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With less than 10-minutes of hands-on time and no-kneading, the name Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread says it all! Almost. It's also ridiculously delicious!
I feel like I'm introducing you to an old friend, as I write about this fabulous, super easy focaccia bread. I've been making it for years now and no one ever seems to grow tired of it. It's perfect to accompany a nice dinner, for lunch sandwiches, for dipping in oil, for the best pizza ever, even for breakfast (yes, we even have a fabulous breakfast adaptation with cinnamon and raisins!).
The Ridiculously Easy label
The first time I made this easy focaccia bread I was thrilled with the results and knew that it had to go into our Café Ridiculously Easy Series. How does a recipe get labeled “ridiculously easy”? Well, here at The Café, it has to have certain characteristics to earn that prestigious label:
- A recipe that takes minimal effort and minimal hands-on time to put together. (Resting, rising or chilling time is not taken into consideration.)
- It’s also one that produces fabulous, super delicious results, ie, results that “appear” to have taken lots of time, talent, prowess and/or hard work.
- Ridiculously easy recipes have to work well on those busy days when time is short and expectations are high.
- And last, ridiculously easy recipes are perfect for entertaining, mostly because of the first two characteristics. They take the stress out of dinner parties and gatherings of families and/or friends and allow you more time to enjoy your guests. Bottom line? They are super simple, something anyone can do. (Shhhh! We’ll keep that part our secret.)
To sum it up briefly, these are the recipes that make you look like a kitchen rock star with minimal effort on your part!
An easy technique
I know, you might be looking at the pictures of this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread and thinking that I'm spoofing you about the "easy" part, right? I don't blame you - but it's true! Let me convince you by sharing (in a nutshell) how it comes together:
- Combine flour, instant yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water and stir until the flour is well incorporated. Cover it up, pop the bowl into the refrigerator and forget about it until the next day.
- About two hours before baking time, lightly grease two pans with a bit of soft butter, line them with parchment paper and give each a drizzle of olive oil. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, divide the dough in two and plop it in the prepared pans. Now forget about it again as you putter around the house, catch up on emails, make some phone calls or whatever it is you need to do.
- After two hours, the dough will have filled the pans and be almost ready to bake. Top the dough with another drizzle of olive oil and have some fun with your fingers, poking holes in the soft dough (for that classic dimpled focaccia texture). Sprinkle the top with sea salt and/or herbs and you're done on your end.
- Now the oven does the magic, transforming the fluffy dough into crisp, golden circles of deliciousness that are perfect for sandwiches, with soups or to fill your dinner bread basket.
If you're still a bit dubious about how easy this bread is to make, we've put together a little video to demonstrate it:
See what I mean, so easy! Ridiculously easy!
Did you notice there's NO KNEADING? In the past, I always thought that you had to do a lot of work, including kneading to achieve a beautiful, rustic, richly flavored bread with lots of big, irregular holes.
In fact, the folks at King Arthur Flour have reported that one of the most common questions they get on their baker's hotline is "How do I get those big, irregular holes in my bread?" They devote a whole article to the complexity of how to achieve this texture - but guess what? With this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread it (magically) just "happens".
Another thing I love about this easy focaccia bread - in comparison to every other focaccia bread that I've made; this one has minimal fat. Each loaf (which makes 6-8 sandwiches or 8 generous bread servings) has only 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you google "focaccia bread" you'll see that most recipes have much more oil. One popular recipe from The Food Network includes a whole cup of olive oil - yikes!
How do you cut focaccia?
This is a question that people often ask. Since this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia bread is made in round baking pans, there are several options for cutting. I like to cut it in long strips which are perfect for dunking in oil, sauces or soups.
You can also cut it into wedges like a pie. One other suggestion is to cut it into three wide strips in one direction then turn the round loaf 90 degrees and cut it again in 3 wide strips yielding varying sized pieces.
Expect rave reviews!
Have I convinced you? Are you ready to feel like a little Italian breadmaker? You probably have everything you need to make this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread. Whip up a batch of dough tonight and tomorrow your family just might think they've been transported to a wonderful Panificio (the Italian word for bakery) as the incredibly delicious fragrance of baking bread wafts through the house!
Café Tips for making this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread
- I like to use bread flour if I have it - but it isn't necessary. Bread flour is higher in protein and is supposed to create more stability, form, and rise in the dough, allowing it to lift and hold shape. I have used both bread flour and all-purpose flour with good results.
- I use one of these Danish Whisks to easily mix up my dough. They're inexpensive and make whipping up any dough super simple. With this particular brand, you get two professional-grade whisks. Keep one for yourself and give the other to a baking friend. He/she will think quite fondly of you every time they mix a batch of dough!
- While we're talking about mixing the dough, make sure all of the flour is well incorporated and there are not any little pockets of dry flour. I always stir it up until I think it's well mixed and then stir a little more.
- You can cut this easy focaccia bread into wedges or crossways, into strips. I love cutting it in strips, crisping it up in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and serving it with soup. Just brush the cut sides of the bread lightly with olive oil then heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the bread and cook on both sides until golden. Delish!
