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This Same-Day Focaccia, with large air bubbles and delicious, old-world flavor, takes less than 15 minutes of hands-on time and comes together in significantly less time than traditional, slow-rise focaccia bread.
Although we have a wonderful classic Italian focaccia bread recipe in the Café archives, it's a recipe that requires some forethought as the dough needs an overnight rise. This Same-Day Focaccia is much quicker, coming together from start to finish in right around three hours. And most of that is rising time, with less than 15 minutes of actual hands-on work involved!
Classic focaccia
As I mentioned above, in classic artisan focaccia recipes (including our Ridiculously Easy Focaccia - pictured below), the dough is stirred together, then popped into the fridge for a slow overnight rise. The actual baking occurs the following day. The long, slow, cold rise is what creates the coveted, large irregular holes that sourdough and artisan breads are known for. The extended, lazy rise also produces a rich, rustic flavor.
A new way of doing things
So how does the same thing happen in just 3 hours? Magic! Yes, it's quite magical that one straightforward little step (repeated twice) creates a beautifully delicious rustic bread in minimal time.
In the bread/pizza baking world, this trick is called "The stretch and fold method". I'm not sure who originated it but Peter Rheinhart the pizza guru, explains the technique like much better than I could:
The stretch and fold method, is a remarkable way to maximize gluten development in a dough with minimum mixing time. It is sometimes referred to as "intermittent kneading" and also by the term "folding." All of these refer to a similar method, though the time intervals may vary from recipe to recipe. In short, it means to intermittently fold the dough over onto itself during the fermentation stage.
He goes on to say:
What this accomplishes is to strengthen the bonding of the gluten protein threads that hold the dough together and thus trap the carbon dioxide created by the yeast. This is what creates the bubbles or air pockets that we refer to as the "crumb" in the final bread.
Fold and Stretch magic!
So simply folding this Same Day Focaccia dough over itself after 30 minutes and then again after an hour creates a final product (in three hours) that isn't easy to differentiate from the overnight slow-rise method. Take a look at the big, gorgeous, artisan air bubbles:
To see how simple this fold and stretch method is, we took a few pics to demonstrate:
Start by mixing the simple ingredients; bread flour, instant yeast, a pinch of sugar and two teaspoons of kosher salt. Add warm water and stir it all together then add a drizzle of olive oil and stir one more time. Cover the dough, find a cozy place for it to rise and set a timer for 30 minutes.
At 30 minutes the dough will have risen nicely and now it's time for the first "stretch and fold". Use a sturdy spatula to slip down one side of the bowl to the bottom and bring the dough up and over itself. Then turn the bowl 45 degrees and do another stretch and fold. Repeat this 2-3 more times and you're done for now. The entire stretch and fold process will take less than a minute.
Now set the timer for an hour then repeat the stretch and fold. Your dough is now ready for the pan and one last rise before baking.
To see the stretch and fold technique in action and demonstrate the process, from start to finish, my daughter-in-law, Lindsay created a video:
How to serve this Same-Day Focaccia
We have enjoyed this Same-Day Focaccia for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as straight out of the oven! It's crispy and golden on the top, sides and bottom.
The interior has a delicious airy yet chewy crumb with those fabulous air holes we talked about earlier.
We love this focaccia served with creamy butter and a spread of jam. It's hard to choose a favorite jam from our extensive collection but we are quite partial to the raspberry freezer jam that's shown in these pictures.
It's also wonderful to dip in olive oil OR for an amazing treat, we LOVE it with our 15-Minute Chimichurri Sauce!
Instead of strips, as picture in this post, you can cut the focaccia into squares which are perfect for sandwiches.
Try it!
Once you try this delicious Same-Day focaccia. it will be on your frequent flyer recipe list. It's SO easy, SO delicious and it's SO rewarding when that fantastic aroma wafts throughout the house just a few hours after you mix up the dough.
Cafe Tips for making this Same-Day Focaccia
- You'll need a 9x13-inch baking pan for this recipe. That's the size of a standard cake pan. This is not a sponsored post but I really like OXO Good Grip baking pans. I've had this 9x13-inch pan for several years. It's sturdy and has held up well under much use (maybe abuse is a better word!).
- This recipe calls for bread flour. Bread flour is higher in protein which is what helps form gluten, so the more protein, the more gluten. That means dough that's stronger and stretchier and rises more - all of which facilitate those big beautiful air bubbles in good focaccia. (I really like King Arthur Bread Flour which is 12.7% protein.)
