bread baker , you will want to give this a try. 

Focaccia is basically an Italian flat bread. It is rustic in nature and soft in texture. It could be any shape but is usually baked in a rectangular or oblong form.  It can be topped with a variety of toppings like herbs, veggies , cheese or meat . It is typically sliced into fingers and served alongside dipping oil or salads. 

This recipe needs quite a bit of yeast and like most focaccia , quite a bit of oil. I did try to reduce the oil but it was a pain trying to get it out of the pan after baking. Olive oil is ofcourse the traditional choice. But I ran out of it on my second try with this and used regular oil. Know what . It tasted not very different. I hope the bread connoisseurs don’t pound on me.. no-knead foccacia with regular oil. For committing bread blasbhemy ! 

But no apologies. The foccacia was super soft and delicious. And I am all for baking hacks when they turn out this good!

No knead foccacia

Soft and fluffy foccacia that needs no kneading and not much time either !

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Ingredients

  

• 220 grams or 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 and half teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 180 ml or 3/4 cup warm water.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion and 5-6 olives sliced thin- for the topping
• 2 tablespoons olive oil - for the pan and topping

Instructions

 

• Grease a 8 inch pan with oil.Spread one tablespoon oil well on the bottom.
• Heat the water so that it is lukewarm. (You should be able to put your finger in for 5 seconds. It should be too hot to keep it in any longer . A thermometer shoild show between 95 and 115 degrees)
• Mix the warm water with the sugar and yeast. Keep aside for few minutes to froth.
• After the yeast gets activated , add the flour , salt , and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
• It's a sticky dough but if it looks too wet and sticky , add up to two tablespoons flour more and mix in.
• Spread the dough on your prepared pan spreading it almost till the edges.
• Cover and keep aside for an hour to rise.
• Meanwhile , preheat your oven to 200 C / 400 F.
• After the resting time , stretch the dough to the corners of your pan if needed.
• Put a little oil in your fingers and press 4 to 5 holes in rows , spacing them out equally.
• Drizzle one tablespoon oil on top.
• Spread your toppings and press down slightly.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on top.
• Cool for few minutes .
• Using a knife, nudge the sides off the pan and lift the bread out. Or slice in pan and serve !

Notes

This can be stored for 2 days. The crust will harden slightly.
I browned my onions a little bit in oil in a pan before using.This is optional.
Other options of topping - garlic , cheese, tomatoes ,dried or fresh herbs ,pepper , salt , sliced vegetables, meat.
if you have trouble getting the bread out of the pan , let it cool and then gently release the sides and try to slide a knife under.
If you don't want to use a square pan, you can spread the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and follow the rest of the recipe for a more rustic looking focaccia.

The foccacia turned out really good. Fluffy and light. Its quick , it’s simple and bread doesn’t seem so scary anymore! 

Affiliate links : Just so you know, I have baked this focaccia in my trusty Morphy Richards 52 Litre Oven .

Happy baking !