Focaccia Genovese (No Knead)

With my version of Focaccia Genovese I will show you how to make your own easy, no-knead focaccia using only a handful of ingredients and your refrigerator. Yes - your refrigerator.

This focaccia genovese recipe makes a beautifully soft, pillowy loaf that does it's first rise overnight in the fridge. No guesswork to find a good spot to let it rise. SO easy.

I have to come clean, cooking with yeast is not really my thing. Never has been. Quite frankly, I just have no luck at it...put the dough in a warm spot to rise they say. Come back when it's doubled in size they say.

I never really got it right. I would come back to my bowl expecting big things and was always disappointed.

That's all changed now with this focaccia genovese recipe. Refrigerator + patience = (focaccia) bread!!!! Total game changer. Plus. PLUS. You don't even have to knead it!!!!

Why you will love this focaccia genovese recipe

• It's no-knead.
• It proves overnight in the fridge, so you don't need to find a "warm spot" to let it sit.

What you need to make focaccia genovese

• plain/all-purpose flour
• dry yeast
• water
• fine salt
• olive oil
• fresh parmesan

*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions

Step by step photos

1. Mix together flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add lukewarm water and mix to form a wet dough.
3. Coat the top of the dough ball with olive oil.
4. Cover with glad wrap/cling film and refrigerate overnight.
5. Remove glad wrap/cling film.
6. Scrape the dough into the center to deflate it.
7. Tip the dough into the prepared tin and pull it into a roughly rectangular shape.
8. Allow dough to rise at room temperature until it fills the tray.
9. Press dimples into the dough with your fingers.
10. Gently brush olive oil over the surface of the dough, top with parmesan, and bake.

Top tips for making focaccia genovese

• The dough for this focaccia genovese needs to be in the fridge for at least 18 hours, but longer is ok too. I have left it for 24 hours with the same result.
• You will need a pretty big bowl for this recipe, at least 14 cups/3.5 L.
• This dough is very wet and loose when it comes out of the refrigerator so I find it easiest to just use gravity to pour it out into the middle of the prepared tray. Trying to lift it out is just too tricky!
• The second rise (at room temperature) will take 2 - 4 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. For me, the temperature inside at home here has been between 19c and 21c during the testing of this focaccia recipe and the second rise was ready at about the 3 - 3.5 hour mark.
• I find the easiest way to get my 500ml (2 cups) of lukewarm water is to put ½ cup of boiling water into a measuring jug, then top it with 1 ½ cups of room temperature water. I then give it a test and adjust from there.

Variations and serving suggestions

• I sometimes add fresh herbs and garlic into the olive oil that goes on to the focaccia genovese just before baking:
  • 1 ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves
  • ¼ cup firmly packed fresh basil
  • 2 fresh garlic cloves
  • add these to a mortar and pestle with 3 tablespoon of olive oil and grind to a smooth-ish paste then brush onto the dough before sprinkling with parmesan and baking.
• A great way to eat focaccia is to dunk it in olive oil and then dukkah (a blend of nuts, spices, and seeds), or with just a herb dipping oil.
• What else could you serve this focaccia genovese with? Anything and everything as far as I'm concerned! We have even eaten this focaccia as a bread accompaniment on a curry night, it was great for soaking up the curry sauces like a sponge! My BFF christened it focaccia-naan!

Other recipes you may enjoy

Super Soft Flatbreads - quick & simple soft flatbread recipe, made with yoghurt and done in 20 minutes.

Cheesy Herb and Garlic Flatbread - an easy recipe for flatbreads stuffed with mozzarella, garlic, and herbs.

Almond Pesto - a classic pesto sauce with sun dried tomatoes, almonds, garlic, basil, parmesan and olive oil. Fast and simple.

Easy Focaccia Genovese (No Knead)

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Focaccia Genovese - make focaccia in your sleep with my super easy, no-knead recipe for the best ever focaccia!

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Prep Time: 22 hours

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 22 hours 35 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 194kcal

Author: Lee-Ann Grace

Ingredients

MetricUS customary

• 525 g plain/all-purpose flour
• 7 g dry yeast
• 2 teaspoon fine salt
• 500 ml lukewarm water
• 4 tablespoon olive oil divided
• 3 tablespoon grated fresh parmesan cheese

Instructions

• 525 g plain/all-purpose flour

  7 g dry yeast

  2 teaspoon fine salt

  500 ml lukewarm water
  Mix together plain/all-purpose flour, dry yeast, and fine salt in a large bowl then add lukewarm water and continue to mix to form a wet dough.
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
  Coat the top of the dough ball with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cover the bowl with glad wrap/cling film, and refrigerate overnight or at least 18 hours.
• Line a 20cm x 30cm x 2½cm (8" x 12" x 1") baking tin with baking paper and set aside.
• Remove glad wrap/cling film and scrape the dough into a ball in the center of the bowl to deflate it. I use a plastic dough scraper for this, but a silicone spatula would work too.
• Tip/pour the dough straight out of the bowl into the middle of the prepared tin and pull it into a rectangular shape towards the edges of the tin.
• Allow dough to rise at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours until it roughly doubles in size and fills the tray.
• Meanwhile preheat the oven to 210c/410f.
• 4 tablespoon olive oil

  3 tablespoon grated fresh parmesan cheese
  Coat your fingers in a little olive oil and press dimples into the dough with your fingers. Gently brush remaining 3 tablespoon of olive oil over the surface of the dough, sprinkle grated parmesan evenly over the dough.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cooked through.

Notes

• The dough needs to be in the fridge for at least 18 hours, but longer is ok too. I have left it for 24 hours with the same result.
• You will need a pretty big bowl for this recipe, at least 14 cups/3.5 L.
• This dough is very wet and loose when it comes out of the refrigerator so I find it easiest to just use gravity to pour it out into the middle of the prepared tray. Trying to lift it out is just too tricky!
• The second rise (at room temperature) will take 2 - 4 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. For me, the temperature inside at home here has been between 19c and 21c during the testing of this focaccia recipe and the second rise was ready at about the 3.5-hour mark.
• I find the easiest way to get my 500ml (2 cups) of lukewarm water is to put ½ cup of boiling water into a measuring jug, then top it with 1 ½ cups of room temperature water. I then give it a test and adjust from there.
• I sometimes add fresh herbs and garlic into the olive oil that goes on just before baking.
  • 1 ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves
  • ¼ cup firmly packed fresh basil
  • 2 fresh garlic cloves
  • add these to a mortar and pestle with 3 tablespoon of olive oil and grind to a paste then brush onto the dough before baking.

*Please note that the amount of calories per serve is provided as a guide only, as ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly*