Easy Same-Day Focaccia makes it possible to start focaccia only a couple of hours before you eat it. Its crisp crust and soft crumb is so delicious!
I have a confession. I'm really bad at meal planning. I used to be better at it, but lately I just can't seem to plan ahead and decide what to make for dinner until the afternoon. This makes it really difficult for me to ever serve things that take a long time to cook.
Unfortunately, this is the case for many focaccia recipes, which need the dough to spend hours (often overnight) in the fridge before baking. My family loves focaccia, so I've been experimenting with recipes that only need to rise for a couple of hours, tops. Admittedly, some have not turned out great, but I've finally found one that works consistently. Stay tuned to learn how to make Easy Same-Day Focaccia.
How to Make Easy Same-Day Focaccia
Making this delicious loaf of bread starts with making the dough. The dough is easy to make and has a short ingredient list. However, the method will differ slightly if you use instant yeast compared to traditional (active dry) yeast.
Using instant yeast is a little easier, as no proofing step is required. You can simply mix the yeast into the other dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt).
Using active dry yeast requires proofing with water and sugar. This means that you will dissolve the sugar in some warm water, then sprinkle the yeast on top of this mixture. Then you'll let it sit until the yeast "blooms" or becomes puffy. At this point, you can stir the yeast into the water, then mix this into the flour mixture.
I use a stand mixer and dough hook to make my focaccia dough, but I usually have to turn off the mixer to scrape the bowl with a spatula and manually turn the dough in the bowl several times, as the mixer doesn't do a great job kneading smaller batches of dough like this. If you don't have a stand mixer (or you don't want to use it), you could knead the dough by hand or use a food processor to mix it. Note that focaccia dough is very soft and sticky.
After the dough is made, it's time for rising. Generously oil a large bowl with olive oil, turning the dough in the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl (you can use a lid, clean damp towel, a large plate, or plastic wrap) and place it in a warm place to rise for about an hour. You want the dough to double in size.
After the dough has risen, prepare an 8x8" pan (or use a 9x9" pan) by coating the bottom and sides with more olive oil. Punch the dough down, and transfer it to the prepared pan. Turn the dough to coat it in oil again, then gently press it into the corners of the pan (don't worry if it won't stay). Cover the pan with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise again, this time for about 45 minutes.
After 30 minutes have passed, start heating the oven and preparing your toppings (if using). See the list below for ideas. Drizzle some more oil over the top of the dough, and with oiled fingers, make dimples in the dough by pressing your fingers into the dough all over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle your toppings over the dough.
Bake the focaccia for about 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. If you like your focaccia extra-crisp, remove the focaccia from the pan (carefully - if it sticks, use something like a spatula to gently pry it out) and put it back into the oven, directly on the oven rack, for about 5 minutes.
Cut the focaccia into pieces (I like to cut mine in half, then cut the halves into "fingers" - see photos). Focaccia is best served warm. If desired, serve with more olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip.
Easy Same-Day Focaccia Ingredients
The ingredient list to make your very own soft focaccia with a nice crisp crust is short and sweet. The ingredients are what you'd expect to see in any homemade bread, with the exception of olive oil, which isn't used in the dough, but to grease the rising bowl and baking pan, and on top of the dough during baking. Please note that I recommend measuring the ingredients for this recipe by weight, as it's the most accurate.
- All-purpose flour - focaccia typically uses all-purpose flour, not bread flour.
- Whole wheat flour - I like to use a little bit of whole wheat flour in my focaccia. It doesn't make it overly dense and wheaty, but adds just a little texture (and fiber). If you don't want to use any whole wheat flour, or don't have any, feel free to replace it with an equal amount of all-purpose flour.
- Instant yeast - I prefer to use instant yeast when baking, as it saves the step of proofing the yeast and rises a little more quickly. However, if you use regular yeast, you'll have to mix the water and sugar together, sprinkle the yeast on top of that, and wait for it to bloom. Then, you can go ahead and stir the yeast into the water and mix the yeast mixture into the flour mixture.
