No-Knead Focaccia

Ingredients

• 1 envelope active dry yeast (1/4-oz or about 2 1/4 tsp.)
• 2 tsp. honey
• 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour
• 5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt
• 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 2–4 garlic cloves (optional)
• Flaky sea salt
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (optional, for topping)
• Fresh rosemary (optional, for topping)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the active dry yeast, honey, and lukewarm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it foams or gets creamy. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast is likely dead, and you should start again with fresh yeast.
2. Add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt to the bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks of flour remain.
3. Pour 4 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil into a large bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Transfer the dough to this bowl and turn it to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until the dough is doubled in size and looks very bubbly, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
4. Generously butter a 13x9” baking pan (for thicker focaccia, good for sandwiches) or an 18x13” rimmed baking sheet (for thinner, crispier focaccia, great for snacking). Pour 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into the center of the pan.
5. Keeping the dough in the bowl, use a fork in each hand to gather the edges of the dough farthest from you and lift them up and over into the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this process three more times. This helps to deflate the dough while forming it into a rough ball.
6. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Pour any remaining oil from the bowl over the dough and turn the dough to coat it in oil. Let it rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of a preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.
7. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450°F. To check if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger; it should spring back slowly, leaving a small indentation. If it springs back quickly, it’s not ready.
8. Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out the dough to fill the pan (this may not be necessary if using a baking pan). Dimple the focaccia all over with your fingers, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reaching your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan).
9. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. If desired, press cherry tomatoes into the dimples and sprinkle with fresh rosemary.
10. Bake the focaccia until it is puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.
11. Garlic Butter Topping (optional, for serving): Just before serving, melt 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Peel and grate 2–4 garlic cloves into the butter. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the garlic is lightly toasted, about 30–45 seconds. Brush the garlic butter over the warm focaccia.
12. Slice and serve.

Tips

• Faster Rise: If you’re in a rush, you can let the dough for the first rise at room temperature until doubled in size (3–4 hours) instead of chilling it overnight.
• Make Ahead & Storage: Focaccia is best eaten the day it’s made. However, it keeps well in the freezer. Slice it into pieces, store it in a freezer-safe container, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven.

Modifications

• Garlic preparation: If you prefer raw garlic to toasted garlic in the optional topping, grate the garlic into the hot butter immediately after removing it from the heat, then brush it onto the focaccia right away.