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Dana's Focaccia Bread in a cast iron skillet
Print Recipe

Focaccia

Recipe shared by Dana Vollmer, Development Director
Dana says, "This focaccia recipe has been in heavy rotation for my partner and I during the cooler months. It is truly *the* easiest homemade bread to make (i.e. no kneading), but you wouldn't know it by how stunning the finished product is. It's also a crowd pleaser—the perfect side dish to bring to holiday parties."

Ingredients

  • 400 g Bread flour (About 2 1/2 cups), plus more for dusting
  • 10 g Kosher salt (About 2 teaspoons), plus more for sprinkling
  • 4 g Instant yeast (About 1 teaspoon)
  • 275 g Water (About 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons)
  • 8 g Extra-virgin olive oil (About 2 teaspoons), plus more for coating pans and for drizzling

Instructions

  • Combine flour, salt, yeast, water, and oil in a large bowl. Mix with hands or a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains.
  • Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, making sure that the edges are well sealed, then let rest at cool room temperature overnight. Dough should rise dramatically and fill bowl.
  • Coat a cast iron skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the dough into the cast iron. Using a flat palm, press dough around the pan, flattening it slightly and spreading oil around the entire bottom and edges of the pan. 
  • Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let dough sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 550°F (or as hot as your oven will go). Adjust rack to the middle.
  • Once dough has gone through the second rise, use your fingers to dimple the focaccia, creating very deep depressions in the dough. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Add any additional toppings you would like (herbs, garlic, etc.) Your dough should look like the photo below before baking.
  • Bake until top is golden brown and bubbly and bottom is golden brown and crisp when you lift it with a thin spatula, about 12 to 15 minutes.
  • Serve with more olive oil for drizzling. If you manage to not eat all in one sitting, store in a paper bag on the countertop and enjoy within 1-2 days, reheating on the stovetop before eating.

Notes

Some tips for success: Cast iron is pretty crucial to getting the golden brown crust you want, but a cake pan would also work. Don't cut corners on rise time. Get creative with toppings (we've been loving a combination of sliced olives, pistachios, capers, and herbs). And if you want to take it to the next level, always opt for Janie's Mill flour.