- Table salt - if you use kosher salt, increase the amount by half.
- Granulated sugar
- Warm water - use cold tap water (or whatever water you normally drink) and warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop to about 90-100°F.
- Olive oil - while the olive oil doesn't go directly into the dough, it is used to coat the dough and grease the bowl during the first rise, and again to coat the dough and grease the baking pan. Just before baking, more olive oil is drizzled onto the top of the dough, and you will use oiled fingers to push some of that oil into dimples in the dough. If you'd like, you can dip your cooked focaccia into olive oil (with or without balsamic vinegar) when you eat it.
More Focaccia Topping Ideas
Of course, focaccia can be made without any toppings. I typically add at least a sprinkle of kosher salt (use no more than ¼ teaspoon to avoid your bread being too salty), and often some fresh rosemary (I keep a rosemary plant at home). However, you can customize your focaccia with other toppings:
- Sun-dried tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
- Olives (chopped or sliced, any type works as long as they don't have pits)
- Crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
- Caramelized onions
- Roasted garlic
- Roasted red peppers
Want more bread recipes?
Easy Same-Day Focaccia Nutrition Notes
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for ⅙th of the recipe. Depending on how you cut your focaccia, this will likely be slightly over 2 pieces of bread. The nutrition information does not include any optional toppings.
This recipe is vegan and dairy-free as written.
Easy Same-Day Focaccia
Equipment
- Kitchen scale note that I recommend measuring the ingredients for this recipe by weight (tap on "metric" in ingredients if the weight measures are not displayed)
- Stand Mixer optional (knead by hand or use a food processor instead)
- 8x8" baking pan or you could use a 9x9" baking pan
Ingredients
- 275 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams whole wheat flour
- 6 grams instant yeast see note
- 9 grams table salt
- 6 grams granulated sugar
- 284 grams warm water
- 50 grams olive oil divided
Instructions
- Whisk together 275 grams (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour, 100 grams (1 cup) whole wheat flour, 6 grams (2 teaspoons) instant yeast, 9 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) table salt, and 6 grams (1 ½ teaspoons) granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in 284 grams (1 ¼ cups) warm water until a shaggy dough is formed.
- Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook, and turn the mixer on low speed. Mix until all of the flour is mixed in, and a very sticky dough is formed (you may need to turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl several times). Note that the dough will continue to stick to the bottom, and even up the sides of the bowl.
- Lightly coat the insides of a medium to large bowl with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Use a spatula to scrape the dough into the bowl. Turn the dough over in the bowl so that it's mostly coated with some of the olive oil. Cover the bowl with a lid, a plate, a damp kitchen towel, or some plastic wrap and set it aside to rise for 1 hour.
- After an hour, coat the inside of of an 8x8" baking pan with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, turning the pan to ensure that the entire bottom and the sides of the pan are coated with oil.
- Turn the dough into the prepared pan, turning the dough over to further coat it with the oil. Gently press the dough into the pan, attempting to stretch it into the corners (don't worry if the dough doesn't stay put). Cover the pan with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and set it aside to rise for 45 more minutes. After 30 minutes, move the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425°F.
- Remove pan cover and drizzle the top of the dough with an additional 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Using oil-coated fingertips, gently press your fingers into the dough, all over the top of the dough to create dimples. If desired, sprinkle the top of the dough with chopped rosemary, up to ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or another topping.
- Bake the bread until the top is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Run a paring knife between the bread and the pan, and if the bottom is sticking, use a spatula or flipper to carefully pry the bread out. For crispier results, place the loaf of focaccia back into the oven once it's removed from the pan, directly on the oven rack. Cook for about 5 minutes. Cut into squares or rectangles to serve. If desired, serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.
Notes
- Stir the granulated sugar into the warm water until dissolved.
- Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water mixture and let it sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast becomes slightly puffy.
- Stir the yeast into the water. Stir the water mixture into the flour mixture and follow the recipe as written.
Nutrition
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