Easy Overnight Focaccia

A baked focaccia, topped with flaky salt and rosemary, resting on a wire cooling rack.

With only 5 ingredients and just 5 minutes hands-on time, you can make the best focaccia! Make this dough up to 48 hours ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake. This yields a focaccia with amazing flavor! You can also make this focaccia the same day, from start-to-finish in 3 hours.

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 24

Resting Time: 12

Total Time: 12 29

Servings: servings

Ingredients

Dough

690 g warm water 100°F/37°C (2¾ cups)
7 g instant yeast (2¼ teaspoons) *see notes
840 g bread flour (7 cups)
20 g fine sea salt (4 teaspoons)
112 g high quality extra virgin olive oil divided (½ cup)

Topping

sea salt flakes (I like to use Maldon brand or fleur de sel)
dry or fresh rosemary leaves (optional)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, yeast, flour and fine sea salt. You can mix initially with a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk, but will need to finish up by hand. Pinch dough together until no dry bits remain. Mixture will be thick and sticky.
690 g warm water
7 g instant yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
840 g bread flour
20 g fine sea salt (4 teaspoons)
In a separate large bowl, drizzle 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil to coat the bottom. Transfer the dough to the oiled container. Turn the dough so that all sides are coated in olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap or lid. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 12-48 hours. The dough will rise to double in size in the refrigerator. *See notes for same day baking option.
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Remove from refrigerator and allow to rest for 30 minutes in the container, slightly warming up.
Prepare a half sheet baking pan (18x13-inches) by coating the bottom and sides with 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil. Turn the dough out from the container and onto the oiled pan and flip so that the smooth side is facing up.
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. Use the backs of your hands and knuckles to stretch the dough without tearing it. If the dough is springing back and not staying in place, let it rest 10 minutes and come back to it. Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap or a dome plastic pan lid. Let rise until it reaches the level of the pan, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the final rise time, preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C.
Uncover and lightly oil your fingertips. Gently dimple the dough by pressing into it with your fingertips. Press all the way to the pan. Create a moderate amount of dimples throughout the dough without depressing too many of the air bubbles. Sprinkle 1-2 Tablespoons of sea salt flakes on top and dried or fresh rosemary leaves, if desired.
sea salt flakes
dry or fresh rosemary leaves
Bake 18-24 minutes or until golden brown. After it comes out of the oven, brush the top of the focaccia with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil.
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Remove focaccia from the pan with a large spatula and slide onto a wire cooling rack. If the focaccia is slightly sticking to the pan, loosen it around all the edges with the spatula and then slide it out. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Store any leftover focaccia in an airtight container. Best served the day of, but will remain fresh for up to 2 more days.

Video

Notes

*You can use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, add the yeast to the water first and let it sit for 10 minutes until it bubbles. Then add to the rest of the recipe.
Same Day Option: You can make this recipe without refrigerating the dough. Instead of placing the dough into the refrigerator, continue to let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 90 minutes to 2 hours. Then shape, rise and bake as directed in the recipe.
Sourdough Version: Decrease the amount of water by 70g and decrease the amount of flour by 70g. Add 1/2 cup ripe starter (140g) to the water and break it up with your fingers. Add the mixture to the flour and salt and mix. You may want to complete 2-3 sets of stretch and fold before bulk fermentation. Continue recipe as instructed. Rise times will be at least doubled, but will vary.

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