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Cast Iron No-Knead Focaccia Bread
This easy no-knead focaccia bread rises overnight and is baked to crispy pillowy perfection in a cast iron skillet. Topped with flakey sea salt and fragrant rosemary for the perfect accompaniment to any dish!
Servings
Ingredients
- 500 grams bread flour or all purpose flour (about 3 1/4 cups)
- 4 grams active dry yeast (see note #1 (about 1 tsp))
- 325 grams water (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 15 grams Kosher salt (about 1 tbsp)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- Coarse flakey sea salt
- Fresh rosemary leaves
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Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the bread flour and kosher salt into the bowl (see note #3 on weighing ingredients)
- In a heat proof measuring cup, microwave the water until it reaches 110F-115F temperature. The timing will depend on how cold your water is, use a food thermometer to check. Add the active dry yeast to the water and whisk until it dissolves and give it 5 minutes, so it begins to bubble. (see note #2 if using instant yeast). Add the water/yeast into the bowl with the flour. Using your hands or a rubber spatula, mix until there is no more dry flour. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise overnight (minimum 8 hours, max 24 hours) (see note #4).
- After the dough has risen overnight, remove the plastic wrap. Take a rubber spatula and tuck the edges of the dough into the center of the dough, creating a ball. In a cast iron skillet, add 3 tbsp olive oil, then place the ball of dough into the cast iron seam side down. Allow the dough to sit in the cast iron for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. After the dough has sat in the cast iron for one hour, using the palm of your hand, flatten the dough into the skillet spreading it to meet all sides of the skillet. Using your finger tips, dimple the dough by pressing all the way down to the bottom of the skillet. Brush/spread 3 tbsp olive oil onto the dough, allowing the oil to go into the dimples. Sprinkle flakey sea salt and fresh rosemary over the top.
- Bake the focaccia for about 20-25 minutes (turning skillet halfway through so it bakes evenly) until the top is golden brown. Remove the skillet from the oven using mitts. With a rubber spatula, gently lift the bread and check underneath to make sure it's fully cooked. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with a dish of olive oil for dipping, best enjoyed the day of (see note #5).
Notes
- Bread flour vs all purpose flour: This recipe works with both bread flour and all purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein (12-14%) compared to all purpose flour (8-11%). The higher protein allows the bread to rise higher, resulting in a thicker focaccia. If you use all purpose flour, it is the same measurement (1:1).
- Check back of yeast packet to see its ideal temperature to dissolve in. Some brands call for different temperatures to activate the yeast.
- When it comes to baking, precision matters. Use a digital scale to measure ingredients. Make sure you place your empty measuring cup on the scale and then 'tare' the scale. This will reset the weight and not weigh the cup, just the contents inside it.
- Should you refrigerate the dough overnight? It is said, if left at room temperature for too long dough can begin to deflate after 12 hours. By refrigerating the dough, you slow down the rise process so the deflating doesn't happen. My house is around 70 degrees and I have left my dough to rise at room temperature overnight and there was no deflation.
- What size cast iron should you use? I typically use my 10-inch cast iron for this focaccia recipe. If you use an 8 inch it will be thicker and if you use a 12 inch the focaccia will be thinner.
- The focaccia bread is best enjoyed the day of, you can store in a paper bag for 2 days or you can freeze the sliced bread. Warm back up in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes or until defrosted.
Video
Nutrition Information
Calories: 665kcal (33%), Carbohydrates: 97g (32%), Protein: 16g (32%), Fat: 23g (35%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Sodium: 1458mg (63%), Potassium: 226mg (6%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 5g (6%), Vitamin A: 465IU (9%), Vitamin C: 7mg (8%), Calcium: 26mg (3%), Iron: 1mg (6%)