No knead focaccia bread
A no knead focaccia bread which is easy to make and has a flavourful topping.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 cups plain flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1½ tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 1½ cup lukewarm water
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the topping (this can be readied when the dough is resting for the last 30 minutes)
- 10 baby tomatoes, halved (I used red and yellow)
- 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- a few sprigs of rosemary, chopped
- ½ a red onion, sliced
- 1 tsp crushed red chillies
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
To spray
- a little water ( at room temperature) in a small spray bottle to spray over the dough and in the oven before baking
To grease tray and hands while handling dough
- olive oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the flour, sugar and yeast and mix together.
- Dissolve the salt in the lukewarm water.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the salty water.
- Add the 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
- Use a spatula to just bring everything together.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Grease another clean bowl liberally with some olive oil. (see notes below)
- Using a spatula, transfer the dough into the second bowl.
- Liberally grease your hand with olive oil and lift and fold in the dough from all sides; lifting it up at one end and tucking it in towards the centre.
- Turn the smooth side up, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Fold two more times at 30 minute intervals.
- So far, altogether, the pattern from the beginning should be minutes - mix with spatula and rest for 20 minutes, fold and rest for 30 minutes, second fold and rest for 30 minutes, third fold and rest for 30 minutes.
- Lightly grease a baking tray (mine was about 14 by 13 inches) and line with parchment paper. Grease the top of the parchment paper very well with olive oil.
- Tip the dough onto the tray.
- With oiled hands, fold the dough in from the sides, tuck in and turn over.
- Use the tips of your fingers to spread out the dough; mine was about 11 by 13 inches after spreading.
- Cover the dough with and oiled plastic wrap and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, ready the topping.
- Add all the ingredients for the topping in a bowl, mix well and keep aside.
- Pre heat the oven at 250 deg C.
- Remove the plastic wrap.
- With greased hands, and using just your fingertips, make dimples all over the dough.
- Pick out the tomatoes and onions from the topping mixture and arrange them over the dimpled dough.
- Spoon the rest of the topping. I spooned enough of the olive oil mixture on top, but did not use all of it. I did take out most of the spices and herbs in the oil and spooned it over. I saved the extra olive oil mixture and used it later for dipping the baked bread in. If you wish, you can sprinkle some salt over the top. I did not add any.
- Take the sprayer with the water and spray about 6-7 bursts of water over the surface of the prepared dough; this will moisten the top and give a better rise.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 230 deg C.
- Place the tray in the centre of the oven.
- Spray some more water directly and quickly into the oven (6-7 bursts). This will help create steam which in turn will help the bread rise better.
- Quickly shut the oven door and bake for 15-16 minutes.
- Take the bread out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Slice and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- If you wish, you can skip this and continue to do the rest of the steps in the first bowl, but using a second bowl helps to handle the sticky dough better.