- If you don't have bread flour and don't want to purchase it, you can also use all-purpose flour for making this recipe. You might not get as much rise but it will still be delicious. (King Arthur AP flour is 11.7% protein.)
- I like to use a sturdy spatula or a Danish Whisk to mix up my dough. They both work well.
- You may find you need a little extra water when making the dough for this focaccia. It can change, depending on the moisture environment in your home as well as your flour - some flours are "thirstier" than others and may therefore need more water.
- 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.
- If your kitchen is a bit chilly, you'll need to find a warm spot to let your dough rise. Here are some ideas for creating an ideal rising climate:
- Bring a cup of water to a boil inside your microwave. Place the bowl of dough in the steamy microwave covered with a clean kitchen towel.
- Another microwave trick - place the bowl of dough in the microwave and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let one end of the towel hang out of the door. Close the door with the towel across the opening. This will cause the light to remain on in the microwave creating a nice warm environment.
- Heat the oven for 2 minutes then turn it off. Turn the light on in the oven to maintain a warm, cozy rising spot.
- If the top of your refrigerator is clear, this is also a nice warm spot for bread dough.
- You can cut this Same-Day Focaccia into long strips (as pictured in this post) or into squares, which work well for sandwiches.
- Be sure to grease your pan (with butter), line it with parchment paper then add a drizzle of olive oil. This may seem like overkill but the butter adds nice flavor to the crust, the parchment paper keeps it from sticking and the oil gives it amazing crispness.
- 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.
- Sprinkling water over the dough before baking might sound odd but it creates steam in the oven and makes the top of the focaccia nice and crisp.
Thought for the day:
Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing.
Isaiah 40:26
What we're listening to for inspiration:
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Ridiculously Easy Same Day Focaccia
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, I use Morton's
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups very warm tap water, 100-108˚F
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the pan:
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- flaky or coarse sea salt or kosher salt, if desired
Before baking:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons room temperature tap water
Instructions
For the dough:
- Combine the flour, salt, yeast and sugar in a large bowl (at least 10 cups). Stir well with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
- Add approximately half of the water (no need to measure). Stir well to incorporate the water. The mixture will be shaggy and dry at this point. Add most of the remaining water (reserve 2-3 tablespoons) and stir again until the water is well incorporated. If the mixture seems dry add the rest of the water and stir to combine. You're look for a thick, shaggy, fluffy wet dough. If the dough still seems dry, add a bit more water, a tablespoon at a time until the thick, shaggy consistency (and no pockets of dry flour) is reached.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir until most of the olive oil is incorporated.
For rising the dough:
- Cover the bowl with a lid or with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes. (If your kitchen is really chilly, you might want to create a warmer environment - see Café Tips for ways to do this)
- After 30 minutes, remove the cover and, using either a large spatula or slightly we hands, pick up one side of the dough, stretch it, and then fold it over onto the rest. Turn the bowl one-quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Repeat the stretch and fold 4-5 more times, turning the bowl one-quarter each time.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for one hour. During the one-hour rise, use a piece of paper toweling and rub the 2 teaspoons butter over the interior of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper then drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set aside.
- After the one-hour rise, repeat the stretching and folding described in step 2 above, then turn the dough into the prepared pan. Flip the dough over to coat with oil and flatten it out with your hands in the pan. It won't cover the entire pan at this point but flatten it out as much as you can. Then cover the pan tightly with the plastic wrap. Set aside to rise again for one hour.
- When the one-hour rise in the pan is completed, oil your fingers and start at the center of the dough, dimpling and stretching it towards one end of the pan. You're trying to evenly fill the pan to the edge and into the corners. (Don't be afraid to be aggressive with your dimpling. You need to reach your fingers down to the bottom of the pan. Deep dimpling creates focaccias signature peaks and valleys and prevents the texture from disappearing during the baking time.)
- Return to the center and dimple and stretch the dough out towards the opposite edge. If the dough seems resistant at any point, let it rest for a few minutes then try again.
- Once you've completed the dimpling, set the pan aside to rest while you preheat the oven. With one rack in the center position, preheat the oven to 500˚F.
- Once the oven reaches 500˚, drizzle the dimpled dough with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then 2 tablespoons of room temperature tap water. Finish off with a light sprinkle of sea salt (or kosher salt).
To bake and store:
- Bake on the center rack in the oven for 10-20 minutes or until nicely browned. (Start checking at 10 minutes - every oven is different.)
