It is has been a very long time since I have posted. My personal life has been in chaos for almost the past year now but I am trying to come back to my new reality and get my mojo back. Baking has just become part of my routine again in the past month or so and this no-knead focaccia has been a fan favourite amongst my friends. So I decided I had better get to it and write a post after many requests for the recipe.
It is a no-knead bread but that means that it takes time and you shouldn’t hurry it. The dough requires at least 12 hours in the fridge but 18-24 hours is preferred as it gives it time to develop it’s flavour. I have only used all-purpose flour but other recipes call for 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 all-purpose so feel free to experiment.
The other thing is there are very few ingredients so be sure to use a good quality olive oil and sea salt – Himalayan if you have it.
Mix your ingredients together in a very large glass or metal bowl (remember it has to fit in the fridge) starting with the warm water, sugar and yeast. Give it a minute to dissolve then pour the flour on top finishing with the salt. Mix this all together with a wooden spoon scraping the sides and mixing until it is all incorporated and there are no dry spots of flour.
Push the dough to one side with the spoon and pour a few teaspoons of olive oil into the bottom of the bowl. Flip the dough over a few time in the oil until coated ( may need to use 2 spoons to accomplish this). Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours.
This is what it looks like after about 6 hours when you want to deflate it in order to give it more texture- this part isn’t necessary but I think it really adds to the texture.
click on the video to see how to gently scrap the dough down. Now this is my first video and I have only two hands so please be kind! It may not even work, who knows!!
Cover it and put it back in the fridge for another 6-12 hours. This is what it should look like after that time.
Then you want to line a 12″ x 16″ rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Add a few teaspoons of olive oil to the parchment paper and smear it all over with your fingers. Then using a rubber spatula carefully scrape the dough into the middle of the pan. Use the spatula to coax the dough out into a rectangle. Because it is cold you will have to repeat the coaxing a few times over the next hour, keeping the dough covered with plastic wrap.
- 2½ cups of warm water
- 1½ tsp of instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 5 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- olive oil for coating and the pan
- coarse sea salt for sprinkling
- In a large glass or metal bowl mix together the water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for a few minutes until it starts to foam.
- Add the flour and fine sea salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated and it forms a sticky dough. Push the dough to the side of the bowl and pour a teaspoon or two of olive oil in the bottom. Using two spoons flip the dough over a few times to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12-18 hours.
- At the 4-6 hour mark, remove the bowl from the fridge and using a rubber spatula push the down from the sides to the centre. Cover again and return to the fridge for another 12-18 hours.
- Line a 12" x 16" rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour a few teaspoons of olive oil onto the paper and using your fingers smear it all over. Carefully using a rubber spatula pour the dough into the centre of the pan.
- Over the next hour coax the dough into a rectangle to fill the pan. Let rise the full hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool on rack and enjoy.
Then after about an hour or so the dough should fill the pan and be quite puffy. At this point you can add a bit more olive oil to the top if it looks dry and then sprinkle with coarse sea salt and fresh rosemary sprigs. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
The bread is ready when it is browned on the top which will take 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy.
Good to have you back Tammy!
thanks Linda