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Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Quick and Dirty Focaccia – RecipeTin Eats


Quick and Dirty Focaccia is named as such because it skips traditional focaccia-making steps but still delivers an incredible result – crispy crust, soft chewy crumb, and check out those glorious bubbles! The secret is a super high 93% hydration dough you just mix, rise, pour, and bake. This is even easier than the infamous No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread….…never thought I’d top that, but here we are!

Quick and dirty focaccia recipe
Quick and Dirty Focaccia – RecipeTin Eats

Quick and dirty focaccia is quick but not dirty!

There are many wonderful, scientifically perfect focaccia recipes out there, and millions of traditional Italian ones too.

This is not one of those.

And that’s why I’ve called it “Quick and Dirty” – because it skips so many steps traditional bread making steps. But there’s nothing dirty about it!

What it is though is an exceptional focaccia made with a fraction of the effort. In fact, I think this is the most hands-off bread recipe I’ve ever seen, and I mean that literally. You won’t touch the dough with your hands until it’s time to dimple. No kneading, no stretch-and-fold, no stand mixer. Just mix the dough in a bowl with a spatula, then pour it straight into the pan.

And yet …… the result is incredible! That signature olive-oily crispy crust, soft chewy interior, and glorious big bubbles.

Is it as good as traditional focaccia, made properly and painstakingly with 3 separate rises with fold-and-turns each time? No. Is it 93% as good with 30% of the effort? YES!

Quick and dirty focaccia recipe

The secret: ultra high 93% hydration dough

The idea for this focaccia came from the very loose dough that is used in the infamous No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread. The reason that recipe works so well is because of the high-hydration dough – 83%, to be exact, whereas typical bread recipes can be as low as 70%.

So I basically took that concept and pushed it even further for focaccia, thinking that because it’s baked in a pan which holds the dough in rather than shaped, I could make the dough even wetter which would make the crumb even softer and more moist, and the dough would prove faster because it’s so loose.

Incredibly, it worked, so much better than I expected!! Look at the dough, it’s so loose, it’s more like a batter:

93% ultra high hydration dough for Quick and Dirty Focaccia

What you need for Quick and Dirty Focaccia

All you need to make this Quick and Dirty Focaccia is the usual yeast, flour, salt and water, plus olive oil for baking. It always amazes me how the same ingredients can produce such different breads by using different techniques!

No yeast? Use the batter in this Lunchbox Pizza bread instead, see FAQ below for directions.

  • Instant yeast – Also called Rapid Rise Yeast, it goes straight into the dough – no need to dissolve and make it foamy first! Regular dry yeast (“Active Dry Yeast”) also works, you’ll just need to activate it in water first (see recipe notes). Both give the same result!

    Tip: Store yeast in the fridge to keep it fresh.

  • Bread flour is best – It makes focaccia fluffier and chewier thanks to its higher protein (12%+), which creates more gluten. Look for packets labelled “bread flour” or “pizza flour”, or if not clear, look at the nutrition label to make sure it’s 12% protein (ie 12g or more per 100g).

    Plain flour (all-purpose flour) is under 10% protein and works just fine – it’s not quite as chewy, the surface is a little more rustic, the crumb is a little less soft and will have fewer larger holes, but it’s still delicious and fluffy and I’d happily make it tonight. Here is one made with regular flour:

Quick and dirty focaccia recipe made with plain flour
Quick and Dirty Focaccia made with plain flour rather than bread flour – comparison.
  • Salt x 2 types – I use regular cooking salt (kosher salt) in the dough and reserve the pricier sea salt flakes for on top, because I like that it’s still visible after baking and how you get lovely little pops of crunchy salt when you bite into it. I prefer using grains in the dough because it disperses and dissolves better.

  • Quite warm water – 38-45°C is a good temp (100–113°F). Think, comfortable bath, though if you want to be sure, use a thermometer or mix 1/3 cup boiling water and top up with cold tap water. 🙂

    If the water is too hot, you will kill the yeast – it starts to die at 55°C / 130°F. If it’s too cold, the yeast takes longer to activate and rise the dough. Lucky yeast makes magical things, else we wouldn’t stand for the fussiness!


How to make Quick and Dirty Focaccia

This will knock your socks off with how ridiculously easy it is. I honestly didn’t think it would work -just another of my “what if…?” experiments I expected to fail (like most do!). I’ve made this 12 (15?) times since, and I’m still amazed! 😅

  1. Make dough – Using a rubber spatula, mix the flour, salt and instant yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre then pour the water in and mix until you can no longer see flour.

  2. Sticky! – This is the consistency of the dough, it’s like a really thick muffin batter. It’s far too wet and sticky to be kneaded, but it should be thick enough to mound in the bowl (not spread like a soup). The unusually high hydration is why this recipe works so well, so please trust the process!

    Adjustments – Aim for the dough consistency you see in the video, adjusting with more water or more flour as needed. Different flour brands and even the air humidity can affect water absorption. More chatter on this in the FAQ.

  1. Rise 2 hours – Cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm until doubled in size, about 2 hours. The dough will loosen, spread out, and look like a bubbly, jiggly soup.