- Remove the focaccia with a metal spatula to a wire rack. Cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and devouring.
- Store in a zippered bag. It also freezes well. I like to slice in in 1-1½-inch strips before freezing so I can pull out as many pieces as I want without thawing the whole thing.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this focaccia bread yesterday to take to a dinner party. Let me just say I WILL NEVER buy focaccia bread again. This was so easy and SO MUCH better than store bought. Everyone loved it! The only small change I made was adding dried rosemary, thyme & a little bit of fleur de sel (salt) sprinkled over top just before baking.
I am wondering which of your scone recipes I should use to adapt for cheddar cheese and ham scones?
Hi Lisa, Thanks for the wonderful review! It's great to hear how well this recipe turned out for you - we appreciate you taking the time to let us know! Since we don't have a savory scone on the website, you might want to try making our Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits, linked here. This recipe uses the same technique as our scones of stirring melted butter into chilled buttermilk. Folding chopped ham into the recipe sounds delicious, though depending on how salty your ham is, you may want to adjust the salt in the recipe (note that the recipes on our website are tested with salted butter). If you do end up trying it, hope it turns out well for you!
I am an amateur baker at best and I’ve made this twice now. Both times turned out great, second time I added two cloves of roasted garlic and fresh rosemary - amazing. What I learned for best results is to make sure your flour is fluffed and level with a knife or use a scale for measuring.
Thank you for the great review, Chris! So glad to hear how well the focaccia turned out for you, and your additions of roasted garlic and rosemary sound delicious. Thanks for taking the time to let us know how much you enjoyed this recipe!
Follow this recipe for perfect focaccia! I've used this (and it's saved in my bookmarks) a few times. I love adding roasted garlic after the final dimpling before baking, and also rosemary! I even used chili oil one time to do a final top off and it was such a delight!
Hi Andi, Thanks for the excellent review and for sharing your experience with personalizing this recipe! It's great to hear how much you enjoy this focaccia -
We so appreciate you taking the time to let us know!
My daughter is gluten free. Is there a recipe to accommodate this?
Hi Jan, all of our scone, muffin and biscuit recipes work well with GF AP flour. Yeast recipes are trickier. To ensure success, it would be best to go with a focaccia recipe that has been developed with GF flours and ingredients.
Trying to watch the video of your ridiculously easy same day focaccia video and all I am able to see is endless ad videos one right after the other.
Wow, just made it for the first time and it is incredible! Excellent instructions too.
Awesome! Thank you for the review, Natalie!
Does someone used all purpose flour for this recipe? How is the outcome? Thanks!
Hi Tyns, I have also used all purpose flour with good results!
My bread is on its first rise. I have halved the recipe and know to adjust the bake time. Should I also adjust the temperature?
Nope! Keep the temperature the same but do watch the time carefully. Enjoy!
I've attempted focaccia once before, and I believe it was also a "same-day" recipe, but I found this recipe because I wasn't happy at all with how that one turned out.
This one is a KEEPER! I'm saving this one to my recipe book and never googling focaccia recipes again! It was so easy, and it turned out just perfect by following the directions to a T... except (hahah sorry) I added about a TBSP of vital wheat gluten to my dry mix (using King Arthur's unbleached AP - 11.7% protein), and after the 1-hour rest in the pan, I added some low-moisture shredded mozzarella, halved cherry tomatoes, and dried herbes de Provence before oiling. I reduced the water I sprinkled on before baking because of the cherry tomatoes, and it came out just perfect: fluffy with just the right amount of chew under a thin, crispy crust.
Pairing with Marcella Hazan's G.O.A.T. tomato soup made for a wonderfully easy, hands-off dinner that allowed me to catch up on kitchen chores and still get a from-scratch meal on the table by a reasonable hour. And now I have PERFECT bread leftover to make panini for lunch. 😊
Wonderful! Thanks for your review, Alex!
Hi, ladies! I initially commented on Jan 28/24, before I'd actually made the recipe. It's definitely a keeper!
But - now a question. I'd like to substitute some (regular) whole wheat flour for some of the bread flour. Do you think this would work, and are there any potential problems I should look for - other than the possibility of hydration differences? Many thanks, from a cool, 42°F Alberta, Canada early morning. Blessings to all!
Hi Terry, so happy you've enjoyed this recipe. I would start with a cup of whole wheat flour and go from there. If you use too much WW flour you will need to add some vital gluten, which increases the gluten level so the bread will rise better, despite the heaviness of the WW flour - but you should be fine with 1 cup!
