No-knead high-hydration focaccia
No-Knead Focaccia (Stir, Wait, Dimple, Bake)
A tall, cloud-soft focaccia with a golden oiled crust — made with one stir and a long unhurried rise, no kneading and no folding at all.
- Total
- 17.6 hr
- Hands-on
- 10 min
- Hydration
- 80%
- Skill
- beginner
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Stir 500 g flour, 400 g water (80% hydration), 10 g salt and just 2 g yeast into a wet dough, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for 12–18 hours with no kneading or folds. Then scrape it into an oiled pan, proof briefly, dimple, and bake at 230°C/450°F for about 25 minutes.
Why this works
A long, slow rise lets the gluten organize itself and develop strength without any mechanical kneading, while the high 80% hydration keeps everything mobile so the network can form on its own. Skipping folds means minimal handling — the dough is simply poured, dimpled, and baked.
The schedule
~15m hands-on of 17.6h total · overnight
- Mix & fold · 15m
- Bulk ferment · 16h
- Proof · 40m
- Bake · 25m
- Cool · 15m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Stir
Put flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl, add the water and 10 g oil, and stir with a spoon until no dry flour remains. That is the entire mix — no kneading.
Look for: A sticky, lumpy, wet batter-dough that just holds together.
- 2
Long rise, hands off
Cover the bowl and leave it at cool room temperature for 12–18 hours. Do not fold or touch it.
Look for: It should more than double, turn glossy, and be covered edge-to-edge with bubbles.
- 3
Pour into the pan
Oil the 23×33 cm pan generously. Scrape the risen dough in with an oiled scraper, trying not to knock out the gas, and nudge it toward the edges.
Look for: It flows slowly and clings; handle it as little as possible to keep the bubbles.
- 4
Short proof
Let it settle and relax in the pan until it looks puffy again.
Look for: The surface re-domes and jiggles when nudged.
- 5
Dimple and bake
Drizzle oil, press deep dimples all the way down, scatter flaky salt, and bake at 230°C/450°F until deep golden.
Look for: Tall, bubbly and dark-gold on top with a crisp base.
- 6
Cool
Cool on a rack at least 15 minutes before cutting.
Look for: The crumb firms up so squares hold together.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Very open and airy with a soft, custardy interior.
- Crust: Crisp oiled base; thin crackly top.
- Height: Tall and cushiony, about 4 cm.
- Color: Deep even gold.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Never rose much | Room too cold or yeast dead/old | Give it longer, find a warmer spot, and start with fresh yeast next time. |
| Dense, flat bake | Bubbles knocked out when panning | Scrape and pour gently; do not stir or press the risen dough. |
| Sour and slack | Left well past 18 hours | Bake within the window; warmer rooms finish sooner. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Best the day it is baked; wrapped at room temperature up to 2 days.
Freezing: Freeze cooled squares up to 1 month.
Reheating: Refresh in a 200°C/400°F oven 5 minutes.
Contains wheat/gluten.
Tools & ingredients for this focaccia
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Core pantry
- Bread flour (opens Amazon) ↗ — High-protein bread flour or Italian “00” both work.
- Fine sea salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fine sea salt for the dough.
- Instant yeast (opens Amazon) ↗ — Instant (or active dry) yeast keeps for months.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (opens Amazon) ↗ — Use a good EVOO you like the taste of.
- Flaky finishing salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — For the crunchy finish.
Required pan & tools
- Danish dough whisk (opens Amazon) ↗ — Mixes wet, high-hydration dough more easily than a spoon, without a mixer.
- Large flexible mixing bowl (opens Amazon) ↗ — A big bowl gives wet dough room to fold and rise; a flexible one releases sticky dough cleanly.
You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.
Frequently asked
- Why so little yeast?
- A tiny amount is all a 12–18 hour rise needs; more would over-ferment and collapse the dough before you bake.
- Can I speed it up?
- Not without changing the method — the long rise replaces kneading. For speed, use the same-day recipe instead.
Keep baking
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Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/no-knead-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.