    Rising too fast? Move it somewhere cooler. Not rising? Find a warmer spot (see FAQ). Overnight fridge – see FAQ. Shorter rise works, but the crumb is less chewy and it doesn’t puff as much – I’ve tested a 1-hour rise and it’s still good, just not as good.

    Don’t overproof! If it grows more than 1.5x, the yeast can run out of steam and the focaccia won’t rise as well in the oven.

  1. Prepare pan – Lightly grease a 26.6 x 20 x 5cm (10.5 x 8 x 2″) or 22cm/9″ square metal pan with butter. Scrunch up a sheet of baking paper to wrinkle it up then un-scrunch and press into the pan. Make sure you have sufficient overhang so you can lift the focaccia out while hot (it’s fragile, so if you invert it flattens a bit – so I found 🙂 ).

    💡Scrunched paper stays in the corners of pans, muffin holes etc better than flat. Pastry chef trick! And use butter rather than oil for greasing as the paper sticks better. Lastly, use metal rather than ceramic or glass, for a crispier base!

  2. Pour – Drizzle some olive oil on the paper. Then use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the pan. ⚠️ Don’t mix the batter and deflate the bubbles before scraping into the pan!

  1. Coax the batter into the corners using two spatulas, and make the surface as even as you can. There’s no need to be meticulous here, the dough will fill the pan during Rise #2, and the surface will smooth out too. PS Did you notice – clean hands! How good is that!

  1. Rise #2 – Place a chopping board or heavy tray on top to prevent the surface from drying out. Then put the pan in a very warm place to let it rise for 45 minutes, or until it has risen by 50 – 70%.

  1. LIGHT oil spreading! Drizzle olive oil across the surface of the focaccia. Tub some on your fingertips to prevent it sticking on the dough, then use your fingertips to lightly spread the oil across the surface without deflating the dough.

  2. LIGHT dimpling! Then form your fingers into claw shapes and LIGHTLY press down only 1cm/0.4″ into the surface of the dough to make focaccia dimples. If you get too aggressive, like I encourage with traditional focaccia, you will deflate the dough!

  1. Bake 25 minutes – Sprinkle the surface with salt flakes then bake for 25 minutes at 220°C/425°F (200°C fan-forced), rotating the pan at the 15 minute mark until the surface is deep golden and it’s crispy.

  1. Cool 10 minutes – Lift the focaccia out of the pan using the paper overhang to transfer to a cooling rack, then slide the paper out from underneath. Cool 10 minutes before attacking!

Quick and dirty focaccia recipe

How I serve focaccia

Honestly, freshly baked focaccia is in a league of its own. The surface is crisp, it’s generously coated in olive oil, the inside is almost impossibly soft and tender and it’s well seasoned. It is one of the few breads in this world that you’ll happily eat plain, straight off the tray, without even a smidge of butter.

But actually, the traditional way to serve it is with extra virgin olive oil for dipping. This is the time to pull out your good stuff! The optional swirl of aged balsamic vinegar is also lovely (again, your good stuff!).

Quick and dirty focaccia

Serve it anytime of the day as a snack or nibbles with drinks, cut up into smaller pieces. For a bread basket, I cut it into larger pieces.

And of course, it makes brilliant sandwiches and toasties.

Everything you can do with bread, focaccia can do better! 🙂 – Nagi x

PS Moved the FAQ to below the recipe card, above Dozer, because it got a bit lengthy. Always lots of FAQ’s with yeast bread recipes! 🙂


Watch how to make it

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Quick and dirty focaccia recipe

Quick and dirty focaccia

Servings6 – 8 people

Tap or hover to scale

Recipe video above. Thanks to an ultra-high 93% hydration dough based on the infamous NYT No Knead Artisan Bread, all you need to do is mix in a bowl and pour into a pan – no kneading, no folding, no touching the dough until it’s time to dimple! The result is extraordinary – a golden, crisp crust with a soft, fluffy interior and a respectable amount of big bubbles. 93% as good as traditional focaccia with 30% of the effort – high returns!It’s so easy and so good, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to Focaccia Heaven. 🙂Sound too good to be true? Try it. 🙂 It’s so low effort and so fool-proof, you’ve got nothing to lose!

Prevent screen from sleeping

Instructions

ABBREVIATED:

  • Mix dry, then mix in water. Rise 2 hrs to double. Drizzle EVOO into pan, pour into pan, rise 45 min by 50%. Oil surface, very lightly dimple, sprinkle with salt flakes, bake 25 min at 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan).

FULL RECIPE:

  • Very sticky dough – Put the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl, mix to combine with a rubber spatula. Make a well in the centre, pour the warm water in then mix until you no longer see flour. It should be like a thick muffin batter – way too sticky and loose to knead.

  • Rise #1 (2 hrs) – Cover with cling wrap then put in a very warm place to rise for 2 hours or until doubled in volume (Note 4), or do Rise #1 in the fridge 24 – 48 hrs (Note 5).