Thanks, Chris! I appreciate your reply, even if I am extremely tardy in letting you know 🤗
This recipe worked excellent for me, I had a bit of a struggle following the stretch and fold, only because my dough was a little uncooperative...it did not stretch much!! but as you mentioned some flour are typically thirsty . Which is exactly how bread flour behaves, at first I really hated bread flour as I did not know its character, but now I know that water is its best friend. So doing the folds was quite laborious as this was not happening.. However second try around, I used much more water for this dough and it seemed a little better. I think I need more thou.....I baked this focaccia in a round dark galvanized pan, but I just purchase the pan you mentioned. So hopefully I get a better rise.. But I am very pleased with the results!! excellent bread . Focaccia is my obsession because in Italy bread is so widely eaten and given freely especially at restaurants.. So I want and need Focaccia !! One question **Line the bottom of the pan with parchment** do we really need to do this step, as the bottom of the Focaccia, does not brown well ??
Hi Martine, so happy you have enjoyed this bread and worked out the kinks!
Regarding your question, I just tried it myself without the liner and my focaccia stuck to the pan and was difficult to remove. If your bread is not browning well on the bottom, just transfer it to the lower shelf for the last 5-8 minutes.
I love your recipes. I live in India and I made the Focaccia bread and it was really good and so simple to make. My family loved it . Thanks for sending me your great recipes.
We're so happy to hear that, Meena! Thank you for your kind review!
This looks delicious but I have celiac disease and must avoid all gluten. Do you know if an a gluten-free flour blend would work; there are some that are marketed as gf bread flours. Any advice would be appreciated.
Hi Meredith, many of our scones, biscuits and muffins work well with GF flour. Yeast breads are a little trickier. My nephew, Steve, is an expert at GF baking as his wife cannot tolerate gluten. He does have a focaccia recipe (and lots of other great GF recipes) that I would recommend. https://cakesandcoriander.com/gluten-free-focaccia-bread-with-olives-lemon-and-herbs/
Thanks so much Chris, your nephew’s recipe looks amazing and I look forward to trying it; It seems like there are many creative cooks in your family. I appreciate the fact that many of your recipes are available to gluten-free bakers.
This is the yummiest thing ive ever made. Thank you!!!!!
That's great, Kate! Thanks for your review!
I love this receipt and have done it many times! The only comment I have is that 20 min at 500F was a bit too much and almost burnt my first batch, but I decided to check how it was going and noticed I had to lower temp! I usually heat the oven to 425-450 and it works great!
Thanks, Carol!
Thank you twice, Chris!!! I lost this recipe and thought I'd hit pay dirt when your email came in today - only to realize that the link was corrupted. I immediately replied to your email and received a response from you in no time flat! What a joy to work with someone you know will be on the lookout to answer questions - even on a busy weekend. This recipe is a 5 star recipe for me and it is so darn easy! Thank you again for coming to my Memorial weekend rescue!!
Thanks, Nikki! 💕
Excellent! I’ve tried so many same-day focaccia recipes but this one is the absolute best. Followed the recipe exactly but added cherry tomatoes and rosemary on top for an extra kick. It turned out perfectly. Thank you so much!
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Sharon!
Hi, Chris and Scott! Been following you for many years! I've made your foccacia and it's fabulous. However, think it would be good to include in your recipe/comments that a sprinkle of maldon salt and chopped rosemary pieces make it ultra worthy! Just my two cents...Have a great and happy 2025! Sandra
Thanks, Sandra! Good suggestion!
This focaccia is beyond excellent and the recipe so easy to follow! Thank you. Can the recipe be doubled and made in a sheet pan, and, if so, what adjustments should be made to the recipe?
Hi Madeline, yes, that should work well. It will be a little thicker so it will need a bit longer in the oven.
Brit baker here - when using the metric conversion on the site the recipe advises -
For the dough:
500 g bread flour
...
473 ml very warm tap water, 100-108˚F
After adding the first batch of water I quickly realised that this would be a 90%+ hydration dough and thought "that can't be right" - managed to add some extra flour and save the dough and it turned out great (thanks) but i'm assuming that this is an error with the conversion tool, if so, would you please be able to advise the correct metric amounts?
Thanks in Advance! 🙂
Hi Kev, I double checked and the recipe is correct. This is a very wet dough, not like normal doughs that you would knead.