- Be sure to grease your pan (with butter) and line with parchment paper. An easy way to line your pans with parchment? Take a piece of parchment slightly larger than the diameter of your pan. Fold it in half and then in quarters. Fold the quarter in half and then in half one last time. You will end up with a long skinny triangular-shaped wedge. Turn the pan you want to line upside down. Place the tip of your parchment paper triangle at the approximate center of the pan and lay it flat so the unfolded edges are lying over the edge of the pan. Trim the paper with a scissors, about a quarter inch in from the edge of the pan. Unfold and line your pan with the circle you created.
- This recipe calls for Instant Yeast which is also called Rapid Rise Yeast. It's quite magical as it doesn't require proofing like regular yeast does. Don't try to use regular yeast in this recipe. You can find Instant or Rapid Rise Yeast at most grocery stores, right next to the regular yeast. You can also buy it in bulk and store it indefinitely in the freezer. It's infinitely cheaper buying yeast in bulk vs purchasing it in the little packets.
- Don't worry about exact time with the initial rising of this easy focaccia bread. I have done as little as eight hours and as much as 24. Your results will be wonderful as long as it rises at least 8 hours. The second rise (in the pan) should be at least 2 hours (or until the dough has nicely risen). If your kitchen is really warm, it may take a bit less time. Rather than using an exact time, use the appearance of the dough as your guide - it should be close to filling the pan.
- Don't be shy when you "dimple" the dough, just before baking. You want to poke your fingers in all the way to the bottom of the pan and actually make little holes with your fingers. This will ensure nice deep dimples that won't disappear in the oven.
- Dry or fresh herbs can be used to top this bread. I like to use dry Italian seasoning or fresh rosemary or thyme. Chives and sage would also be delicious.
- Use flaky sea salt to top this bread. It gives a nice little crunch and a pretty presentation. I like Maldon. It's more expensive than kosher or regular salt but a box will go a long way. Use it as a "finishing" salt rather than using everyday salt.
- As mentioned above, this Easy Focaccia Bread is fabulous as a dinner bread, with salads, for sandwiches, for a dipping bread... Sometimes I drizzle a little oil in a sauté pan, add the focaccia and let it cook over medium heat until it's golden and crisp. So good! It's fabulous to serve with soup, like this Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
- And if you love focaccia, I've adapted this recipe a bit to result in a little healthier version with a portion of whole wheat flour and lots of delicious, nutritious seeds. You can check the recipe out here: Ridiculously Easy Seeded Focaccia.
- And last but definitely not least, we have a sweet version of this focaccia that takes only 2 hours, start to finish with 10 minutes of hands-on time. Check out this Ridiculously Easy Cinnamon Raisin Focaccia for an incredibly delicious breakfast/brunch treat!
Thought for the day:
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
and on Your wondrous works.
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
and I will declare Your greatness.
They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
and shall sing of Your righteousness.
Psalm 145:5-7
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
With less than 10-minutes of hands-on time, the name Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread says it all! Almost. It's also ridiculously delicious!

- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
- 2 cups warm tap water
- 1 teaspoon soft butter for greasing pan
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- Italian seasoning or finely chopped fresh herbs
- flaky sea salt I like Maldon
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In a medium-large bowl, combine flour, salt, and instant yeast. Stir well. Add the warm water. Using a Danish Whisk, sturdy wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, mix until all of the flour is well incorporated (there should be no small pockets of flour. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
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Lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into the center of each pan. Divide dough in half with a large spoon or rubber spatula and place one piece of dough in each pan, turning to coat with oil. Tuck edges of dough underneath to form a rough ball.
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Cover each pan tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough balls to rest for 2 hours (it may take as long as 3 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen). The dough should cover most of the pan.
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Preheat oven to 450˚F with a rack positioned in the center of the oven.
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Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough. With oiled fingers, using both hands, press straight down and create deep dimples that go all the way through the dough (in other words, you'll actually be making deep holes.) If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan.
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Sprinkle tops with Italian seasoning (or fresh herbs) and flaky sea salt.
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Transfer the pans to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425˚F. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the tops are golden and the undersides are crisp. Remove pans from the oven. With a metal spatula remove bread rounds from the pans and transfer to a cooling rack.
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Serve warm or allow to cool completely then store in a zippered bag.
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To freeze, allow bread to cool completely, then transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze. Thaw and enjoy at room temperature or warm for 10 minutes in a 350˚F oven.

Katie H. says
This recipe is easy and delicious! I used bread flour instead of AP. My kids keep requesting me to make more. Like, every day they are asking for a loaf LOL! Thank you!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Katie!
Debbie says
I am making this easy bread and I am wondering if I can add cheese to it before baking or not. Just wanted to try it. Thank you for the recipe. I am anxious to see if it turns out. It smells delicious!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Debbie, yes you can do that. Enjoy!
Rhiannon guess says
I found the dough very very dry for some reason, I had to add another half cup of water, the dough rose but was pretty tough, I set it in the pan and will let it proof again after 10 hrs in the fridge, we'll see how it goes but I probably won't use this recipe again as I've had better luck with others.
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry you had trouble with this recipe, Rhiannon. This is not a dry dough - it's quite loose. It's difficult to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you.