  • Line pan – Use a 26.5 x 20 x 5cm (10.5 x 8 x 2″) rectangle pan (metal, not glass or ceramic) or a 22cm/9″ square pan. Lightly grease with butter (not oil). Scrunch up a sheet of baking paper, un-scrunch then press into the pan, ensuring you have overhang to lift the focaccia out later. (Note 6)

  • Dough in pan – Drizzle and spread 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan on the paper. Pour the dough batter in, then use 2 rubber spatulas to coax the dough out into the corners as best you can. Don’t get too hung up on this, it will fill the pan as it rises.

  • Rise #2 (45 min) – Cover with a cutting board (or similar – flat with some weight), then put in a very warm place for 45 minutes or until it rises by 50 – 70% (you should see some nice big bubbling on the surface). Halfway through, preheat oven.

Bake!

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan-forced) with the oven rack in the middle.

  • Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil across the surface. Rub a little oil on your fingertips then use your fingers to spread the oil lightly across the surface. (Note 6 for Toppings)

  • LIGHT dimpling – Use your fingers to LIGHTLY press dimples into the surface of the dough, only pressing down about 1cm/0.4″ into the dough, not all the way down like traditional focaccia else you will deflate the dough.

  • Salt flakes – Sprinkle all over the surface.

  • Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan at the 15 minute mark, until the surface is deep golden.

  • Cool 10 minutes – Lift the focaccia out of the pan using the excess paper onto a cooling rack, then slide the paper out from underneath. Cool for 10 minutes then attack! Always best served warm.

Serving / cutting:

  • Bread basket – I cut into 4cm / 1.5″ wide strips then each into 2 pieces. Appetiser or to nibble on with drinks – I cut them into smaller pieces (generous) 2-bite pieces. In every scenario, it’s accompanied with a good extra virgin olive oil for dipping, sometimes with a swirl of aged balsamic vinegar. Also makes excellent cheese toasties and sandwiches!

Recipe Notes:

1. Bread flour has higher protein so rises better with better bread-chew. If packet label is ambiguous, look at the nutrition panel – protein should be 12%+ (ie 12g+ per 100g). 
Plain/all-purpose flour still makes a really great focaccia with but with fewer bubbles and a slightly less rise.
2. Instant yeast is also sold as “Rapid rise yeast”, find it in the baking aisle of regular grocery stores. No need to foam in water before using, just mix into flour!
To use Active dry yeast – Mix 1 1/8 tsp active yeast with 1 1/2 tbsp warm water and 1/8 tsp sugar. Let sit 5 mins until foamy (if not, yeast is dead). Mix flour and salt, add foamy yeast and remaining water, then proceed with recipe. End result is the same -instant yeast just skips the foaming step.
3. Water temp – 38-45°C is a good temp (100–113°F). Think, comfortable bath, though if you want to be sure, use a thermometer or mix 1/3 cup boiling water and top up with cold tap water. 
4. Warm place for dough rising – Do whatever you need to find a cosy environment for the dough to rise! I put the bowl next to a heater. Dryer trick is also a fave – run the dryer for a few minutes to heat it up then put the bowl inside. Works so well!
Not rising? Move it to a warmer place. Don’t worry if it takes longer than 2 hrs! 🙂 Rising too fast? Move it to a colder place to slow it down, or even stop the rising if it’s already doubled. It’s best not to shortcut rise time.
DON’T OVER RISE. If it goes well over double in volume (eg 1.5x), it won’t rise as well in the oven because the yeast has used up too much of the rising power during this proving stage.
5. Overnight fridge rise – 24 to 48 hrs. Dough will double in size but no more. Scrape into pan as per recipe, allowing 30 min to 1 hr extra for Rise #2 to de-chill. Note: bread improvement only noticeable after 48 hrs – see FAQ for details.
6. Pan size – 20cm/8″ square or 23cm/9″ round pans work but focaccia will be slightly thicker. For a 23 x 33cm (9 x 13″) pan, scale recipe up by 50% for same thickness (hover on servings to adjust). Metal pans give the crispiest base (rather than ceramic or glass).
Scrunch baking paper so it stays in place – neat chef trick! Use one large sheet to hold in oil (don’t trim neatly like cakes). Grease with butter so it sticks.
6. TOPPINGS – Add whatever you like after dimpling! For sliced veg (like potato or zucchini), drizzle with extra oil and don’t forget the salt. If using salty toppings like olives, go easy on the sprinkle. Avoid dried herbs and raw garlic—they burn. Use confit garlic instead – see traditional focaccia recipe).
Leftovers keep 3–4 days in an airtight container, but reheating is best – focaccia is always better warm! 5 minutes at 180C/350F. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Quick and dirty focaccia FAQ

Life of Dozer

Dozer is taking some cookies into SASH later today as a thank you for taking such good care of him during his dental procedure last Friday.

SASH had to take extra precautions for his general anaesthetic because of the tie-back in his throat and also because a higher risk patient due to his age and medical condition. SASH specifically arranged for the dental to take place when his tie-back surgeon was available so he could take the opportunity to look inside his throat and make sure everything was ok, and nobody gave me grief or judged me for camping out in reception the whole time he was there! 🙂

These adorable custom cookies are made by Claudia from Monogram Cookies, a local cookie store who specialises in making custom cookies. How cute are they!!



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