Thanks for the reply Chris - I was confused as my dough looks much wetter than the photos but have since tried again and the bread turned out great. Best wishes!
Great! Thanks for letting us know, Kev!
Hi Chris,
I love all your recipes. I recently have to go “Gluten Free” and was wondering if I could substitute the Mulino Caputo Fioreglut Flour or any gluten free flour? If not, do you have any bread/focaccia gluten free recipes. Thank you so much.
Tina
Hi Tina, thanks for your kind words!
Regarding your question, all of our scones and biscuits turn out well with GF flour. Yeast breads, however, are a little trickier. My nephew, Steve, specializes in GF cooking and baking and has his own website you might want to check out: https://cakesandcoriander.com
Dear Chris
I love your focaccia recipes - in fact all your bread recipes are fantastic. I have a question - do you ever use the fan-force function for baking bread or cakes instead of conventional upper and lower heat ? My new oven recommends fan heat instead of upper and lower heat. Your advice would be very much appreciated !
Hi Li Huan, I have convection bake but I don't have the fan-force function. That being said, I always use the conventional bake function as we have readers all over the world and I want to use a function that is widely available, world-wide.
Could I double this and use a half sheet baking sheet? Or would you recommend making 1.5x for half sheet?
Hi Kristin, I would go with 1.5.
Hi. Could I make this in 2 pans instead of one? I looked up conversion for a 9x13 pan. Said to use 2 round 9” pans. Do you think this would work well with this recipe? Thx.
Hi Dieby, that works perfectly!
Great results without the hassle of a multi day ferment thanks for sharing this recipe
Awesome! Thanks for the review, James!
This is such a delicious and easy recipe. I made it today as a last minute Mother’s Day gift, and we all loved it!thank you for this amazing recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks for the review, Catherine!
Amazingly easy and so good! I added Asiago and roasted garlic cloves on mine and it was perfect!
That's great, Allison. Thanks for your review!
This sounds easy enough for even me to try! (Not had luck baking bread) But I'm confused about how the butter flavor get to the bread if one is buttering the pan, then covering that with parchment, then olive oil on the parchment. Or am I missing the order? Thanks for your always easy and always fabulous recipes (scones and biscuits the top!)
Hi Sylvia, hope you enjoy it!
Regarding your question, it does sound a little strange but that is the correct order. As the focaccia bakes, the butter melts and blends with the oil. Just that little bit of butter makes the bottom crust crisp and delicious!
I made this recipe yesterday and it was devoured by the whole family. Before baking I added fresh rosemary, chopped garlic and course salt. A definite keeper.
Wonderful! Thanks for the review, Lesley!
Absolutely fabulous! I added some roasted garlic to the olive oil. What a great recipe! Thank you for sharing this.
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Bethany!
I love homemade bread but always neglect to prepare in advance for an overnight rise. Normally I decide that day that I want fresh focaccia that night, lol! So thank you so much for a delicious and simple same day focaccia recipe. I’ve just made it a second time and this will be my go-to for sure!
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Jennifer!
That is one fine tasting focaccia! My wife says this will be a new Sunday tradition! Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Michael!
Can I use all purpose flour (it is all I have) instead of the bread flour?
Yes, that's fine, Laurie. Enjoy!
Love this bread, Chris! I’ve made it several times during the past 2 weeks. And I’m adding it to my list of favorite bread recipes!
Thanks for taking the time to perfect this yummy focaccia recipe.
So good!
Awesome! Thank you for the review, Kim!
What an easy recipe, and I have variations running through my somewhat (?) addled brain as I type. Looks like I'll be buying bread flour at the bulk store tomorrow, too!
Props to Lindsay for the great video. She really DOES make it look just THAT easy. Add kudos to the videographer (Scott?) as well. He does a magnificent job of your recipe photos.
Blessed Sunday to all.
Thanks for the kind comment, Terry! Hope you enjoy the bread 🙂
I love your original focaccia recipe and this looks delicious. I do have a couple of questions. Under ingredients for the pan I’m guessing it’s two tsps room temp butter instead of water. In the directions it says butter. Also when preparing to pop it in the oven, do you add the olive oil and water before you preheat the oven and after the oven has heated? In the directions it seems to be done twice. And we keep the oven at 500 the whole time? Thank you for clarification! I love that I can make it so quickly!
Thanks, Diane!!
I rewrote parts of the recipe several times and ended up with an extra step that shouldn’t have been there. Sorry for the confusion!
I have clarified those issues now!
Thanks again!