Carol Kenny says
very disappointed, made this today but the breads didn’t rise andso they are flat and hard. I followed the recipeto the letter🙁
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Carol, I'm so sorry you had difficulty with this recipe. It's difficulty to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you - so many others have had great success with this reicpe.
Kaitlyn C says
Why can’t you use active dry yeast in this recipe… it’s all I have on hand😬
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kaitlyn, you could use active dry yeast but you will have to proof it first in order to ensure success. Instant yeast does not need to be proofed.
Katie says
Hi there! Is 8 hours in the fridge required? If I do a little shorter (6hours), will that change the bread drastically? Didn’t realize it was 8 hours + the 2-3 hour proof time!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Katie, 6 hours will be fine. Just let the dough sit out and start to rise for about 30 minutes before refrigerating. That will give it a head start!
Sandy Cofer says
Once again you have provided an incredible recipe! I made this one twice over the last two days as well as the cinnamon raisin adaptation. I probably shouldn't make the cinnamon raisin one as we can't leave it alone! My first trial was with regular flour and the next two were made with bread flour which I do think yielded a bit better texture. The dough hook is in my Anazon basket as I'll be needing it lots!
I'd love the labels, please.
Thank you for sharing such incredible recipes.
Sandy
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Sandy, for taking the time to share your results! I know what you mean about the cinnamon raisin version being a little dangerous. 😋
We'll be happy to send you the labels.
Maria Gallo says
Hi. Love this recipe however the last few times it hasn’t browned. Tasted GREAT but no color. Could you take a stab as to why? Have a great oven & as I said no browning :(. I’ll try whatever you recommend. And I’ll still be making it. Thanks
Maria
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Maria, are you using a different type of olive oil? If not, I'd just leave the focaccia in the oven a little longer until you get a nice golden color.
Maria Gallo says
Yes, maybe the olive oil. I am using a different one. I will let you know.
Thanks for sharing with me!
Maria
HP says
Good day
I have not made this bread but will definitely in a day or two. Just stopped by to say thank you for the blessing of the song, is He Worthy.
Blessings
HP
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So happy to hear that, HP!
Cathie says
Five stars are not enough for these wonderful bread recipes... thank you for beautiful recipes!,
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So happy to hear that, Cathie!
Melissa says
I need to make a jelly roll size (10.5"x15.5") loaf. Would the dough amount needed equal the two rounds? Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Melissa, that should work! The square inches is of your pan and the two 9-inch pans is nearly identical!
David says
I made this yesterday and it was amazing!! I am an experienced cook and have always wanted to make focaccia but thought it was to hard. It is Ridiculously Easy!! I wanted it for dinner so I mixed it up and proofed it till it doubled. punched it down and split it and proofed it again. dimpled it and seasoned the top and baked them - everyone was so impressed - I will never buy store bought focaccia again! I have a second batch going in the fridge right now to bake up tomorrow to see what that turns out like. My tip - I mark all my bowls with their weight so I know how much to deduct when I weight the whole bowl - this has saved be much grief over the years! If you are baking and get distracted and the scale turns off you can keep going!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So glad to hear that, David! Thanks for your review!
Marie says
I don't usually make "bread" anything, but I tried this today. It is absolutely delicious and easy. Thank you - love your recipes!!!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thanks, Marie!
Jayno says
Thanks so much for this awesome recipe. A friend turned me on to your website/recipes and I'm so grateful. Not only are your recipes great for this budding cook but the website is phenomenal. Both recipes and website are detailed, professional and very user friendly. Count me as a very regular user.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Jayno! And welcome to The Café!
legend27 says
So delicious!
Kelly says
Oh.My.Gosh.
This is SO freaking delicious! And ridiculously easy!
I will be making this bread again for sure.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Kelly! So glad you enjoyed it!
Maria says
Thoroughly enjoyed making focaccia for the first time following your recipe! Made several for our school teachers who loved it! Indeed it was ridiculously easy to make, versatile, and quite forgiving as well. Will be playing more with toppings next time. Got so many asking for the recipe and I happily obliged.
**only thing I’d suggest you edit is the text on quantity of yeast, it mentioned *(1 packet). Thank you, btw, for allowing ability to adjust quantity to change yield. However, the “(1packet)” text may have to be removed as it can be deceiving to the reader especially those that may not pay particular attention, like me. 😉
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Maria, so happy you enjoyed this focaccia!
Regarding the "packet", that's how it's sold here in the US in many grocery stores - a packet is 2¼ teaspoons - that why I put both - so people who buy it by the packet, wouldn't have to measure.
Judith says
I made your recipe and it was awesome thanks. A friend says she spreads pesto on hers before the dimpling and I plan to try this next time. It is delicious toasted after a couple of days - makes the crust crunchy again. My danish dough hook is a favourite tool!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
That sounds delicious, Judith!
julie says
Beautiful focaccia. Thank you for tye recipe.
Before I make it, I'm wondering, are you using extra virgin olive oil? The reason I ask is because of the lower burning point but I love the flavor.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Julie, yes it's extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
Julie says
It's wonderful!!
Best tasting focaccia I've tried! And so little work!
Thank you again!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Julie!